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 low level of sodium in the blood. The drug is designed to limit the amount of water eliminated in urine. In issuing the warning, the FDA stated that it has received 61 reports of seizures including 2 deaths.

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, 42, was ordained a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Washington DC in 1993. He was on loan to the Archdiocese for the Military Services. More than 25 priests from the Archdiocese for the Military Services have been accused of sexual abuse in the last 30 years.

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. Some of the settlement will be put aside for future claims. The Diocese of Davenport is the last of five dioceses and archdioceses in the United States to reach a settlement after filing for bankruptcy. In September 2007, the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon settled its abuse claims for $51million with an additional $20 million set aside for future victims. The Dioceses of Spokane and Tuscon settled claims for $48 million and $22 million respectively.
However, the Davenport agreement is unique in that the survivors of sexual abuse will be able to speak about their experiences in church as well as to the press. This is perhaps a major victory in putting an end to the sexual exploitation and abuse of children in the Catholic Church.

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 some serious side effects including cardiovascular problems, bowel perforations, and possible death. Avastin was approved by the FDA to treat colon cancer in 2004.

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 trying to determine the whereabouts of the other 300 defective products.

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 of bone fracture in women. Rosiglitazone, as Avandia is also known, is widely used in Type II or adult onset diabetes.

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 support of good science. This isn’t a new wave of terrrorism. Rather, it’s the FDA’s own inability to keep up with a dizzying array of responsibilities at a time when the federal agency has not witnessed any significant increase in funding or technological improvement. “This is a crisis,” warned Dr. Garret A. FitzGerald, a University of Pennsylvania pharmacologist and an FDA adviser. It’s not really the fault of those working at the FDA. They are doing the best with what they have. The real culpability lies in the lack of support the federal government provides an overtaxed and increasingly overwhelmed federal agency. If this crisis isn’t addressed soon, we’ll see catastrophic consequences in the rise of contaminated foods and bad drugs.

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 that the risk is greatest for children. According to the report 2% of all cancers can be linked to exposure to CT scan radiation. The study notes that in most cases, old fashioned x-rays and ultrasound technology work just as well without adding the risk of radiation from a tomography CT scan. One has to wonder why doctors are pushing the CT scans in favor of the older, less dangerous methods. Hopefully, doctors are not succumbing to slick, aggressive sales pitches from those hawking the CT scans.

Already accused by the federal government of paying millions of dollars in kickbacks to doctors, some orthopedic device companies gave a partial explanation as to why the payments were made. Zimmer paid $85 million dollars to consultants, most of whom are doctors, during the first 10 months of this year. According to the Wall St. Journal Health Blog, implant maker Zimmer’s CFO detailed the payments as follows: “74% of the outlays were for royalties, 11% for consulting, 10% for “research & clinical” work, 4% for “education & other” and 1% for travel and expenses.”

The FDA is advising a warning be placed on flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza due to psychiatriac events associated with the two drugs. Two years ago, the FDA could not make a direct link between the deaths of 12 Japanese children and Tamiflu but the federal agency did update Tamiflu’s label concerning supervision of patients exhibiting delirium or self-injury.