Articles tagged with drug
Tue, May 22, 2012
Paul Michael Glaser 'arrested for drug possession'
From WENN.com
The actor, 69, was taken into custody in Bowling Green, Kentucky after cops were called to his Hilton Garden Inn hotel ...
Tue, May 22, 2012
U.S. says drug abuse needs treatment, not just jail
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - The United States sees drug abuse as a public health problem as much as a crime issue and is ...
Tue, May 22, 2012
Takeda drug impresses in ulcerative colitis study
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - More than 40 percent of patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis achieved clinical remission from the debilitating condition after ...
Tue, May 22, 2012
Eli Lilly's diabetes drug meets mid-stage trial goal
(Reuters) - Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co's experimental drug to treat type 2 diabetes met the main goal of a mid-stage trial to test ...
Tue, May 22, 2012
FDA staff shoots down Pfizer rare disease drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug reviewers on Tuesday recommended rejecting a Pfizer Inc drug because the data did not prove it worked well in treating a ...
Mon, May 21, 2012
U.S. states urge return of drug used in executions
By David Ingram
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fifteen states asked the U.S. Justice Department on Monday for help in obtaining an anesthesia drug they use ...
Mon, May 21, 2012
Peregrine soars as cancer drug meets trial goal
(Reuters) - Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc said results from a mid-stage trial showed that its key experimental drug performed better than standard chemotherapy in lung cancer ...
Mon, May 21, 2012
FDA staff sends mixed message on J&J drug Xarelto
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers had mixed opinions about whether Johnson & Johnson blood thinner Xarelto reduced the risk of new heart attacks and strokes in people with heart problems, setting the stage for heated debate by outside experts later this week.
Some U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff members raised doubts about how well the drug worked, given the high number of people who dropped out of studies on the pill. But the FDA's clinical reviewer recommended approval.
The staff appeared united in the view that the data did not prove Xarelto reduced the risk of death in patients with acute coronary syndrome, which analysts had seen as the drug's most important advantage for treating this heart condition.
An FDA advisory panel of outside experts will vote Wednesday on whether to recommend the drug, which J&J developed in partnership with German drugmaker Bayer AG.
The FDA usually follows panel recommendations, although it is not required to. The agency is due to make a final decision on Xarelto by the end of June.
The FDA's medical team leader, Dr. Thomas Marciniak, questioned whether Xarelto truly helped people with heart problems, since J&J lost track of an average of 12 percent of people taking the pill in clinical trials.
He also said the company did not count three people who died after taking the drug, which could skew results.
"These three uncounted deaths may be the tip of the iceberg regarding problems with missing data," he said in FDA briefing documents posted online on Monday.
But the FDA's clinical reviewer, Dr. Karen Hicks, said J&J had recognized the problem of missing data and tried to fix it.
Many other heart trials have the same problem, she said, recommending approval.
However, Hicks said Xarelto did not reduce the risk of death and that minor bleeding issues with the pill might be a concern if it is approved for acute coronary syndrome patients.
Xarelto is already approved to reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs of people who have had knee or hip replacement surgery. It is also approved to prevent strokes among people with irregular heartbeats, called atrial fibrillation.
Acute coronary syndrome refers to people who have heart attacks or chest pain, usually because of a blocked coronary artery. About 1 million people in the United States are hospitalized each year after having an ACS episode, usually a heart attack, according to researchers.
Janssen, the J&J unit that markets Xarelto, had expected some people to drop out of the final clinical trial since it enrolled about 15,500 patients and studied them for about 2 1/2 years, spokesman Ernie Knewitz said. The dropout rates were similar between people taking Xarelto and those on placebo, he said.
"Our analyses show that (the discontinuation rate) did not impact the robustness of the study's results," he said.
Wells Fargo analyst Larry Biegelsen said he still believed the FDA advisory panel would recommend Xarelto for ACS patients because of the FDA reviewer's recommendation.
"We expect a very heated debate on (Wednesday)," he said in a research note. "However, we continue to expect a positive outcome."
Biegelsen said the increased risk of bleeding meant Xarelto would have modest sales for people with acute coronary syndrome, reaching $342 million in 2016. The drug's use in such patients should be about 22 percent of Xarelto's overall U.S. sales of $1.6 billion in 2016, he said.
Xarelto is one of three new medicines that offer potential advantages over older drugs to prevent strokes and other dangerous conditions caused by blood clots, in a market worth up to $10 billion in annual sales, according to Wall Street forecasts.
Investors have tried to bet on which of the three will become the dominant player in a race between Xarelto, Eliquis from Pfizer Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, and Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa.
Xarelto's rivals failed in treating patients with ACS, giving Bayer and J&J a potentially distinct market -- although stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation is seen as the most lucrative use for the new drugs.
Shares of J&J rose 0.2 percent to $63.46 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange, in line with the broader Arca Pharmaceuticals Index. Bayer shares were 2.3 percent higher on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
(Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, John Wallace and Lisa ...
Thu, May 17, 2012
GSK melanoma drug shows promise in early trial
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental cancer drug developed by Britain's GlaxoSmithKline may add vital months to the lives of melanoma patients ...
Thu, May 17, 2012
Canada OKs Osiris drug; first stem cell therapy
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Osiris Therapeutics Inc said on Thursday that Canadian health regulators have approved its treatment for acute graft-versus host disease ...
Thu, May 17, 2012
Specialty drug costs a major employer worry: survey
By Lewis Krauskopf
(Reuters) - Employers want to step up programs to encourage healthier behavior among their workers and to control spending on expensive injected ...
Thu, May 17, 2012
Patients should consult before stopping Pfizer drug-FDA
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said patients should not stop taking Pfizer Inc's Zithromax antibiotic without consulting a doctor, after a study showed ...
Thu, May 17, 2012
Glaxo melanoma drug combo shows promise in small trial
By Deena Beasley
(Reuters) - Two drugs being developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc - each designed to block different pathways used by cancer cells - have been shown ...
Thu, May 17, 2012
Novartis lung drug superior to placebo over 1 year
ZURICH (Reuters) - A Novartis experimental lung drug to treat smokers' cough was superior to a placebo in improving lung function over a one-year period ...
Thu, May 17, 2012
Data suggests drug treatment can lower U.S. crime
By David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. crime statistics show illegal drugs play a central role in criminal acts, providing new evidence that tackling ...
Wed, May 16, 2012
Oklahoma welfare applicants to face drug screening
By Steve Olafson
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Oklahoma will require welfare applicants to submit to screening for illegal drug use under a bill signed into ...
Wed, May 16, 2012
Murder of Honduran reporter blamed on drug gangs
By Gustavo Palencia
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A prominent Honduran radio journalist was killed by drug gangs in retaliation for a government crackdown on cartels, the ...
Wed, May 16, 2012
Glaxo melanoma drug combo shows promise in small trial
By Deena Beasley
(Reuters) - Two drugs being developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc - each designed to block different pathways used by cancer cells - have been shown ...
Wed, May 16, 2012
Aveo kidney cancer drug more tolerated than Nexavar
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - Patients taking a kidney cancer drug being developed by Aveo Pharmaceuticals Inc were half as likely to need a break ...
Wed, May 16, 2012
J&J drug shows promise in high-risk prostate cancer
By Deena Beasley
(Reuters) - Adding Johnson & Johnson's advanced prostate cancer drug, Zytiga, to hormone therapy before surgery has been shown for the first time to eradicate tumors in some men with high-risk forms of the disease.
The mid-stage trial found that six months of treatment with the combination therapy completely or nearly eliminated the cancer in a third of patients, all of whom had localized, aggressive cancer.
"These results are very impressive, especially given these high-risk patients," Dr Mary-Ellen Taplin, associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the study's lead author, said at a news conference.
