Cancer patients are furious that a counterfeit version of the drug Avastin has landed in U.S. clinics. But, who wouldn’t be when your life is on the line? Definitely can’t blame them one bit!
The counterfeit version was just discovered at U.S. health care facilities, prompting the maker of the cancer drug to warn doctors and patients about the bogus medications.
According to Roche’s Genentech, the fake Avastin does not contain the key ingredient in Avastin, which is prescribed for the treatment of colon, lung, kidney, and brain cancers, said The Associated Press (AP).
A Genentech spokeswoman said the counterfeit drug was distributed to health care facilities nationwide; however, the exact number of counterfeit products that were released, and where those products were sent, remains unknown. The firm and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collaborating to locate bogus vials and determine their contents, said the AP.
To continue reading A Fake Cancer Drug Infuriates Real Cancer Patients
A Chicago woman born with multiple birth defects alleges that the antidepressant taken by her mother while she was pregnant with her is to blame for her birth defects.
Angela Rife has filed suit against Pfizer Inc, the maker of Zoloft. According to the Madison St. Clair Record, Rife was born in 1991 with multiple congenital birth defects, such as a cleft lip and cleft palate. Rife’s mother had been prescribed and used Zoloft during her pregnancy with Angela.
Zoloft, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI) is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to treat major depression (MDD), social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, premenstrual dysphonic disorder (PMDD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adults and OCD in 6 to 17 year olds. Zoloft was approved in 1991, and by 2007 there were nearly 30 million prescriptions, making it the most prescribed antidepressant in the U.S.
However, a growing body of research has tied Zoloft and other SSRI antidepressants to an increased risk of birth defects when they are used in pregnancy, especially early during the first trimester, when many women are unaware that they are even pregnant.
To continue reading Zoloft Birth Defect Victim Files Lawsuit Against Pfizer, After She Was Born With Birth Defects Due To Mother Taking Popular Antidepressant
The recent controversy surrounding Medtronic Inc.’s Infuse bone graft is having some question what the future will hold for the company, and for the spinal fusion market.
First approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002, Medtronic’s Infuse bone graft has been cleared for use in a type of spine surgery called anterior approach lumbar fusion, as well as two types of dental procedures. However, recent research has shown that Infuse, also known as recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 or BMP2, may increase the risk that patients will develop cancer and other serious side effects.
Concerns have also been raised about the Medtronic-funded clinical trials used to gain approval of Infuse, with some researchers charging that the studies downplayed serious complications associated with the bone growth protein.
Medtronic has also faced investigations launched by the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Senate Finance Committee over possible illegal promotion of Infuse for off-label uses, as well as a growing number of personal injury lawsuits filed by victims of alleged Infuse complications.
And, all of this controversy surrounding the medical device has caused the sales to continually and steadily decline, quarter after quarter, as doctors began limiting its use or abandoning it altogether.
To continue reading What Is The Future Of Medtronic & The Spinal Fusion Market?
Seems like we’ve written a lot about dietary supplements lately. Apparently the FDA is cracking down on dietary supplements that contain ingredients that have not been approved by the FDA. Just last week we told you about the recall that Healthy People Co made due to unlisted ingredients, and now, RegenArouse is the latest to be added to the FDA radar.
RegenArouse, a so-called dietary supplement, is being recalled for an undeclared drug ingredient, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just announced.
The recall has been implemented following an FDA analysis that confirmed the presence of Tadalafil, which makes these products unapproved new drugs, the FDA announced.
To continue reading Another Dietary Supplement, RegenArouse, Recalled By FDA
A recent study is questioning a controversial radiation treatment for lung cancer, that may not benefit the life expectancy of a cancer patient.
The treatment, Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT), according to U.S. researchers, may not help increase the life span of elderly patients, said Reuters Health. PORT is believed to help minimize the likelihood of a tumor returning, but the treatment can cause heart and lung damage, which could negate possible benefits, especially in senior patients, noted Reuters Health.
The new study appears in the journal Cancer. And by using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry linked to Medicare records, 1307 patients were identified who had stage III NSCLC with N2 lymph node involvement diagnosed between 1992 and 2005. Propensity scoring methods and instrumental variable analysis were used to compare the survival of patients who did and did not receive PORT after controlling for selection bias.
To continue reading New Study Questions Controversial Lung Cancer Treatment
