Adverse Drug Reaction News and Research

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Personalized medicine and the Human Genome Project

It’s nearly a decade since the completion of the Human Genome Project, (1) which aimed to sequence the complete human genome.

1 Jun 2012

Increasing Use of Smart Pumps to help drive down “Never Events”

Increased focus on providing optimum patient care in the most cost efficient way is fuelling demand for intelligent infusion devices termed “Smart Pumps.” A report from InMedica, a division of IMS Research (recently acquired by IHS Inc. (NYSE:IHS)), on the global market for infusion pumps found that, despite market saturation in the developed countries, demand for advanced technology is being maintained; infusion pump suppliers must offer technically advanced products at competitive prices to maintain market share.

17 May 2012

Adverse drug reactions could be avoided among adult hospital and emergency patients

Close to half of adverse reactions to medicines among adult hospital and emergency patients could be avoided, shows a study from the Nordic School of Public Health NHV.

16 Mar 2012

Multiple medicines use very common: New snapshot of over-50s' medicine habits

A study by NPS in collaboration with the University of Melbourne —published today in the Medical Journal of Australia — has provided new insights into how people use medicines on a daily basis and highlights that the use of multiple medicines in older Australians is common and more complex than previously thought.

15 Jan 2012

Novartis recalls four OTC drugs citing factory malfunction

Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis has announced that it is recalling four different products sold over the counter in the United States after receiving reports that there if malfunction at one of its plants.

9 Jan 2012

FDA modifies requirements of Amgen's Nplate REMS Program

Amgen today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has modified the requirements of the Nplate (romiplostim) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program.

7 Dec 2011

Just a few drugs responsible for majority of emergency hospitalizations

Latest research shows that just a few drugs are responsible for a majority of the emergency hospitalizations for bad events related to medication use in older U.S. adults.

24 Nov 2011

Older drugs may be better than newly approved ones

It is a common belief that drugs given the okay by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are safer and more effective than they have to be to win approval, according to a new study. Especially in the first few years after a drug becomes available, researchers note, there are still questions about how well it will work and whether it will have any serious side effects warn experts. For example FDA-approved painkiller Vioxx was pulled off the market in 2004 after longer-term evidence showed that it may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

13 Sep 2011

National Pharmacovigilance Programme to increase awareness about benefits of adverse event reporting

Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are the sixth global leading cause of death among hospitalised patients and the incidence of serious ADRs in hospitalised patients is 6.7 per cent.

From IQPC Ltd 30 May 2011

Obama’s next target - medical error reduction for patient safety

Finally serious efforts are being made to ensure patient safety. The Obama administration announced this Tuesday an aggressive approach called ‘The 'Partnership for Patients Program’ to reduce medical errors, partnering with private insurers, business leaders, hospitals and patient advocates to tackle a problem that kills thousands of Americans every year.

12 Apr 2011

Frailty in older patients not linked to high risk of adverse drug reactions

Contrary to popular belief among physicians, frailty in elderly patients is not associated with an increased risk of adverse reactions to medications, according to a study led by Michael Steinman, MD, a geriatrician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

8 Apr 2011

FDA says no cause for alarm on vaccines for meningitis and pneumonia

According to US health officials there are no reports that arouse new safety concerns over two children’s vaccines that have been suspended in Japan following the deaths of four babies.

7 Mar 2011

Amgen announces final study results of Nplate in adults with chronic ITP

Amgen Inc. today announced the final results from a 5-year open-label extension study investigating the long-term efficacy and safety of Nplate (romiplostim) in adult chronic immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura. Chronic ITP is a serious autoimmune disorder characterized by low platelet counts in the blood (thrombocytopenia), which can lead to serious bleeding events.

6 Dec 2010

Amgen to present data on Nplate studies for chronic ITP at ASH Annual Meeting

Amgen today announced that it will present data from several key Nplate (romiplostim) studies at the 52nd Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), Dec. 4-7, 2010, in Orlando, Fla.

2 Dec 2010

Nplate reduces treatment failure and splenectomies in adults with chronic immune thrombocytopenia

Amgen Inc. today announced the publication of results from the first open-label study to compare Nplate® (romiplostim) treatment to standard of care therapies (SOC) in non-splenectomized adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The study results, which were published today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), show that both the incidence of treatment failure and need for splenectomy were reduced among the Nplate-treated patients.

11 Nov 2010

Research into role of genetic variation in drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions

The International Serious Adverse Events Consortium (SAEC) announced today it will collaborate with The University of Liverpool (www.liv.ac.uk/pharmacogenetics) to research the genetics of a form of serious adverse drug reaction called hypersensitivity. These are thought to involve the body's immune system, and mostly involve serious skin rashes.

10 Sep 2010

Warnings on stop smoking drug Champix

The smoking cessation drug Champix (sold in the US as Chantix) has allegedly made fifteen people commit suicide since January 2008 in Australia. Another 191 patients have reported suicidal thoughts and related effects. The latest available figures from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) suggest a doubling in the numbers of suicides linked to Champix (Varenicline) since July last year with six people committing suicide.

3 Aug 2010

HIV drug can raise the risk of heart disease: Study

There are a handful of drugs effective in treating HIV/AIDS. However new research shows that some of these drugs can increase the risk of heart attacks. The results come from a Garvan Institute of Medical Research study involving 20 people, 10 taking the drug Ritonavir and 10 others the drug Raltegravir for one month.

28 Jul 2010

Glaxo’s diabetes pill Avandia under FDA scrutiny again

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is under Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scrutiny again. This is for its diabetes pill Avandia which is under review for the second time in three years.

11 Jul 2010

Patients receiving TMP-SMX antibiotics are more likely to develop hyperkalemia: Study

Older adults taking the antibiotic combination trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX)—widely prescribed for urinary tract infections—are at increased risk of elevated potassium levels, called hyperkalemia, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

2 Jul 2010