Zytiga is already approved to treat advanced prostate cancer in patients who previously received chemotherapy. J&J expects to file in the second half of this year for U.S. regulatory approval of the drug as a treatment for men with metastatic prostate cancer who have not yet received chemotherapy.
Zytiga, also known as abiraterone, costs about $5,000 a month. It is a member of a new drug class designed to work inside cancer cells to block production of testosterone, the male hormone that fuels prostate cancer cell growth.
Localized high-risk disease is defined as prostate cancer in men with high levels of prostate-specific antigen and aggressive disease that has spread throughout the prostate.
Men with this stage of disease tend to have a poor prognosis, and the cancer often spreads to other parts of the body despite aggressive treatment with available therapies, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which featured the Zytiga data ahead of its annual meeting in Chicago, June 1-5.
"Theoretically ... when you get a complete disappearance of the primary cancer, patient outcomes are much better," said oncologist Dr. Nicholas Vogelzang, chair of ASCO's cancer communications committee, who was not involved in the research. He noted that such pre-surgery treatment has become standard care for other types of cancer.
The Phase 2 trial looked at the effect of adding Zytiga to Lupron, a drug designed to trick the testicles into ceasing production of testosterone.
Of the 29 men who received the drugs for six months before having prostate surgery, the prostates of three had no evidence of cancer and seven had nearly complete elimination of the disease. In the group of men treated for three months before their surgery, 15 percent had little to no detectable cancer in the prostate.
Researchers said the therapy was well-tolerated by both groups. They reported five cases of elevated liver enzymes and three patients with lower-than-normal levels of potassium.
"Our findings suggest that this combination therapy approach could improve outcomes for a substantial number of men," Taplin said. "This is a 58-patient trial with a very, very expensive drug, so I don't think anybody is going to be encouraging this type of treatment without more data."
She said other trials are under way, including a similar trial combining Zytiga with experimental drug ARN-509, which is being developed by Aragon Pharmaceuticals.
(Reporting By Deena Beasley in Los Angeles; editing by Matthew Lewis)
Wed, May 16, 2012
Roche melanoma drug extends life more than a yr-study
(Reuters) - Roche Holding AG's new drug for advanced melanoma, Zelboraf, on average helped patients with the deadly disease live for more than a ...
Wed, May 16, 2012
Pfizer drug effective in rare children's cancers
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - A Pfizer Inc lung cancer drug appears to be a highly effective treatment for children with a rare but aggressive ...
Tue, May 15, 2012
U.S. targets South Asian drug gang
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States targeted on Tuesday two lieutenants in a South Asian drug gang, freezing their U.S. assets and barring Americans ...
Tue, May 15, 2012
Roche Alzheimer's drug picked for major test
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Roche Holding AG's Genentech unit has won the right to try its experimental Alzheimer's drug crenezumab on ...
Tue, May 15, 2012
Achillion's hepatitis C drug gets FDA fast track
(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted a fast track designation to Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental hepatitis C drug ACH-3102, currently ...
Fri, May 11, 2012
India to probe alleged irregularities at drug regulator
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government announced an inquiry on Friday into the operations of the country's main drug regulator, just days after ...
Thu, May 10, 2012
Novartis to probe Indian drug approval allegations
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis said on Thursday it would investigate alleged drug approval irregularities in India after a parliamentary report found the country ...
Thu, May 10, 2012
Novartis eye drug efficient over longer term: studies
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis said on Thursday data from key studies showed treatment with its Lucentis drug could help certain sight-impaired patients see ...
Wed, May 09, 2012
U.S. FDA advisers back Pfizer arthritis drug
By Anna Yukhananov
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc won support from a U.S. advisory panel on Wednesday for its arthritis drug, which ...
Wed, May 09, 2012
Probe finds collusion between India's drug regulator, pharma firms
By Ross Colvin and Kaustubh Kulkarni
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - Officials of India's drug regulator have been colluding with pharmaceutical firms to speed ...
Wed, May 09, 2012
Probe uncovers serious problems with India's drug regulator
By Ross Colvin and Satarupa Bhattacharjya
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's main drug regulator has not been properly scrutinizing some drugs before approving them ...
Wed, May 09, 2012
Teva profit beats forecasts on U.S. drug sales
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries posted a 40 percent jump in quarterly profit that beat estimates, boosted by robust sales of its own-branded ...
Tue, May 08, 2012
FDA advisers rebuff Regeneron gout drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug advisers unanimously voted against Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental drug to prevent gout flares, based on studies that tested ...
Tue, May 08, 2012
Many drug labels missing dose, safety info for kids
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Half of drug labels don't have information on the medication's safety and proper dosing in ...
Mon, May 07, 2012
Key witness against Clemens says provided drugs to other players
By Lily Kuo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Brian McNamee, the key government witness in the perjury trial of former baseball star Roger Clemens over the use ...
Mon, May 07, 2012
Leading Colombian drug kingpin turns himself in
BOGOTA (Reuters) - A Colombian suspected of running a violent cocaine cartel, one of the country's most-wanted men, has surrendered to U.S. drug ...
Mon, May 07, 2012
FDA staff question Pfizer arthritis drug benefits
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers on Monday questioned whether the benefits of Pfizer Inc's experimental treatment for rheumatoid arthritis ...
Mon, May 07, 2012
Roche stops heart drug trial as data disappoints
By Martin de Sa'Pinto
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche has ended efforts to develop a heart disease drug that according to some industry ...
Sun, May 06, 2012
Ryan O'Neal: 'It was unfair of me to blame mums for kids' drug woes'
From WENN.com
O'Neal's sons Griffin and Redmond are currently incarcerated in jail and rehab for drug-related issues, while the actor's ...
Sat, May 05, 2012
Ryan O'Neal: 'It was unfair of me to blame mums for kids' drug woes'
From WENN.com
O'Neal's sons Griffin and Redmond are currently incarcerated in jail and rehab for drug-related issues, while the actor's ...
Fri, May 04, 2012
Ryan O'Neal: 'It was unfair of me to blame mums for kids' drug woes'
From WENN.com
O'Neal's sons Griffin and Redmond are currently incarcerated in jail and rehab for drug-related issues, while the actor's ...
Fri, May 04, 2012
FDA staff question side effects of Regeneron gout drug
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers said Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's drug to prevent gout flares worked, but questioned its side ...
Fri, May 04, 2012
Preview: U.S. panel seen backing Pfizer's arthritis drug hope
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc's experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug goes before an advisory panel next week, a potential blockbuster medicine that ...
Thu, May 03, 2012
Ryan O'Neal: 'It was unfair of me to blame mums for kids' drug woes'
From WENN.com
O'Neal's sons Griffin and Redmond are currently incarcerated in jail and rehab for drug-related issues, while the actor's ...
Thu, May 03, 2012
FDA says number of new drug shortages down
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health officials said the number of new shortages of crucial drugs used to treat cancer and other illnesses had been halved compared ...
Thu, May 03, 2012
Bobby Brown Defends Bobbi Kristina Against Rumors of Drug Use, Dating "Adopted Brother"
In part two of his interview on NBC's Today Thursday morning, Bobby Brown focused on his only child with ex-wife Whitney Houston , Bobbi ...
Thu, May 03, 2012
Crackdown on drug thieves has trails to Florida
By Ransdell Pierson
(Reuters) - Prosecutors in a number of states have charged dozens of suspects with stealing prescription drugs from warehouses and tractor trailers ...
Thu, May 03, 2012
U.S. to partner with Big Pharma for drug discovery
By Julie Steenhuysen and Anna Yukhananov
CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government will help drug companies find treatments for a host of diseases ...
Thu, May 03, 2012
India's Dr Reddy's gets U.S. nod for osteoporosis drug
(Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval for selling ibandronate sodium tablets used to ...
Wed, May 02, 2012
Oklahoma says running out of death penalty drug
By Steve Olafson
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Oklahoma, which executes more prisoners per capita than any other state, said on Wednesday it has only one ...
