FDA Approves Praluent a Pricey New Cholesterol-lowering Drug

On July 24, 2015, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved Praluent (alirocumab) the first in a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors (protein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9). This new class of medications hold the promise of reducing heart attacks and strokes, which kill approximately 610,000 Americans every year. The PCSK9…

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Is There a Link Between Glyburide and Gestational Diabetes?

A recent study that was published in the JAMA Pediatrics on the risk of birth injury connected to gestational diabetes has been connected to the mother’s use of glyburide during pregnancy. Glyburide, which is sold under the brand names, DiaBeta and Micronage, is an oral diabetes medication that controls blood sugar levels in people with…

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Can Sleep Aid Drugs Contribute to Higher Car Crash Risk?

A new study finds a markedly increased risk of car crashes for new users of sleeping pills. The data shows there was an increased risk of car crashes for people who began taking Restoril (temazepam), Desyrel (trazodone) or Ambien (zolpidem), and this increased risk continued for about a year, according to University of Washington researchers.…

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Anemia Drug Feraheme Assigned Boxed Warning by FDA

The Food and Drug Administration has assigned a boxed warning – the highest level there is – for Feraheme (ferumoxytol), an anti-anemia drug. Feraheme has been found to increase the risk of “serious, potentially fatal allergic reactions” specifically for “patients who have had an allergic reaction to any intravenous (IV) iron replacement product” according to…

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What is in Your Weight Loss Supplements?

As of 2013, the U.S. segment of the global market for weight loss products is more than $60 billion, with $2.69 billion for meal replacements and weight loss supplements. About half of American adults were trying to lose weight, according to a Marketdata Enterprises Inc. report. Millions of Americans take weight loss supplements in an…

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Zofran Birth Defects Lawsuits

Zofran (Ondansetron) is a drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, which was approved by the FDA in 1991 to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Ondansetron is a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, which blocks the action of serotonin in the brain which is thought to cause vomiting and nausea. After Zofran was…

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