Contact: Rhiannon Bugno Biol.Psych@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-0880 Elsevier Answers from a new study in Biological Psychiatry An interesting new report of animal research published in Biological Psychiatry suggests that common antidepressant medications may impair a form of learning that is important clinically…. Read More ›
Pharmaceutical – Medical Devices
What those guys are doing to make Universal Culling, oh excuse me Health Care a more efficient process….
Reducing unnecessary and high-dose pediatric CT scans could cut associated cancers by 62 percent
Contact: Phyllis Brown phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 916-734-9023 University of California – Davis Health System (SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — A study examining trends in X-ray computed tomography (CT) use in children in the United States has found that reducing unnecessary scans and lowering the… Read More ›
Investigation into safety of new diabetes drugs — will manufacturers release their data?
Contact: Emma Dickinson edickinson@bmj.com 44-207-383-6529 BMJ-British Medical Journal Joint BMJ/Channel 4 Dispatches investigation The BMJ and Channel 4 Dispatches investigated and found that evidence suggesting potential harm from the drugs in industry studies has not been published. Some independent studies… Read More ›
98% of Childhood cancer survivors have significant chronic disease
By Alexandra Sifferlin, TIME.com updated 10:21 AM EDT, Wed June 12, 2013 A new study shows childhood cancer survivors may be more likely to have chronic diseases. STORY HIGHLIGHTS A study shows a majority of childhood cancer survivors have chronic… Read More ›
Honoured in Britain, the US psychiatrist who took $1.2m from drug companies
Professor’s invitation to give prestigious lecture in London causes outrage among peers Jeremy Laurance Tuesday, 11 June 2013 Britain’s premier institute for the study of mental illness has become embroiled in a damaging row over its decision to invite a… Read More ›
“Suspicious” death in France after medicine alert: ! Diuretic furosemide may contain the sedative zopiclone !
Source: Reuters – Sun, 9 Jun 2013 02:33 PM Author: Reuters (Adds Teva statement, ANSM inspection plan) MARSEILLE/PARIS, June 9 (Reuters) – French police are investigating the death of a 92-year-old man as “suspicious” after he was given medicine that… Read More ›
Detection of apple juices and cereals which exceed permitted levels of mycotoxins
Contact: Press Office info@agenciasinc.es 34-914-251-820 FECYT – Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology VIDEO: This video discusses the detection of excessive levels of mycotoxins in apple juices and cereals. Click here for more information. Researchers from… Read More ›
Added benefit of dapagliflozin is not proven
Manufacturer’s dossier did not contain suitable data for any therapeutic indication Dapagliflozin (trade name: Forxiga) has been approved in Germany since November 2012 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the Act… Read More ›
FDA – 2012 law now in effect which lifts conflict of interest restrictions on FDA advisory panels
Contact: Kathy Fackelmann kfackelmann@gwu.edu 202-994-8354 George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services Conflict-of-interest restrictions needed to ensure strong FDA review Panel members with ties to industry might lead to approval of unsafe drugs, new analysis suggests WASHINGTON,… Read More ›
Formula-feeding linked to metabolic stress and increased risk of later disease
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 202-872-6042 American Chemical Society New evidence from research suggests that infants fed formula, rather than breast milk, experience metabolic stress that could play a part in the long-recognized link between formula-feeding and an increased risk of… Read More ›
Aflibercept in AMD: no proof of added benefit
Manufacturer’s dossier did not contain any usable data for the comparison with ranibizumab The drug aflibercept (trade name: Eylea) has been approved in Germany since November 2012 for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In an early benefit… Read More ›
Shame Tags for Vaccine Refusers
No checklist for doctors giving immunisation benefits advice by: SUE DUNLEVY National Health Reporter From: News Limited Network June 06, 2013 10:53PM A baby gets an injection. Vaccination. Child. Syringe. Generic image. Source: Supplied PARENTS who refuse to… Read More ›
Those expected to benefit the most from Avastin based on genetic testing had the worst survival rates. Yet they keep justifying its Use.