Wed, May 02, 2012
Aveo says cancer drug not better than existing therapy
(Reuters) - Aveo Pharmaceuticals Inc said a combination of its experimental drug to treat a type of lung cancer and the standard of care did ...
Tue, May 01, 2012
U.S. FDA approves Pfizer/Protalix drug for Gaucher
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators gave the nod on Tuesday to Protalix Biotherapeutics Inc and Pfizer Inc's experimental biotech drug for a ...
Tue, May 01, 2012
Pfizer says on lookout for mid-size drug deals
By Ransdell Pierson
(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc, which last week agreed to sell its baby formula business for almost $12 billion, is on the hunt ...
Tue, May 01, 2012
Drug and device trials vary in size, quality: study
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In an analysis of over 40,000 clinical trials registered in a government database, researchers found that ...
Tue, May 01, 2012
U.S. needs better way to track drug safety - study
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should review drugs on a regular basis for as long as they ...
Tue, May 01, 2012
Yankees' Pettitte: 50-50 he misheard Clemens on drugs
By Ian Simpson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte testified on Wednesday in Roger Clemens' federal perjury trial that there was a ...
Tue, May 01, 2012
Two People Sentenced in Drug Trafficking Case
Two Wabash Valley individuals were sentenced Monday after admitting to playing a role in the drug trafficking operation into Vincennes and Washington, Indiana in ...
Mon, April 30, 2012
Double-drug diabetes treatment disappoints in kids
By Gene Emery and Nancy Lapid
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a large new trial looking at ways to slow the progression of type ...
Mon, April 30, 2012
FDA extends review for Salix diarrhea drug
(Reuters) - Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd said U.S. health regulators have extended the review date by three months for its experimental pill for HIV therapy-related ...
Mon, April 30, 2012
Actelion breathes easy on "best case" new drug data
By Catherine Bosley and Ben Hirschler
ZURICH/LONDON (Reuters) - A new lung and heart drug from Actelion beat expectations in a key clinical trial ...
Fri, April 27, 2012
FDA approves Vivus's fast-acting Viagra rival
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Men with erectile dysfunction may not have to plan for sex as far in advance anymore after Vivus ...
Thu, April 26, 2012
Kentucky judge orders state to consider single-drug executions
By Steve Robrahn
LOUISVILLE, Ky (Reuters) - A Kentucky judge ordered state officials to consider using a single drug to carry out executions instead of ...
Thu, April 26, 2012
Police Still Search for Drug Suspects
The large scale drug raid that began earlier this week is continuing to bring in more people wanted on drug-related charges. 18 people were ...
Thu, April 26, 2012
Florida judge blocks drug tests for state workers
MIAMI (Reuters) - A federal judge in Miami has tossed out an executive order from Florida Governor Rick Scott requiring drug testing of state employees ...
Thu, April 26, 2012
India's Strides buys U.S.-approved drug making plant
(Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Strides Arcolab said its unit acquired a U.S. compliant sterile drugs manufacturing plant for 1.25 billion rupees ($23.76 ...
Thu, April 26, 2012
AstraZeneca CEO quits as drug sales tumble
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca's chief executive David Brennan is to step down on June 1 in an abrupt exit after six ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
U.S. delays decision on Takeda diabetes drug
(Reuters) - Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd said U.S. regulators had extended their review of its diabetes drug alogliptin, requesting additional data on ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
Los Angeles airport screeners arrested on drug, corruption charges
By Alex Dobuzinskis
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two security screeners at Los Angeles International Airport have been arrested on drug trafficking and corruption charges, accused ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
Feds weigh pulling drug licenses for two Florida CVS stores
By Ian Simpson
ARLINGTON, Va (Reuters) - A federal hearing began on Wednesday on whether to bar two CVS Caremark Corp drugstores in Florida from ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
Russell Brand calls for drug law change
The former alcoholic and heroin addict was invited to share his experiences at a House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee hearing into Britain ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
Los Angeles airport screeners arrested on drug, corruption charges
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two security screeners at Los Angeles International Airport have been arrested on drug trafficking and corruption charges, accused of taking bribes ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
Los Angeles airport screeners arrested on drug, corruption charges
(Reuters) - Two former and two current security screeners at Los Angeles International Airport have been arrested on drug trafficking and corruption charges, accused of ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
U.S. may lose chance to pass national drug trace plan
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A proposed law calling for healthcare companies to build a U.S. system for tracking medications to minimize the ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
FDA approves Glaxo cancer drug Votrient
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators gave the nod to GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Votrient for a type of sarcoma on Thursday, following a positive advisory ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
Novartis gets EU approval for Cushing's drug
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG said on Wednesday it has won European Union approval for its Signifor as the first medical therapy for ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
Man Sentenced in Connection with Drug Trafficking
A Washington, Indiana man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute meth and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Jose Vasquez-Silva was ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
Drug Suspect Round-up Brings in 16
An investigation by the Vigo County Drug Task Force resulted in the roundup of a group of drug users and dealers Tuesday afternoon. The ...
Wed, April 25, 2012
Prescription drug abuse abetted by family, friends: study
By David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 70 percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers obtain the drugs from friends or relatives, usually ...
Tue, April 24, 2012
Russell Brand calls for drug law change
The former alcoholic and heroin addict was invited to share his experiences at a House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee hearing into Britain ...
Tue, April 24, 2012
Alimera eye drug inches closer to launch with Austria approval
(Reuters) - Biopharmaceutical company Alimera Sciences Inc said the Austrian health regulator approved its experimental drug for retinal swelling, raising hopes for the company's ...
Tue, April 24, 2012
Comedian Russell Brand speaks to UK MPs on drug addiction
By Li-mei Hoang
LONDON (Reuters) - Comedian and actor Russell Brand told the British government on Tuesday that it needs to adopt a pragmatic approach ...
Mon, April 23, 2012
Australia's Biota to take over drug maker Nabi
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian flu drug maker Biota Holdings has agreed to take over U.S. firm Nabi Biopharmaceuticals to create a $258 million group ...
Sun, April 22, 2012
Brand to tell politicians about drug battle
The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star, a former heroin addict and alcoholic, will talk about his rehab experiences and recovery when he appears at an ...
Sat, April 21, 2012
Brand to tell politicians about drug battle
The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star, a former heroin addict and alcoholic, will talk about his rehab experiences and recovery when he appears at an ...
Fri, April 20, 2012
Brand to tell politicians about drug battle
The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star, a former heroin addict and alcoholic, will talk about his rehab experiences and recovery when he appears at an ...
Fri, April 20, 2012
EU agency endorses Bristol, Astra diabetes drug
LONDON (Reuters) - European regulators on Friday backed approval of a new diabetes drug from AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb that was rejected last year in ...
Fri, April 20, 2012
Novo Nordisk rejects diabetes drug Victoza complaint
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk rejected a consumer advocacy group's complaint about its big-selling diabetes drug Victoza as groundless and said it ...
Thu, April 19, 2012
Group asks for withdrawal of Victoza diabetes drug
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Watchdog group Public Citizen urged U.S. regulators to withdraw approval of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Victoza, saying ...
Thu, April 19, 2012
Gilead hepatitis C drug proves itself in key study
(Reuters) - An experimental hepatitis C drug acquired by Gilead Sciences Inc when it paid nearly $11 billion to buy Pharmasset has produced encouraging results ...
Thu, April 19, 2012
Actelion sees data on big drug hope in coming weeks
By Caroline Copley
ZURICH (Reuters) - Europe's largest biotech company Actelion said it expects results of a key late-stage trial on heart and lung ...
Thu, April 19, 2012
Sanofi to test Parkinson's drug with Michael J. Fox Foundation
PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said on Thursday it would collaborate with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to test an early- stage experimental treatment ...
