Warning label increased to prevent arthritis drug injury
Due to an increased risk of cancer, the Food and Drug Administration added stronger warning labels to a group of drugs used to treat arthritis, according to The Associated Press. Read More
Drug Injury
Steroids found in dietary supplements
July 23, 2009 Federal authorities announced that two popular, over-the-counter dietary supplements contain steroids, according to The New York Times. Read More
Asthma drug under review
July 16, 2009 The Associated Press reports, the Food and Drug Administration is investigating results from a study that indicate the asthma drug Xolair can cause heart attacks, strokes, and other potentially fatal side effects. Read More
New rules proposed for drug advertisements
July 14, 2009 In May, the Food and Drug Administration proposed new rules regarding advertising for drugs, which would require advertisements to disclose serious side effects, adverse reactions, risks of dependence, and dangerous drug interactions, according to the Los Angeles Times. Read More
Asthma Medications Associated With Drug Injury
The AP (6/13) reported, “Federal health officials are requiring new labels on popular asthma drugs like Merck’s Singulair [montelukast] that highlight language about suicidal behavior, depression and anxiousness seen in a small number of patients.” Specifically, the “alert will be in a section known as ‘precautions’ and advise doctors to use ‘special care’ when prescribing … Read more
FDA warns of risk of serious drug induced liver injury with propylthiouracil
Dow Jones Newswires (6/4, Dooren) reports, “The Food and Drug Administration warned doctors Wednesday about the risks of serious liver injury seen with propylthiouracil, a drug used to treat overactive thyroid glands or Graves’ disease.” The agency “said it saw an increased risk of liver injury with propylthiouracil when compared with methimazole.” Amy Egan, the … Read more
Study shows decline in a certain drug injury after FDA warnings on antidepressants
The AP (6/2, Johnson) reports that, according to a study published June 1 in the Archives of General Psychiatry, “a persistent decline in the rate of Americans, especially children, newly diagnosed with depression followed the first…warning” from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “on risks connected with antidepressant” medications. The agency “first warned” in 2003 … Read more
Celexa no better than placebo for controlling repetitive behaviors of children with autism, study finds
The Los Angeles Times (6/2, Kaplan) reports that, according to a study published in the June issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, the antidepressant citalopram, “known as Celexa in the US,” which is “commonly prescribed to help autistic children control their repetitive behaviors, is actually no better than a placebo.” Currently, about a “third … Read more
FDA Warning physicians of drug injury caused by tamoxifen interaction with antidepressants
The Wall Street Journal (6/2, B8, Dooren) reports, “The Food and Drug Administration is planning to warn doctors about an interaction between the widely used breast-cancer drug tamoxifen and certain antidepressants after a study showed women on both drugs were more than twice as likely to see their cancer return.” The study, reported at the … Read more
Heparin Drug Injuries Linked To New Jersey Plant
April 24, 2008 Chinese officials are touring a New Jersey plant as part of an investigation into possible heparin drug injuries, including death and adverse reactions, suffered by users of heparin, according to CourierPostOnline.com. The New Jersey facility produces at least 35 million sodium injection vials of heparin per year. The FDA believes that the … Read more