Avastin fails studies in new brain tumor patients By MARILYNN MARCHIONE | Associated Press – CHICAGO (AP) — New research raises fresh questions about which cancer patients benefit from Avastin, a drug that lost its approval for treating breast cancer nearly… Read More ›
Antibiotics: A new understanding of sulfonamide nervous system side effects (Reduces Dopamine Levels)
Contact: Nik Papageorgiou n.papageorgiou@epfl.ch Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Scientists at EPFL have uncovered the molecular basis behind some of the neurological side effects of sulfonamide antibiotics, providing doctors with possible means to minimize them in patients Since the discovery… Read More ›
Young people who undergo CT scans are 24 percent more likely to develop cancer compared with those who do not, a study published today on bmj.com suggests
Contact: Emma Dickinson edickinson@bmj.com 44-020-738-36529 BMJ-British Medical Journal Small cancer risk following CT scans in childhood and adolescence confirmed But the absolute excess for all cancers combined is low The researchers say that in a group of 10,000 young people,… Read More ›
Individuals had a 40 percent increased risk of pertussis for each additional acellular dose received (as compared to receipt of a DTwP dose) between ages 1-24 months
Contact: Vincent Staupe vstaupe@golinharris.com 415-318-4386 Kaiser Permanente Whole-cell vaccine was more effective than acellular vaccine during California pertussis outbreak OAKLAND, Calif., May 20, 2013 — Whole-cell pertussis vaccines were more effective at protecting against pertussis than acellular pertussis vaccines during… Read More ›
Fees Possible for Vaccine Challenger, Justices Say
By BARBARA LEONARD WASHINGTON (CN) – A woman whose vaccination challenge spurred a minor reform of federal law may have a case for attorneys’ fees, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. Claiming that vaccinations for hepatitis B caused her… Read More ›
Let’s Fight Big Pharma’s Crusade to Turn Eccentricity Into Illness
Editor’s Note: The controversial fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-5 (a.k.a. the manual formerly known as “DSM-V”) is being released tomorrow – after a 14-year revision process to update its criteria for defining mental disorders. This… Read More ›
Expert questions US public health agency advice on influenza vaccines: “All influenza is “flu,” but only one in six “flus” might be influenza”
Contact: Emma Dickinson edickinson@bmj.com 44-020-738-36529 BMJ-British Medical Journal Marketing influenza vaccines involves marketing influenza as a threat of great proportions, argues Johns Hopkins fellow Promotion of influenza vaccines is one of the most visible and aggressive public health policies today,… Read More ›
Statins block the ability of exercise to improve fitness levels
Cholesterol-Lowering Drug May Reduce Exercise Benefits for Obese Adults, MU Study Finds May 15, 2013 Story Contact(s): Jesslyn Chew, ChewJ@missouri.edu, (573) 882-8353 By Kate McIntyre COLUMBIA, Mo. – Statins, the most widely prescribed drugs worldwide, are often suggested to lower… Read More ›
12-months of treatment with ADHD drugs increases dopamine transporters in some brain regions by 24%
Contact: Souri Somphanith onepress@plos.org 415-624-1217 x199 Public Library of Science Long-term ADHD treatment increases brain dopamine transporter levels, may affect drug efficacy 12-month treatment may impact adult ADHD patients’ response to methylphenidate Long-term treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with… Read More ›
Do ‘environmentally friendly’ LED lights cause BLINDNESS?