Thu, April 19, 2012
Sanofi to test Parkinson's drug with Michael J. Fox Foundation
PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said on Thursday it would collaborate with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to test an early- stage experimental treatment ...
Wed, April 18, 2012
SXC to buy Catalyst in $4.4 billion drug benefit deal
By Lewis Krauskopf
(Reuters) - SXC Health Solutions Corp said it will buy rival pharmacy benefit manager Catalyst Health Solutions Inc for $4.4 billion ...
Wed, April 18, 2012
Acne drug tied to a doubled risk of eye problems
By Kerry Grens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Prescription pills used to treat severe acne were linked to a two-fold risk of developing eye problems ...
Tue, April 17, 2012
Vigo County Sheriff's Dept to Host "Drug Take-Back-Day"
The Vigo County Sheriff’s Office is opening its doors at 201 Cherry Street in Terre Haute for the DEA’s fourth annual Prescription ...
Tue, April 17, 2012
Georgia welfare law requires drug test to receive aid
By David Beasley
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Low-income adults seeking public assistance in Georgia will have to pass a drug test before receiving benefits under a ...
Tue, April 17, 2012
Drug Company Didn't Force Kanye to Change "Theraflu"
The folks that make the over-the-counter remedy Theraflu say they had no legal prescription for Kanye West 's new hit of the same name ...
Mon, April 16, 2012
U.S. busts global online drug market, arrests eight
By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Eight men charged with running an elaborate online narcotics market that sold drugs to 3,000 people in ...
Mon, April 16, 2012
Endocyte soars on cancer drug deal with Merck
(Reuters) - Endocyte Inc said Merck & Co Inc had acquired the development and marketing rights of its experimental cancer drug, the latest in the string of licensing deals by the No. 2 U.S. drugmaker to beef up its cancer drug pipeline.
Shares of Endocyte, which had a market capitalization of about $136.18 million before the deal, more than doubled in value to $8.20 in early Monday trade. The stock was the biggest percentage gainer on the Nasdaq.
Endocyte, which is responsible for a majority of the funding and completion of the ovarian cancer trial, will receive $120 million in cash and up to $880 million in milestone payments.
"We also believe that this transaction definitely cracks the door open for an eventual acquisition by Merck, if they like what they see in the next couple of years ...," Cowen and Co analyst Simos Simeonidis said in a note to clients.
The upfront payment will also give Endocyte the ability to invest in their early-stage pipeline and a couple of years of cash, he added.
Endocyte, which had $128.1 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at end-December, has three other drugs in early-stage development.
The company will receive an equal share of profits in the United States, if the drug is approved. It will also get a double digit percentage royalty on sales of the product in the rest of the world.
Merck, through a subsidiary, will gain worldwide rights to commercialize the drug vintafolide.
Merck has four cancer drug candidates in mid-stage trials and one that is under review for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
In the last four months, it has acquired the rights to two cancer drugs from Threshold Pharmaceuticals and Exelixis Inc.
Vintafolide is currently being tested in a late-stage trial for ovarian cancer and a mid-stage trial for non-small cell lung cancer.
Endocyte had planned to file for marketing approval for Vintafolide in the third quarter of 2012. The drug received an orphan drug status in Europe last month.
Endocyte's shares were trading at $7.85 on Monday morning on the Nasdaq. Merck shares were slightly up at $38.03 on the New York Stock Exchange.
(The story was refiled to fix typo in paragraph 1)
(Reporting by Balaji Sridharan in Bangalore; Editing by Roshni Menon)
Sun, April 15, 2012
India's Piramal buys Bayer's potential Alzheimer drug
(Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Piramal Healthcare has agreed to buy a research and development portfolio from Bayer AG, the company said, in a deal that ...
Sun, April 15, 2012
Mexican cartels trick border crossers into being drug mules
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO, California (Reuters) - The Mexican help wanted ads offer a quick $500 for a simple job - drive a car into ...
Fri, April 13, 2012
Mexican drug cartel leader sent to prison in Colorado
By Robert Boczkiewicz
DENVER (Reuters) - The leader of a Mexican drug cartel was sentenced on Friday to more than 22 years in prison by ...
Thu, April 12, 2012
Sexual side effects added to Merck drug labels
(Reuters) - Prescribing labels for Merck & Co's drugs for baldness and enlarged prostate will add reports of sexual side effects that continued after use of the medicines was stopped, U.S. health regulators said.
Labels will be revised for Proscar, which treats symptoms of enlarged prostate, and hair-loss treatment Propecia, the Food and Drug Administration said. The active ingredient in both drugs is finasteride.
The Propecia label will now include notification of problems with libido, ejaculation and orgasms that continued after use of the drug was ended. Proscar's label will include notification of decreased libido.
The labels of both drugs will also include a description of reports of male infertility and poor semen quality that normalized or improved after use of the drugs was stopped.
In announcing the label changes, FDA cited events reported to the agency.
"The cases suggest a broader range of adverse effects than previously reported in patients taking these drugs," FDA said in a notification posted on its website. But it also said no clear causal links between finasteride and sexual adverse events had been established.
FDA said sexual side effects were included in the labels of both drugs when they were approved in the 1990s. But in subsequent clinical trials, the side effects were resolved in patients who stopped using the drugs as well as in most patients who continued therapy, the agency said.
Last year, the labels of both drugs were revised to include erectile dysfunction that continued after patients stopped using the drugs, the FDA said.
Only a small percentage of men who use the drugs have experienced sexual side effects, the agency added. For example, it said, an analysis of clinical trials showed 3.8 percent of men taking Propecia reported one or more of the sexual side effects, compared with 2.1 percent of those who received a placebo.
FDA said it believes that finasteride remains safe and effective for its approved uses and that patients on Proscar and Propecia should contact their doctors if they have concerns.
In a statement, Merck said it believes both drugs are generally well tolerated and effective for their intended uses and that it supports efforts to ensure patient safety through monitoring of reported side effects.
The drugs are relatively modest-sized products for the U.S. drugmaker. Merck reported $447 million in Propecia sales last year, and $223 million for Proscar.
Merck shares were down 0.5 percent to $38.27 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Reporting By Lewis Krauskopf; editing by John Wallace)
Wed, April 11, 2012
Abbott wins EU approval for new use of Humira drug
(Reuters) - Humira, the best-selling arthritis drug that forms the cornerstone of Abbott Laboratories' pharmaceutical business, has been approved in Europe for ulcerative colitis, the ...
Fri, April 06, 2012
Novo Nordisk says diabetes drug Victoza superior to Merck rival
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish Novo Nordisk, the world's biggest insulin producer, said on Friday it had received a product label update for diabetes drug ...
Thu, April 05, 2012
U.S. panel backs Astellas drug for leaky bladder
By Anna Yukhananov
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. advisers backed a bladder drug from Astellas Pharma Inc on Thursday, boosting the company's ...
Thu, April 05, 2012
French health body favors reimbursement of InterMune lung drug
By Zeba Siddiqui
(Reuters) - InterMune Inc said French health authorities ruled in favor of reimbursing the company's lung scarring drug Esbriet, potentially covering ...
Thu, April 05, 2012
Drug-resistant malaria spreads along Thai-Myanmar border: study
By Tan Ee Lyn
HONG KONG (Reuters) - A malaria strain increasingly resistant to the most effective drug used to treat the disease has spread ...
Thu, April 05, 2012
Club drug "special K" tied to urinary problems: study
(Reuters) - Many people who use the club drug ketamine - known as "special K" - may risk abdominal pain, bladder control problems and other urinary tract ...
Thu, April 05, 2012
Sanofi unveils mixed news for Zaltrap cancer drug
PARIS (Reuters) - Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said their Zaltrap drug candidate failed to meet targets in a late-stage study for the treatment of prostate ...
