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Fewer U.S. residents purchase prescription drugs from Canada, in part because of Medicare drug benefit

Online drug sales in 2006 from Canadian pharmacies to U.S. consumers dropped about 50%, from $420 million Canadian dollars in 2005 to $211 million Canadian dollars last year, according to data from IMS Health, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

5 Nov 2007

Big question over new blood-clot buster drug Prasugrel

New research has revealed that the drug Prasugrel produced by drug company Eli Lilly increases the risk of serious bleeding when compared to the standard therapy.

5 Nov 2007

FDA requests recall of True Man Sexual Energy and Energy Max

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday requested a recall of True Man Sexual Energy Nutrient Capsules and Energy Max Energy Supplement Men's Formula Capsules, illegal drug products that contain potentially harmful, undeclared ingredients.

5 Nov 2007

Fabre Kramer Pharmaceuticals receives FDA decision on Gepirone ER for major depressive disorder

Fabre-Kramer Pharmaceuticals Inc. (FKP) and GlaxoSmithKline announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a not approvable letter for the new drug application for gepirone extended- release (ER) tablets, submitted for the treatment of adults with major depressive disorder.

5 Nov 2007

HRT breast cancer case thrown out of court

A woman who claimed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) caused her breast cancer has had her case thrown out of court.

4 Nov 2007

Review of controversy surrounding the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine

In an article appearing in the current issue of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, experts from the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics and Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics review the controversy surrounding the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine debate, and its effects on ethical and public health issues.

2 Nov 2007

Merck Serono and EPFL announce neuroscience, oncology and drug delivery partnership

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, and EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, announced the signing of a research collaboration agreement in the areas of Neuroscience, Oncology and Drug Delivery. Under this agreement, three Merck Serono-endowed Chairs will be created at EPFL: in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's; in cancer, in the framework of the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC); and in innovative drug delivery technologies, for instance nanoparticle vaccines.

1 Nov 2007

Pharmacies, drug wholesaler file lawsuit against Abbott over price of antiretroviral Norvir

Four pharmacy chains and one pharmaceutical wholesaler on Monday filed a lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories over the price of its antiretroviral drug Norvir, the Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Oct 2007

Transplant rejection drug boosts the risk of birth defects

Authorities in the United States have issued a warning with regard to a drug used to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs.

30 Oct 2007

Tasigna gets the green light in the U.S. to treat Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. has given approval for a new drug to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

30 Oct 2007

FDA issues communication on ongoing safety review of Aprotinin injection

Last week, FDA was notified that a Canadian research group stopped a study on Trasylol because the drug appeared to increase the risk for death compared to the other antifibrinolytic drugs used in the study. Antifibrinolytic drugs help slow the breakdown of blood clots and subsequent excessive bleeding.

28 Oct 2007

Nasal flu vaccine given the green light for toddlers

A federal advisory panel in the U.S. has given the recommendation that a nasal influenza vaccine can be use in healthy children as young as two.

28 Oct 2007

FDA warns about 'stay awake drug' Provigil

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning in connection with the drug Provigil because of dangerous side effects.

28 Oct 2007

Public not so sure about 'personalized medicine'

Ordinary people worry about the extra, and often burdensome, responsibilities which could come with scientists' promises of 'personalised medicine', according to evidence to be presented at a major two-day showcase of groundbreaking social science research into the whole field of genomics, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

25 Oct 2007

Promising new tuberculosis drug given special status

Approximately one-third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB, and an estimated 1.6 million people died of the disease in 2005.

25 Oct 2007

WHO aims to improve injection safety across the globe

In an effort to improve injection safety across the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) has began a 3-day meeting with experts to explore strategies aimed at promoting the use of safer needles.

24 Oct 2007

Influenza vaccine production capacity on the rise

Recent scientific advances and increased vaccine manufacturing capacity have prompted experts to increase their projections of how many pandemic influenza vaccine courses can be made available in the coming years.

24 Oct 2007

Orexigen presents findings on obesity drug candidates

Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders including obesity, has presented the results of a preclinical study that further supports the Company's understanding of an aspect of the mechanism of action of Contrave, one of its two late-stage obesity drug candidates.

24 Oct 2007

FDA approves approved Ixempra (ixabepilone) for advanced breast cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Ixempra (ixabepilone), a new anti-cancer treatment, for use in patients with metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer who have not responded to certain other cancer drugs.

22 Oct 2007

Sanofi Pasteur receives FDA approval of Menactra meningococcal vaccine for children

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted licensure to expand the indication for its meningococcal conjugate vaccine, Menactra (Meningococcal [Groups A, C, Y and W-135] Polysaccharide Diphtheria Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine), to include children 2 years through 10 years of age.

22 Oct 2007