Spanish research has shown that blue LED light can irreparably damage the cells in the eye’s retina This is not the first time energy-saving bulbs have been criticised – fluorescent bulbs emit dangerous UV light By Rachel Reilly PUBLISHED: 08:13… Read More ›
Drugs giants used Communist East Germany for ‘illegal’ trials
Several patients died in tests made possible by massive payoffs to Communist regime Tony Paterson Sunday, 12 May 2013 Leading Western pharmaceutical companies paid millions of pounds to former Communist East Germany to use more that 50,000 patients in state-run… Read More ›
Cholesterol-drugs cause unusual swellings within neurons resulting in cognitive disturbances
Contact: La Monica Everett-Haynes leverett@email.arizona.edu 520-626-4405 University of Arizona Research reveals possible reason for cholesterol-drug side effects University of Arizona researchers have identified a clue to explain the reversible memory loss sometimes caused by the use of statins, one of… Read More ›
Study: Using anticholinergics for as few as 60 days causes memory problems in older adults
caisen@iupui.edu 317-843-2276 Indiana University INDIANAPOLIS — Research from the Regenstrief Institute, the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and Wishard-Eskenazi Health on medications commonly taken by older adults has found that drugs with strong anticholinergic effects cause cognitive… Read More ›
Anti-depressant link to Clostridium difficile infection
Contact: Hilary Glover hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com 44-020-319-22370 BioMed Central Certain types of anti-depressants have been linked to an increase in the risk of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) finds a study in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Medicine. Awareness of this link… Read More ›
Georgia conducts dangerous experiments with viruses: “experiments with viruses have led to the spread of such dangerous illnesses as pig flu and measles”
Photo: EPA The people of Georgia are in danger. This sensational statement was made by the Georgian President’s former American advisor, journalist Jeffrey Silverman. According to him, a laboratory on the outskirts of Tbilisi is developing health hazardous viruses that… Read More ›
Scientists create hybrid flu that can go airborne : Mixed Genes from H5N1 & H1N1
H5N1 virus with genes from H1N1 can spread through the air between mammals. Ed Yong 02 May 2013 Researchers have crossed two strains of avian flu virus to create one that can be transmitted through the air — and possibly… Read More ›
‘Appalling irresponsibility’: Senior scientists attack Chinese researchers for creating new strains of influenza virus in veterinary laboratory
Experts warn of danger that the new viral strains created by mixing bird-flu virus with human influenza could escape from the laboratory to cause a global pandemic killing millions of people. Steve Connor Thursday, 2 May 2013 Senior scientists have… Read More ›
Estrogen fuels autoimmune liver damage
Contact: Ekaterina Peshva epeshev1@jhmi.edu 410-502-9433 Johns Hopkins Medicine Johns Hopkins research in mice unravels mystery behind sex disparities in drug-induced hepatitis A life-threatening condition that often requires transplantation and accounts for half of all acute liver failures, autoimmune hepatitis is… Read More ›
Over-diagnosis and over-treatment of depression is common in the US
Contact: Natalie Wood-Wright nwoodwri@jhsph.edu 410-614-6029 Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Americans are over-diagnosed and over-treated for depression, according to a new study conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study examines adults with… Read More ›
The real cancer killer: rip-off prices for drugs
Doctors say industry ‘profiteering’ threatens lives Jeremy Laurance Sunday, 28 April 2013 An influential group of cancer experts has warned that the high prices charged by pharmaceutical companies for cancer drugs are effectively condemning patients to death. The group of… Read More ›
U.S. sues Novartis over kickbacks, 2nd case this week : The $10,000 Dinner for 3
Source: Reuters – Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:44 PM Author: Reuters * Second civil fraud lawsuit by U.S. in four days * U.S. says Novartis sought to boost sales of drugs * Dinners held at pricey Chicago, D.C. restaurants *… Read More ›
Large HIV study stopped after safety review found more study participants who received the vaccine later became infected
HIV vaccine study halted by US government over unsuccessful shots Associated Press in Washington guardian.co.uk, Thursday 25 April 2013 17.52 EDT A 2009 study in Thailand is the only HIV/Aids study ever to show a modest success. Photograph: Denis Farrell/AP… Read More ›
40 percent of parents give young kids cough/cold medicine that they shouldn’t
Contact: Mary F. Masson mfmasson@umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System Many parents disregard label warnings, give children under age 4 common medicines, according to new U-M National Poll on Children’s Health ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Children can get five… Read More ›
Nexium can cause debilitating spinal injuries