Thu, April 05, 2012
Newron agrees Parkinson's drug deal with Zambon
ZURICH (Reuters) - Italian drug maker Newron has signed a strategic collaboration and licensing deal for its Parkinson's disease drug safinamide with Italian drugs ...
Wed, April 04, 2012
Club drug "special K" tied to urinary problems
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many people who use the club drug ketamine may risk abdominal pain, a leaky bladder and other ...
Tue, April 03, 2012
Bayer gastrointestinal cancer drug meets trial goal
(Reuters) - Bayer said its cancer drug improved chances of survival in patients suffering from a type of gastrointestinal tumor, and kept the condition from ...
Tue, April 03, 2012
FDA staff focus on safety of Astellas bladder drug
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drugs reviewers said Astellas Pharma Inc's treatment for an overactive bladder worked, but they raised concerns about liver ...
Tue, April 03, 2012
GSK says new data support filing of diabetes drug
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline will push ahead with plans to file its experimental once-weekly diabetes drug albiglutide for regulatory approval, following the ...
Mon, April 02, 2012
Most alcohol, drug abuse starts in the teens: study
By Andrew M. Seaman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new survey of U.S. teenagers finds that most have used alcohol and drugs by ...
Mon, April 02, 2012
Uncertainty looms over Keryx, Aeterna cancer drug
(Reuters) - Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc and Aeterna Zentaris said their experimental colorectal cancer drug did not meet the main goal of a late-stage trial, raising ...
Mon, April 02, 2012
Feds raid "Princeton of Pot" in California
By Noel Randewich
OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - Federal agents, pressing a government clampdown on medical marijuana, raided a San Francisco Bay-area college known as the ...
Mon, April 02, 2012
Novartis lung drug meets goals in late-stage trials
ZURICH (Reuters) - A Novartis lung drug met its main goals in three late-stage studies in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), often known ...
Mon, April 02, 2012
GSK's new once-daily HIV drug matches Merck rival
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - A new once-daily AIDS drug from GlaxoSmithKline and its partner Shionogi proved just as good as Merck & Co's twice-daily rival Isentress in a late-stage clinical trial, boosting hopes for the product.
Both GSK's new drug dolutegravir and Isentress are so-called integrase inhibitors, a novel class of drugs for fighting HIV/AIDS that block the virus causing the disease from entering cells.
Dolutegravir is important for GSK since it could help rejuvenate its HIV/AIDS business - an area of medicine it used to dominate but where it has fallen behind rivals in recent years.
GSK and Shionogi said on Monday that their experimental drug dolutegravir showed non-inferiority to Isentress, or raltegravir, when given for 48 weeks alongside two older types of HIV/AIDS medicines.
In total, 88 percent of study participants on once-daily dolutegravir had their virus suppressed against 85 percent of those on twice-daily Isentress in the Phase III study. Tolerability was similar for both drugs.
Merck's drug, which had sales of $1.4 billion last year, is currently the only integrase inhibitor approved by regulators, although Gilead also has one in Phase III testing called elvitegravir.
Dolutegravir belongs to ViiV Healthcare, a joint venture formed between GSK and Pfizer in 2009 in which GSK holds an 85 percent stake, and income from the medicine will be shared with Shionogi.
The compound is viewed by analysts as a potential $1 billion-a-year seller, since the once-daily dosing is likely to be attractive to patients. However, the financial gain to GSK will be diluted by the sharing deals with Shionogi and Pfizer.
Results of further Phase III trials are being awaited before GSK is ready to submit dolutegravir to regulators for approval.
The experimental medicine is also being tested in Phase III in different groups of patients, including those who do not respond to Isentress, as well as in a combination product with GSK's Epzicom, which consists of the HIV drugs Ziagen and Epivir.
With results of these other Phase III clinical studies also due in 2012, dolutegravir could potentially be filed for approval with regulators before the end of this year, a company spokesman said.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by ...
Sun, April 01, 2012
Drug for rare disease may lift AVI BioPharma shares: Barron's
NEW YORK (Reuters) - AVI BioPharma Inc's shares could get a boost if its drug targeting treatment for a rare fatal form of muscular ...
Fri, March 30, 2012
Cop on disability faulted for side job: drug dealer
(Reuters) - It's a standard feature of workers' compensation insurance policies that you can't hold a job while collecting benefits, but the Ohio ...
Fri, March 30, 2012
Cop on disability faulted for side job: drug dealer
(Reuters) - It's a standard feature of workers' compensation insurance policies that you can't hold a job while collecting benefits, but the Ohio ...
Fri, March 30, 2012
Threshold's cancer drug gets FDA orphan status, shares rise
(Reuters) - Threshold Pharmaceutical Inc's experimental cancer drug received orphan status from U.S. health regulators, sending the biotechnology company's stock up as ...
Fri, March 30, 2012
Threshold cancer drug gets orphan status in U.S.
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators granted orphan drug status to Threshold Pharmaceutical Inc's experimental cancer drug, TH-302.
Earlier this month, the drug was ...
Fri, March 30, 2012
Roche to file T-DM1 breast cancer drug on good data
By Katharina Bart
ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche said patients with an aggressive type of breast cancer lived longer after taking its experimental "armed antibody" drug ...
Thu, March 29, 2012
Richard Branson turns from adventuring to drug war critic
By Alex Dobuzinskis
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, involved in such ventures as selling space travel to the affluent, is now ...
Wed, March 28, 2012
Chelsea Therapeutics hypotension drug rejected by U.S. FDA
(Reuters) - Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd said U.S. health regulators rejected its hypotension capsule Northera and sought an additional trial to support the efficacy ...
Tue, March 27, 2012
Judge bars import of drug used in death penalty
By Jeremy Pelofsky
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A judge on Tuesday barred authorities from importing an anesthesia drug used in carrying out death sentences because the ...
Mon, March 26, 2012
Regeneron cholesterol drug faces sudden challenge
By Ransdell Pierson
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A new type of drug being developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc slashed levels of cholesterol almost in half when ...
Mon, March 26, 2012
J&J drug shines in trial against standard lung-clot drugs
By Ransdell Pierson and Debra Sherman
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's blood clot preventer Xarelto proved as effective as and safer than standard treatments against blood clots of the lung in a big study, possibly paving the way for it to become the eventual preferred treatment for the third most common cause of deaths in hospitals.
Researchers and J&J officials on Monday said the 4,833-patient study showed Xarelto was as effective as customary dual therapy -- injections of the clot-buster heparin given about the same time as the blood-thinning pill warfarin -- for treating the clots and preventing new lung clots or dangerous clots in the legs that can break free and cause lung clots. The vast majority of patients were treated for more than six months.
The largest clinical trial ever conducted among lung-clot patients also showed that those taking Xarelto, also known by its chemical name rivaroxaban, experienced only half the number of major bleeding incidents, largely brain hemorrhages, as patients receiving the heparin/warfarin combination.
Brain bleeding is one of the most worrisome side effects of warfarin, the active ingredient of rat poison that has been a mainstay anti-coagulant for more than half a century.
"Rivaroxaban is just as good as standard treatment for pulmonary embolism -- these data are pretty convincing -- and this is an oral-only approach, which makes it very simple," said Dr. Harry Buller, a professor of vascular medicine at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, who led the trial.
In the J&J-sponsored trial, 10.3 percent of patients taking Xarelto had major or minor bleeding, compared with 11.4 percent of those taking heparin and warfarin, Buller said. He said 1.1 percent of patients taking Xarelto experienced major bleeding, versus 2.2 percent on standard dual therapy.
Buller presented the trial results on Monday at the annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago.
"Xarelto has the potential to become the new standard of care," Paul Burton, cardiovascular medical leader at J&J's Janssen division, said in an interview. "It may offer the opportunity for a single drug that doesn't require monitoring to be used in acute and long-term treatment of pulmonary embolism."
