FDA & Prescription Drugs

• So what is an MDL?

  Staff Writer | April 19, 2006 9:31 AM | 2 CommentsDenver, CO

  Many folks have recently seen or perhaps heard of the Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra, Ortho Evra, Guidant and Medtronic "MDLs" in the media. So what is an "MDL"? Well, its shorthand for multidistrict litigation. The first thing you need to know about multidistrict litigation is that its not the same thing as a class action. A class action is a lawsuit where a few people sue on behalf of themselves and...

• Zyprexa Litigation

  Staff Writer | June 14, 2006 8:00 PM | 1 CommentDenver, CO

  On June 8th, Judge Weinstein (the federal judge overseeing the Zyprexa litigation and $700 million settlement) issued an order that if claimants in the settlement do not have their claims submitted to the Special Masters with the necessary documents to support their claim "conforming to the guidelines agreed upon in the Final Settlement Protocol" by July 17th, their claims will be deemed...

• Ambien Users Report Binge Eating, Memory Loss

  Staff Writer | April 28, 2006 8:26 PM | 1 CommentDenver, CO

  More and more, we're hearing stories about people who are engaging in unusual behaviors while on Ambien, an anti-insomnia medication made by Sanofi-Aventis. Many people are reporting short-term memory loss as well. Both MSNBC.com and the New York Times have reported behaviors that are even more bizarre and disturbing, involving Ambien users who drank and drove in their sleep and remembered...

• The Heparin Debacle Part Four – Baxter International Getting Away with Murder?

  Linda Snyder | May 07, 2008 4:42 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Getting away with murder? That’s a pretty harsh question to ask when talking about a drug company. But, I question the policy of drug maker, Baxter International to leave a product on the market for...

• Let the FDA Do Its Job? I Don't Think So.

  Linda Snyder | May 02, 2008 1:49 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  What planet does Diane Bieri live on? It’s certainly not on the planet earth that I live on. In her commentary, Opposing view: Let FDA do its job, Ms. Bieri goes on and on about how the outcome of a...

• Pharmaceutical Companies Spend Twice as Much on Marketing than on Research and Development

  Linda Snyder | March 11, 2008 7:42 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  PLOS Medicine, an online medical journal conducted a study using numbers from 2004 and concluded that pharmaceutical companies spent almost twice as much on marketing than on their research and development for their United States markets.As a marketing person, on the one hand I am in awe of these marketing budgets, in excess of $57.5 billion dollars. But as a consumer, I'm a bit dismayed that...

• Fentanyl Patches Made by Actavis Recalled

  Jenny Albano | February 19, 2008 12:11 AM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Actavis Inc., in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling 14 lots of its Fentanyl transdermal system CII patches because the patches have a defect that can cause them to leak. The Fentanyl patches were available from wholesalers and pharmacies throughout the United States. Fentanyl patches sold in Europe are not affected by this recall.The 14 lots of Fentanyl transdermal system patches being...

• Medication Abuse a Problem Among Young Adults

  Linda Snyder | January 14, 2008 11:12 AM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  A staggering new report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration stated that 3.1 million Americans ages 12 to 25 have used an over-the-counter cough and cold medicine in order get high.Cough syrups and cold pills are being used in large doses to get high and induce hallucinations for young people. The 2006 survey was completed with 45,000 people ages 12 to 25...

• Merck Takes Responsibility For Vioxx Through $4.85 Billion Settlement(2)

  Linda Snyder | November 14, 2007 12:17 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  It's been since 2004 that Merck & Co., one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, has taken the pain medication Vioxx off of the shelves. Finally, on November 9th, Merck settled the numerous Vioxx lawsuits with agreeing to pay $4.85 billion. It appears that the Vioxx manufacturer finally recognized, after obtaining mixed results in the early Vioxx cases it forced to trial, that a...

• Counterfeit Drug Sales through the Internet a Growing Problem

  Courtney Mills | September 05, 2007 2:49 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Last month a federal grand jury indicted 18 people on charges stemming from fraud to racketeering over their participation in an international online pharmaceutical sales ring. The company's name was Affpower, and by the time the federal government had shut the sales operation down, Affpower had moved over $126 million in illegally prescribed pharmaceuticals.The arrests haven't managed to stem...