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Astrazeneca failed to warn that its Nexium, for gastroesophageal reflux, can cause debilitating spinal injuries, a patient claims in Jefferson County Court. http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/04/24/56992.htm
Feds Accuse Novartis of Kickback Drug Scheme
MANHATTAN (CN) – Novartis Pharmaceuticals cost Medicare and Medicaid tens of millions of dollars by paying kickbacks to pharmacies to switch transplant patients to one of its drugs instead of cheaper generics, federal prosecutors say. The United… Read More ›
Meds taken during pregnancy increase risk of Autism
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 Women who take valproate (Depacon) during pregnancy may increase the risk of childhood autism and its spectrum disorders in their children, a population-based study showed. In utero exposure to the drug was associated with a… Read More ›
Common osteoporosis drug slows formation of new bone
Contact: Jenni Glenn Gingery jgingery@endo-society.org 301-941-0240 The Endocrine Society Study results suggest combination treatments may be needed to stop bone loss, fuel growth Chevy Chase, MD––Although the drug zoledronic acid slows bone loss in osteoporosis patients, it also boosts levels… Read More ›
US hospitals make more money when surgery goes wrong
17 Apr 2013 WASHINGTON (AFP) US hospitals face a disincentive to improve care because they make drastically more money when surgery goes wrong than when a patient is discharged with no complications, a study published Tuesday found. “We found clear evidence that… Read More ›
Financial meltdown was caused by too many bankers taking cocaine, says former government drugs tsar Prof David Nutt
Academic, who was sacked for claiming that horse riding was as safe as taking ecstasy, said abuse of cocaine caused the financial meltdown. Rob Williams Monday, 15 April 2013 The former Government drugs tsar, Professor David Nutt, has said the… Read More ›
MMR scare doctor Andrew Wakefield breaks his silence: Measles outbreak in Wales proves I was right
As measles cases rise, experts condemn Wakefield’s outburst Jeremy Laurance Saturday, 13 April 2013 The discredited doctor who triggered the MMR scare 15 years ago has pinned the blame for the outbreak of measles in south Wales on the Government…. Read More ›
1 in 5 seniors on risky meds; more in US South
Contact: David Orenstein david_orenstein@brown.edu 401-863-1862 Brown University More than 1 in 5 seniors with Medicare Advantage plans received a prescription for a potentially harmful “high risk medication” in 2009, according to a newly published analysis by Brown University public health… Read More ›
Scientists described small genetic changes that enable the H5N1 bird flu virus to replicate more easily in the noses of mammals
Bird flu mutation study offers vaccine clue by Sam Wong 08 April 2013 Scientists have described small genetic changes that enable the H5N1 bird flu virus to replicate more easily in the noses of mammals. So far there… Read More ›
Arrhythmia drug may increase cancer risk ( Up to 46% after 2.5 years )
Contact: Amy Molnar sciencenewsroom@wiley.com Wiley One of the most widely used medications to treat arrhythmias may increase the risk of developing cancer, especially in men and people exposed to high amounts of the drug. That is the conclusion of a… Read More ›
Dental anesthesia may interrupt development of wisdom teeth in children
Contact: Siobhan Gallagher siobhan.gallagher@tufts.edu 617-636-6586 Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus BOSTON (April 3, 2013) — Researchers from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine have discovered a statistical association between the injection of local dental anesthesia given to children ages two… Read More ›
Researchers are first to use common virus to ‘fortify’ adult stem cells: “Basically, we’ve helped the cells be ‘invisible’ to the body’s natural killer cells, T cells and other aspects of the immune system”
Contact: Karen Richardson krchrdsn@wakehealth.edu 336-716-4453 Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Researchers are first to use common virus to ‘fortify’ adult stem cells Potential uses of engineered cells include organ transplant and brain injury WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – April 1, 2013 –… Read More ›
Sweden confirms swine flu vaccine and narcolepsy
Saturday, 30 March 2013 The swine flu vaccine Pandemrix has a direct link to causing narcolepsy, especially among the younger people who were vaccinated, a new Swedish study revealed on Tuesday. The Swedish Medical Products Agency (Läkemedelsverket) ordered the massive… Read More ›
Our genomic liberty may be lost: ” Companies have essentially claimed the entire human genome for profit”
Contact: Lauren Woods Law2014@med.cornell.edu 646-317-7401 Weill Cornell Medical College You don’t ‘own’ your own genes Researchers raise alarm about loss of individual ‘genomic liberty’ due to gene patents that may impact the era of personalized medicine NEW YORK (March 25,… Read More ›
The first caffeine-‘addicted’ bacteria
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 202-872-6042 American Chemical Society Some people may joke about living on caffeine, but scientists now have genetically engineered E. coli bacteria to do that — literally. Their report in the journal ACS Synthetic Biology describes bacteria… Read More ›
Engineering Evil 