Based on the favorable findings, J&J said it plans in the second quarter to ask U.S. regulators to approve Xarelto for lung clots and leg clots.
Morningstar analyst Damien Conover said the new indications, if approved, could eventually bring an additional $250 million to $500 million in annual revenue for Xarelto. He said that would pale, however, in comparison with expected sales of the medicine for patients with atrial fibrillation.
Lung clots develop in an estimated 600,000 Americans a year and kill as many as 100,000 of them. By blocking vital blood vessels, they often kill within less than an hour after symptoms develop. Because immobility is a major cause of lung clots, hospitalized patients are at particular risk of developing them.
Xarelto, which J&J developed in partnership with German drugmaker Bayer AG, is already approved to reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs of people who have had knee or hip replacement surgery. It is also approved to prevent strokes among people with irregular heartbeats, called atrial fibrillation.
Xarelto, like Eliquis from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Pfizer Inc, works by blocking a protein called Factor Xa involved in the clotting process. Neither of the new drugs carries the onerous demands of warfarin, such as the need for regular blood monitoring and strict avoidance of some foods.
"The reason people look for alternatives (to warfarin) is that it's a nightmare to give," Buller said. "Rivaroxaban makes things easier for everybody -- patients and physicians."
Although Eliquis is approved in Europe to prevent blood clots after hip and knee replacements, it is not approved to treat lung clots. It is awaiting U.S. approval to prevent strokes in atrial fibrillation patients, by far the biggest commercial opportunity for the new crop of blood clot preventers.
(Editing by John Wallace; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
Sun, March 25, 2012
Monthly shots of Amgen drug slash cholesterol up to 66 percent
By Ransdell Pierson
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Monthly injections of an experimental drug from Amgen Inc slashed levels of cholesterol by up to an additional 66 ...
Sat, March 24, 2012
Merck blood clot drug in limbo after mixed results
By Ransdell Pierson and Debra Sherman
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Impressive efficacy but worrisome bleeding was seen for a new type of blood clot preventer tested ...
Fri, March 23, 2012
Pope condemns drug trade, corruption in Mexico
By Philip Pullella and Miguel Gutierrez
LEON, Mexico (Reuters) - Pope Benedict at a huge outdoor Mass on Sunday condemned drug trafficking and corruption in ...
Fri, March 23, 2012
GSK lung drug has mixed results but filing on track
LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline reiterated a plan to submit its key new lung drug Relovair for regulatory approval in mid-2012, despite releasing another batch of ...
Thu, March 22, 2012
Farrow arrested on drug charges
The blonde was seized by cops on the Gold Coast this week (beg19Mar12) after a month on the run. She had skipped bail after ...
Thu, March 22, 2012
New drug promises relief from aspirin heartburn
(Reuters) - Millions of aspirin users may soon be able to pop the wonder pill without worrying about heartburn, a nasty side-effect that can come ...
Thu, March 22, 2012
New drug promises relief from aspirin-related ulcers
By Zeba Siddiqui
(Reuters) - Millions of aspirin users may soon be able to pop the wonder pill without worrying about stomach ulcers, a nasty ...
Thu, March 22, 2012
Lawmakers probe pharmacy ties to drug shortages
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers are investigating three pharmacies in Maryland and North Carolina accused of passing critical drugs in short supply directly ...
Wed, March 21, 2012
Farrow arrested on drug charges
The blonde was seized by cops on the Gold Coast this week (beg19Mar12) after a month on the run. She had skipped bail after ...
Wed, March 21, 2012
Exclusive: Watson close to $7 billion Actavis drug deal: sources
By Ben Hirschler and Frank Siebelt
LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc
Wed, March 21, 2012
Lawmakers probe pharmacy ties to price gouging
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers are investigating three shadowy pharmacies in Maryland and North Carolina for diverting critical but scarce drugs from patients ...
Wed, March 21, 2012
Woman Arrested on Drug Trafficking Charges
48-year-old Teresa Olsen was arrested for allegedly trafficking drugs and tobacco to the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility. Police say that the Fort Wayne woman ...
Tue, March 20, 2012
FDA grants orphan status to Lexicon tumor drug, shares rise
(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted orphan drug status to Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental tumor drug, sending the biopharmaceutical company ...
Tue, March 20, 2012
Florida state workers face random drug tests under new law
(Reuters) - Florida Governor Rick Scott has signed a law allowing state employees to be randomly tested for drugs, a measure likely to draw a ...
Tue, March 20, 2012
Amarin wins U.S. patent for key heart drug, shares jump
(Reuters) - The U.S. patent office granted Amarin Corp a patent for its key experimental heart drug, sending the biopharmaceutical company's shares up ...
Tue, March 20, 2012
Florida state workers face random drug tests under new law
(Reuters) - Florida Governer Rick Scott has signed as expected a law allowing state employees to be randomly tested for illegal drugs, a measure likely ...
Mon, March 19, 2012
U.S. man admits insider trading on Japan drug companies
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former human resources consultant pleaded guilty on Monday to illegally sharing confidential information with a friend about deals involving Japanese ...
Mon, March 19, 2012
Statin drug linked to lower pneumonia risk
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who use cholesterol-lowering statins may have a slightly lower risk of developing pneumonia than non-users do ...
Mon, March 19, 2012
Drug-resistant "white plague" lurks among rich and poor
By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent
LONDON (Reuters)- On New Year's Eve 2004, after months of losing weight and suffering fevers, night ...
Mon, March 19, 2012
QLT's eye drug gets orphan designation in U.S.
(Reuters) - Canadian biotechnology company QLT Inc said the U.S. health regulator granted an orphan status to its key eye drug.
The drug, Visudyne ...
Fri, March 16, 2012
Jamaican drug lord 'Dudus' obtains sentencing delay
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors must prove convicted Jamaican drug lord Christopher ‘Dudus' Coke's life of violence extended far beyond his admitted crimes ...
Fri, March 16, 2012
Drug shows some sarcoma survival gains: FDA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline's Votrient extended the lives of a significant number of patients suffering from an aggressive form of cancer without the disease ...
Fri, March 16, 2012
Common medicines may cut cancer drug potency: study
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - Many patients taking a widely prescribed class of oral cancer drugs are also using a variety of medications that could ...
Thu, March 15, 2012
Special U.S. military unit hunts Mexico border drug flights
By Curt Prendergast
DOUGLAS, Ariz (Reuters) - A highly specialized U.S. military task force is using battlefield technology to help federal police hunt elusive ...
Thu, March 15, 2012
Little evidence for non-drug labor pain relief
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Epidurals and other drug-based treatments are the tried-and-tested way to ease labor pain, but also have side ...
Thu, March 15, 2012
United Therapeutics sues Sandoz over hypertension drug
(Reuters) - United Therapeutics Corp said it filed a lawsuit against Novartis AG's generic unit Sandoz, alleging infringement of the biotechnology company's patent ...
Wed, March 14, 2012
Shire withdraws FDA application for Fabry drug
(Reuters) - Shire Plc has pulled its application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval of its drug to treat Fabry disease ...
Wed, March 14, 2012
Exclusive: German drug firm Stada's failed Russian forays
By Ludwig Burger and Maria Kiselyova
LONDON (Reuters) - German generic drugmaker Stada, under pressure to curb its reliance on a weakening home market, embarked ...
Wed, March 14, 2012
Animal import bans "put UK drug research at risk"
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Vital medical research is under threat in Britain because ferry companies and airlines are bowing to pressure from animal ...
Tue, March 13, 2012
Miller's fears over L.A.'s 'drug culture'
A number of high-profile stars have succumbed to prescription drug addiction in recent years, including rocker Steven Tyler and Scottish actor Gerard Butler, who ...
Tue, March 13, 2012
Regeneron says eye drug capturing Roche patients
By Ransdell Pierson
(Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said surveys suggest its Eylea treatment for macular degeneration is capturing 60 percent of its sales from ...
