Saundersblog.com - December 2007 Archives

December 2007

Former Baseball Star Jim Leyritz Charged with DUI Manslaughter (10:57) - Former baseball star and World Series hero Jim Leyritz has been charged with DUI manslaughter after he killed another driver in an auto crash in Ft. Lauderdale. Leyritz refused a blood test but because of the crash fatality he was... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Eli Lilly's Claims Regarding Anti-Depressant Drug Cymbalta are Overstated (17:51) - A new anlaysis of data claiming that Cymbalta relieves physical pain as well as the symptoms of depression, are overstated, according to Glen Spielmans, an assistant professor of psychology at Metropolitan State University in Minnesota. Professor Spielmans claims that Eli... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Medtronic Settles Defibrillator Lawsuits (12:47) - Medtronic has agreed to settle 2,682 lawsuits fro $114 million. The settlement agreement concerns Medtronic's Marquis line of defibrillators. Medtronic was sued because of problems with the batteries in the Marquis defibrillators. The batteries had shorts that could cause faulty... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments
Zetia Liver Injury Studies Kept Secret (10:14) - Merck and Schering-Plough Pharmaceutical companies have not disclosed long term medical studies concerning the risk of liver injury from the cholesteral drug Zetia according to a New York Times article published yesterday. Could this be yet another incidence of a... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Former Pfizer Official Sues Company for Marketing Practices (09:18) - A former Pfizer employee has sued the company over its marketing of Lipitor. The suit claims that Pfizer mislead doctors in its educational programs. According to the suit, the drug was prescribed unnecessarily and could have proved harmful to those... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

FDA to Review Long Acting Form of Zyprexa (20:42) - Zyprexa, the schizophrenia and bipolar drug manufactured by Eli Lilly, is now being considered in an injectable form every two to three weeks. The injection would be administered in a doctor's office. In spite of the drug's association with diabetes,... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Feds Probe Medtronic's Sprint Fidelis (19:48) - At least three federal agencies are asking for information from Sprint Fidelis' manufacturer, Medtronic, including information about possible illegal payments to foreign doctors. The probes come at a time when Medtronic had to inform doctors about potential lead fractures in... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Eli Lilly Wants to Expose Children to Zyprexa (10:56) - In a St. Pete Times article in which I'm quoted extensively, Eli Lilly is on the verge of receiving FDA approval for Zyprexa with children. The drug is marketed to treat adults with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder but carries with... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Sprint Fidelis Defibrillator Leads Patients Caught in the Cross Hairs (18:52) - With the recent spate of bad news about Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads, patients who've had the pacemaker inserted in their chests are now left wondering what to do about their fragile lead wires. There's definate evidence that the Sprint Fidelis... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments
Merck Recalls Pediatric Vaccine (11:22) - Merck has recalled a widely used childhood vaccine because it was contaminated with bacteria. The vaccine had been used to ward off meningitis, pneumonia, and other childhood illnesses. The director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

FDA Steps Up Warnings on Certain Epilepsy Drugs (12:26) - The FDA has strengthened its warnings on the epilepsy drugs Carbatrol by Shire PLC, Tegretol by Novartis AG, and Equetro by Validus Pharmaceuticals Inc. Carbamazepine is the other name for the drug which is used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder,... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Mayo Clinic Study Links Anemia Drugs with Leukemia (05:36) - A recent Mayo Clinic study has shown a potential link between an increased risk in leukemia and the anemia drugs Aranesp, Epogen, and Procrit. According to Dr. Ayalew Tefferi, Mayo Clinic hematologist, “While we cannot take these findings as an... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

butyl benzyl phthalate linked to an Increase in Breast Cancer (11:49) - Butyl benzyl phthalate or BBP is a man-made chemical that is used in millions of products from lipstick and nail polish to plastics. Consumers come into contact with the chemical on a regular basis. Yet, BBP has been linked to... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Medtronic Under Federal Investigation for Payments to Doctors (08:47) - Medtronic is under federal investigation for payments to physicians concerning its Sprint Fidelis defibrillator. The Justice Department has asked Medtronic to provide it with information about any payments it may have made to foreign doctors in violation of the U.S.... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments
Bed Wetting Drug Linked to Potentially Lethal Seizures (08:39) - A drug used to curb bedwetting in children has been linked to potentially fatal seizures. the FDA has issued a warning concerning desmopressin intranasal formulations which are no longer allowed to treat bedwetting. Desmopressin can lead to hyponatremia, an abnormally... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Navy Priest Faces Sexual Misconduct Charges (09:55) - A Navy priest who tested HIV positive stands accused of sodomy, aggravated assault, indecent assault, fraternization and conduct unbecoming a military officer. His court martial will be held at Marine Corps Base, Quanitco, Va. Lt. Cmdr. John Thomas Matthew Lee,... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Catholic Church in Davenport Settles Sex Abuse Claims for $37 Million (11:38) - The Catholic Diocese of Davenport has agreed to settle 156 claims of sexual abuse by priests for $37 million after an intense 4 day mediation in Chicago. The priest sexual abuse claims date back as far as the late 1930's.... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments
Avastin Questionable as a Breast Cancer Drug (10:28) - In considering whether to allow Genentech to market Avastin as a breast cancer drug, the FDA is now saying that the drug has not proven to prolong the lives of those with advanced breast cancer. Furthermore, Avastin carries with it... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Smith & Nephew Recalls Knee Implants Due to Iron Risk (15:12) - Orthopedic manufacturer Smith & Nephew has recalled 575 units of its Tc-Plus, VKS and RT-Plus knee implants due to higher than usual amounts of iron. According to the company, approximately 275 knees have been implanted and Smith & Nephew is... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments
Avandia Encounters More Problems (09:10) - Already struggling with evidence that Avandia has been linked to heart failure, the diabetes drug has now facing concern that it can lead to osteoporosis. Glaxo Smith Kline had previously acknowledged that Avandia had been linked to an increase risk... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

FDA's Own Advisers Say It's Putting Lives At Risk (10:37) - The nation's food supply has suffered numerous recalls due to contaminated food. Drugs are recalled at an increasing rate because of the risk they pose to patients. Pharmaceutical companies are overly aggressive in their marketing of new drugs without the... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Doctors Overusing CT Scans (14:58) - According to some Columbia University researchers, doctors are overusing CT scans in diagnosing patients. The overuse can lead to a higher incidence of cancer due to the radiation exposure. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, states... | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments