robert jenner

Pradaxa — Unnecessarily Putting Patients at Risk

by Robert Jenner on December 10, 2011

Boehringer Ingelheim, the German pharmaceutical company that manufactures Pradaxa, acknowledged this week that there is a link between its and at least 260 deaths since 2010. The deaths have been attributed to uncontrollable internal bleeding. A Boehringer spokesman indicated that the 260 reported deaths were in keeping with the results from a clinical trial that [...]

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justin browne

Second Opinion for Skin Cancer Goes High-Tech

by Justin Browne on November 9, 2011

The FDA has approved the first-ever high-tech device to help doctors decide if a suspicious mole should be removed and checked for cancer. That’s good news for people prone to skin cancer who, along with their doctors, worry that a visual examination may not be enough.

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Drug companies promoting off-label uses of their drugs are the modern day equivalent of “snake oil” peddlers. And now they want legal protection for their actions.

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hal kleinman

Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli Outbreak in St. Louis Area

by Hal Kleinman on November 7, 2011

It is recommended that if you are experiencing long term diarrhea, more specifically bloody diarrhea (the primary symptom of E. coli O157:H7), seek medical attention and request that a specific test for E. coli O157:H7 be conducted and if positive, the results should be submitted to the state health department for further testing and analysis. A routine stool culture will not detect E. coli O157:H7.

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robert jenner

Not So Fast! Chantix NOT Safe, New Study Tells FDA

by Robert Jenner on November 4, 2011

The smoking cessation drug Chantix is eight times more likely to be linked with suicidal behavior and depression than nicotine patches, reports a new study published by researchers in North Carolina.

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elisha hawk

Toxic Baby Shampoo Report Stings Johnson & Johnson

by Elisha Hawk on November 1, 2011

The eyes of Johnson & Johnson executives must be stinging from today’s disclosure that its Baby Shampoo sold in the United States still contains a chemical that releases formaldehyde—a known carcinogen—even though the ingredient has been removed from shampoos sold in other countries.

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Important news for women: just because a birth-control drug is newer does not mean it’s better and in fact it may be more dangerous than older drugs, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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robert jenner

New Medtronic Heart Catheter Flagged for Side Effects

by Robert Jenner on October 26, 2011

Medtronic Inc., already under fire for marketing a shoddy defibrillator, has been red-flagged by the FDA for proposing approval of a new catheter with an extremely high rate of serious side effects. An FDA review committee reported that nearly 20% of all the patients treated with the catheter experienced a serious complication shortly after the procedure, including stroke , heart failure and pneumonia.

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robert jenner

Symptoms of Vaginal Mesh Failure

by Robert Jenner on October 24, 2011

An estimated 75,000 women have undergone surgery for bladder leakage and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) using various vaginal mesh products that are now under federal scrutiny for causing serious complications.

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robert jenner

Vaginal Mesh Products Failing at an Alarming Rate

by Robert Jenner on October 21, 2011

Vaginal mesh surgical products are failing at an alarming rate and the government is being urged to recall all these products immediately. The U.S. Food and Drug administration reports it has received 2,800 complaints about serious complications developing after the products were used to surgically repair urinary tract leaks and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in women.

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