Tue, March 13, 2012
Court lets two CVS stores sell controlled drugs
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An appeals court ruled that CVS Caremark Corp may continue selling potentially addictive prescription drugs at two Florida pharmacies ...
Tue, March 13, 2012
FDA panel says pain drug trials should continue
By Anna Yukhananov
(Reuters) - A panel of advisers on Monday voted unanimously that companies such as Pfizer Inc and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc should be ...
Tue, March 13, 2012
FDA accepts Cornerstone's metabolic disorder drug application
(Reuters) - Cornerstone Therapeutics said U.S. health regulators have accepted the specialty pharmaceutical company's marketing application for its drug to treat low blood ...
Tue, March 13, 2012
Illinois State Police Make Drug Bust
Illinois State Police found themselves in an unexpected drug bust during a routine traffic stop last week. Police say that 35-year-old Jason Dipietro of ...
Mon, March 12, 2012
Pfizer says Europe undermining drug innovation
By Kate Kelland and Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Europe is undermining drug innovation by cutting prices, raising barriers to new medicines and freeloading" off ...
Mon, March 12, 2012
Miller's fears over L.A.'s 'drug culture'
A number of high-profile stars have succumbed to prescription drug addiction in recent years, including rocker Steven Tyler and Scottish actor Gerard Butler, who ...
Mon, March 12, 2012
FDA panel says pain drug trials should continue
By Anna Yukhananov
(Reuters) - A panel of advisers on Monday voted unanimously that companies such as Pfizer Inc and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc should be ...
Mon, March 12, 2012
Former Mexico drug kingpin's nephew pleads guilty in Texas
By Jared Taylor
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (Reuters) - The nephew of a powerful former Mexican drug cartel chief admitted on Monday to a drug trafficking conspiracy ...
Mon, March 12, 2012
Fake Avastin shows little protection of drug supply
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - As drug counterfeiters step up their sales of bogus medicines, global health regulators have few protections in place ...
Mon, March 12, 2012
Sihuan prepares anti-hypertension drug for clinical trial in China
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese drugmaker Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd has registered its anti-hypertensive drug with the country's drug regulator and hopes to ...
Sun, March 11, 2012
Fake Avastin shows very little protects drug supply
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - As drug counterfeiters step up their sales of bogus medicines, global health regulators have few protections in place ...
Thu, March 08, 2012
Georgia Senate OKs drug tests for welfare applicants
By David Beasley
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Adults applying for welfare in Georgia would have to pass a drug test before receiving benefits under a bill ...
Thu, March 08, 2012
Georgia Senate OKs drug tests for welfare applicants
By David Beasley
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Adults applying for welfare in Georgia would have to pass a drug test before receiving benefits under a bill ...
Thu, March 08, 2012
J&J prostate cancer drug improves survival
(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's prostate cancer drug Zytiga improved survival in patients who have not received chemotherapy in a late-stage study.
An independent data monitoring committee recommended that patients receiving a placebo in the trial be offered treatment with Zytiga, the company said in a statement.
Thursday's data sent shares of Medivation Inc, which is also developing a prostate cancer pill that works by targeting the same hormone that Zytiga targets, up 9 percent.
However, shares of Dendreon Corp fell 16 percent. Dendreon makes a prostate cancer vaccine, Provenge, that has a different mechanism of action.
(Reporting by Kavyanjali Kaushik and Esha Dey in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
Wed, March 07, 2012
Alexion drug offers hope for rare, deadly disorder
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - An experimental therapy for a rare, often fatal genetic disorder appears to offer hope for infants and very ...
Wed, March 07, 2012
Gilead Quad HIV drug causes fewer side effects
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Full details from a pivotal trial of Gilead Sciences Inc experimental Quad HIV pill show that it caused fewer adverse side effects ...
Tue, March 06, 2012
FDA approves Discovery Lab's lung drug, shares soar
By Anand Basu
(Reuters) - Discovery Laboratories Inc said U.S. health regulators have approved its drug to prevent a breathing disorder in premature infants ...
Tue, March 06, 2012
FDA approves Discovery Lab's lung drug
(Reuters) - Discovery Laboratories Inc said U.S. health regulators have approved its drug to prevent a breathing disorder in premature infants.
The company expects ...
Tue, March 06, 2012
Navy to begin alcohol, drug tests for navy sailors
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said on Monday it will begin breathalyzer tests for many sailors and random testing for synthetic drugs after ...
Tue, March 06, 2012
Navy to begin alcohol, drug tests for may sailors
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said on Monday it will begin breathalyzer tests for many sailors and random testing for synthetic drugs after ...
Mon, March 05, 2012
Navy to begin alcohol, drug tests for may sailors
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said on Monday it will begin breathalyzer tests for many sailors and random testing for synthetic drugs after ...
Mon, March 05, 2012
Wyoming kidney failure outbreak linked to "Spice" drug
By Laura Zuckerman
(Reuters) - Three young people have been hospitalized with kidney failure and a dozen others sickened in Casper, Wyoming, in an outbreak ...
Sun, March 04, 2012
Assistant pleads guilty to drug charges in Uganda
Kathryn Fuller was travelling in the war-torn country with Rice when they were allegedly sold tainted cocaine by a local cab driver last month ...
Fri, March 02, 2012
U.S. cops in shoot out with Mexico drug gang across Rio Grande
By Jared Taylor
(Reuters) - U.S. Border Patrol agents and Mexican drug traffickers fought a gun battle across the Rio Grande river in south ...
Thu, March 01, 2012
U.S. police bust Arizona-Mexico drug tunnel, seize marijuana
PHOENIX (Reuters) - U.S. police in Nogales, Arizona, uncovered a drug-smuggling tunnel from Mexico, the latest of more than 20 illicit passageways found under ...
Thu, March 01, 2012
Global drug industry tightens anti-corruption code
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - The global pharmaceutical industry is tightening its code of practice in a bid to stamp out bribery and corruption ...
Thu, March 01, 2012
Mask may help curb drug-resistant tuberculosis
By Kerry Grens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Having tuberculosis patients wear a surgical mask all day cuts the likelihood of them transmitting the infection ...
Thu, March 01, 2012
HIV rate among US intravenous drug users falls: CDC
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - HIV infections among intravenous drug users in the United States have fallen by half in the past decade, but ...
Thu, March 01, 2012
Global drug industry tightens anti-corruption code
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - The global pharmaceutical industry is tightening its code of practice in a bid to stamp out bribery and corruption ...
Wed, February 29, 2012
Dainippon to buy U.S. bio-venture in cancer-drug push
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co said on Wednesday that it will buy U.S.-based Boston Biomedical Inc for $200 million ...
Mon, February 27, 2012
Napolitano defends U.S. drug war in face of legalization debate
By Ioan Grillo and David Alire Garcia
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano defended Washington's drug war strategy on Monday ...
Mon, February 27, 2012
Glaxo recalls hypertension drug made at Novartis plant
(Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline has recalled 394,230 bottles of its DynaCirc CR hypertension drug from the U.S. market after the manufacturer, Novartis, reported inconsistent ...
Mon, February 27, 2012
FDA rejects Watson/Columbia premature birth drug
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have rejected a vaginal gel from Watson Pharmaceuticals and Columbia Laboratories aimed at reducing the risk of premature birth ...
Fri, February 24, 2012
Braun, MLB at odds over drug-testing process
By Larry Fine
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ryan Braun's 50-game ban for a positive drug test was reversed over procedural mistakes but the Milwaukee ...
Thu, February 23, 2012
Ryan Braun wins appeal of failed drug test
NEW YORK (WTAQ) - Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun became the first major-league player to have a positive drug test overturned Thursday.
The reigning National ...
