In many countries, no life-saving meds
New York Times Jul 23, 07 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser)
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In the wake of a drug recall by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, tens of thousands of AIDS patients in the developing world no longer have access to lifesaving medicine. Last month, Roche announced a recall of the drug Viracept, after finding a hazardous chemical in some batches. But in many countries, no cost-effective substitute is available.
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Antidepressants
are most-prescribed drug in the US
CNN Jul 9, 07 6:28 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Antidepressants are America's most prescribed drugs, according to a new CDC report, clocking in more scripts than meds for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or asthma. Prescriptions for antidepressants rose 48% between 1995 and 2002, accounting for 118 million of the 2.4 billion drugs prescribed in 2005.
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Associated Press Jul 4, 07 7:48 CDT
(Newser)
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Chinese villagers in Henan province dug up a ton of fossilized dinosaur bones, using them to make traditional medicines, including soup and poultices. The villagers, not entirely inaccurately, believed that they were ‘dragon bones’ from flying dragons. Once they learned of their value to paleontologists, the villagers donated the uneaten bones to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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Eye-opening numbers on antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs' dwarf previous estimates
Chicago Tribune Jun 25, 07 4:39 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Over a million hospital patients contract a dangerous, drug-resistant staph infection every year, a rate 10 times more than previously thought. Tens of thousands infected with antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" may die from what officials call one of the nation's most serious public-health threats, today's Chicago Tribune reports.
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Gene therapy, drug could halt disease
Reuters Jun 22, 07 4:25 CDT
(Newser)
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Two new experimental treatments for Parkinson's could stop the progress of the devastating disease and allay its symptoms, researchers say. A new study shows gene therapy was successful in boosting production of an enzyme that calms overactive neurons, reducing the jittery effects of the brain disorder.
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Brazil Indians livid after discovering DNA samples sold in the US
New York Times Jun 20, 07 6:31 CDT
(Newser)
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An Amazon tribe is bilious after scientists took blood samples in exchange for medicine they never got, the Times reports. Doctors collected DNA from the Karitiana Indians in the late '70s and again in 1996, and then sold it to researchers for $85 a pop. But now the once remote tribe has made contact with the Western world, and wants compensation.
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Drug spares digits, study says
Los Angeles Times Jun 19, 07 11:38 CDT
(Newser)
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A clot-busting drug is remarkably effective in treating frostbite patients, according to new research from the University of Utah health center, reports the Los Angeles Times . Patients whose treatment included tissue plasmingoen activator (tPA) kept 90% of affected fingers and toes; patients treated before the drug was in use had 41% amputated.
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Subtle signs may aid early diagnosis
of stealthy disease
New York Times Jun 13, 07 11:09 CDT
(Newser)
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In an effort to dispel the belief that ovarian cancer has few early symptoms, experts are urging women to acquaint themselves with an array of common conditions associated with one of the deadliest types of cancer. The new guidelines acknowledge for the first time that late diagnosis is not a given, opening up the possibility of earlier testing and treatment.
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Counterfeit albumin discovered in hospitals and pharmacies
BBC Jun 12, 07 6:19 CDT
(Newser)
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In yet another product-safety scandal, fake blood protein has been found in IV drips in 60 hospitals and pharmacies in northeastern China, the BBC reports. Albumin, or plasma protein, is administered to patients suffering from burns or undergoing open-heart surgery; the counterfeit contained no protein at all.
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Hung up in FDA approval process, pill's already scoring big
Bloomberg Jun 11, 07 8:21 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The weight loss drug Acomplia is stuck in FDA limbo, but that isn't stopping Americans from ordering it off the Internet or buying it in Europe, where it's legal. If the government rules that its lowering of weight and cholesterol balances out the possible side effects, including suicide and depression, Acomplia could be worth billions to manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis.
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Landmark study sheds light on diabetes, depression, more
BBC Jun 7, 07 8:18 CDT
(Newser)
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In an outcome one scientist describes as a "new dawn," researchers have identified genetic variations linked to seven common diseases, opening the door to improved tests and treatments. The study, which focused on depression, Crohn's disease, coronary artery disease, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and Type 1 and 2 diabetes, also found unexpected links between some of the ailments.
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FDA official says superiors ordered her to back off serious warning
New York Times Jun 6, 07 12:16 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Troubling questions about the diabetes drug Avandia persisted yesterday as an FDA official revealed that she was barred from recommending a critical warning about the medication, the Times reports. In the run-up to congressional hearings that began today, manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline rushed to disseminate interim clinical findings in hopes of blunting the controversy.
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$7B suit claims drug giant carried
out disastrous trials on children
BBC Jun 5, 07 12:35 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Nigeria is suing pharma giant Pfizer for $7 billion, claiming the company carried out improper trials on children. 200 children in the state of Kano died, and others developed deformities, after Pfizer tested Trovan, an experimental antibiotic, during a 1996 meningitis outbreak. Nigeria claims the tests were unauthorized, but Pfizer insists the company had consent.
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