Thu, February 23, 2012
Report: Braun wins appeal of drug test
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WSAU) – Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun has reportedly won an appeal of his positive drug test and will not be suspended for ...
Fri, February 17, 2012
FDA approves Corcept's hormone disorder drug
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators approved Corcept Therapeutics's Korlym, the first drug designed to treat a rare hormonal disorder called Cushing's syndrome ...
Fri, February 17, 2012
Few RA clinical trials compare one drug to another
By Kerry Grens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - To test whether a new drug is an improvement over existing treatments, the ideal clinical trial would ...
Fri, February 17, 2012
FDA approves Corcept's hormonal disorder drug
(Reuters) - U.S. regulators approved Corcept Therapeutics's drug to treat a rare hormonal disorder called Cushing's syndrome.
The U.S. Food and ...
Fri, February 17, 2012
Modest hope for FDA approval of Vivus obesity drug
By Anna Yukhananov
(Reuters) - Hopes were raised slightly on Friday that U.S. health regulators could approve a weight-loss pill for the first time ...
Thu, February 16, 2012
Sanofi recalls some Fludara chemotherapy drug
(Reuters) - Sanofi said it has recalled some of its drug Fludara, a chemotherapy agent, due to quality control problems. The drug is used to ...
Wed, February 15, 2012
Doctors scour drug supplies after fake Avastin found
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. distributor of phony vials of the widely-used cancer drug Avastin aroused suspicion at doctor's ...
Wed, February 15, 2012
BioCryst hep C drug shows promise, shares jump
(Reuters) - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental hepatitis C drug showed promise in preclinical studies, sending its shares up as much as 16 percent ...
Wed, February 15, 2012
Counterfeits of cancer drug Avastin found in U.S.
(Reuters) - Counterfeit versions of Roche's multi-billion cancer drug Avastin have been distributed in the United States, the Swiss drugmaker and its U.S ...
Wed, February 15, 2012
Counterfeits of cancer drug Avastin found in U.S.
(Reuters) - Counterfeit versions of Roche's multi-billion cancer drug Avastin have been distributed in the United States, the Swiss drugmaker and its U.S ...
Tue, February 14, 2012
Counterfeits of Roche cancer drug found in U.S.
(Reuters) - Counterfeit versions of Roche's multi-billion cancer drug Avastin have been distributed in the United States, the Swiss drugmaker and its U.S ...
Tue, February 14, 2012
Drug shortage bill may ride U.S. highway legislation
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The recent shortage of a critical medicine for childhood cancer has prompted U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar to attach ...
Tue, February 14, 2012
Drug shortage bill may ride highway legislation
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The recent shortage of a critical medicine for childhood cancer has prompted Senator Amy Klobuchar to attach her bill ...
Tue, February 14, 2012
Cause of deaths unclear in Actelion drug trial
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss biotech group Actelion Ltd said it does not yet know what caused the deaths of 120 people on a late-stage trial ...
Tue, February 14, 2012
Pfizer says its drug is best hope for Alzheimer's
By Ransdell Pierson
(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc research chief Mikael Dolsten said the company's experimental treatment for Alzheimer's disease is the drug industry ...
Thu, February 09, 2012
Eighty arrested in drug bust called biggest ever in Colorado
By Keith Coffman
DENVER (Reuters) - At least 80 people have been arrested in what federal, state and local law enforcement officials on Thursday called ...
Thu, February 09, 2012
FDA sets draft rules for biotech drug copies
By Deena Beasley
(Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration's long-awaited guidelines for the sale of lower-cost versions of biotechnology drugs leave open the ...
Thu, February 09, 2012
FDA panel rejects Eisai's leukemia drug
(Reuters) - An independent advisory panel to the U.S. health regulator said that Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co Ltd's Dacogen did not show a ...
Wed, February 08, 2012
FDA panel votes against wider use of Amgen drug
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An advisory panel on Wednesday recommended that U.S. health regulators reject the use of Amgen Inc's drug ...
Wed, February 08, 2012
Spanish federation to sue French TV over Nadal drug skit
MADRID (Reuters) - The Spanish tennis federation (RFET) plan to sue French TV broadcaster Canal+ over a sketch which appeared to imply world number two ...
Wed, February 08, 2012
Two Arrested in Vincennes Drug Bust
A routine traffic stop in Vincennes turned into a major drug bust resulting in two arrests. Indiana State Police stopped a vehicle near 9 ...
Tue, February 07, 2012
CVS gets restraining order in drug abuse probe
(Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday granted CVS Caremark Corp
Tue, February 07, 2012
Sanofi profit faces 15 percent hit from cheap drug copies
By Elena Berton
PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said on Wednesday that its earnings could drop by up to 15 percent this year as ...
Tue, February 07, 2012
Roche breast cancer drug gets FDA priority review
(Reuters) - Health regulators granted a priority review for an experimental Roche breast cancer drug that in clinical trials added six months to the time ...
Mon, February 06, 2012
Diet supplements recalled on unlabeled drug worries
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Healthy People Co is recalling 15 lots of seven different dietary supplements because they contain appetite suppressants or a drug for male ...
Mon, February 06, 2012
DEA raids 2 CVS pharmacies in drug abuse probe
By Barbara Liston and Toni Clarke
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - The Drug Enforcement Administration said on Monday it raided two CVS pharmacies over the weekend ...
Mon, February 06, 2012
Orexigen, FDA agree on trial design for obesity drug
(Reuters) - Orexigen Therapeutics Inc said it reached an agreement with U.S. health regulators on the design of a heart-safety trial required for the ...
Fri, February 03, 2012
Police bust Arizona-Mexico drug ring, arrest 12
BISBEE, Arizona (Reuters) - Police in southern Arizona have broken up a drug trafficking network that smuggled more than 15 tons of marijuana and cocaine ...
Thu, February 02, 2012
French drug regulator searched in Mediator case
PARIS (Reuters) - Investigators searched the offices of French healthcare regulator Afssaps on Thursday in connection with a case involving the anti-diabetes drug Mediator, which ...
Wed, February 01, 2012
Lilly Alzheimer's drug an unlikely ace in the hole
By Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A treatment for Alzheimer's disease is the drug industry's longest shot, and any brave investors willing ...
Wed, February 01, 2012
FDA panel to discuss Arena obesity drug in 2nd quarter
(Reuters) - An FDA advisory committee will meet in the second quarter to discuss Arena Pharmaceutical Inc's experimental obesity drug following the company's ...
Tue, January 31, 2012
California women sentenced in toys for drug money scheme
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two sisters were sentenced to over three years in prison on Tuesday after a California judge found they laundered money for ...
Tue, January 31, 2012
Police nab Mexican drug boat north of Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Police seized a motorboat packed with more than a ton of marijuana north of Los Angeles and arrested three Mexican men ...
Tue, January 31, 2012
Funding bill may address drug shortages-aides
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation aimed at relieving shortages of crucial drugs used to treat cancer and other illnesses may get momentum next ...
Tue, January 31, 2012
Medivation prostate cancer drug well-tolerated in trial
By Deena Beasley
(Reuters) - Medivation Inc's experimental prostate cancer pill caused fewer serious side effects in clinical trial patients than a placebo treatment ...
Tue, January 31, 2012
FDA approves Vertex cystic fibrosis drug, shares jump
By Anna Yukhananov and Bill Berkrot
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Health regulators approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Kalydeco, the first drug designed to treat the underlying ...
Tue, January 31, 2012
FDA approves Vertex cystic fibrosis drug, shares jump
By Anna Yukhananov and Bill Berkrot
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Health regulators approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Kalydeco, the first drug designed to treat the underlying ...
Mon, January 30, 2012
Experts want suicide risk warning on ADHD drug
By Anna Yukhananov
GAITHERSBURG, Maryland (Reuters) - Children who take a common drug for attention deficit disorder should be warned about the risk of suicidal ...
Mon, January 30, 2012
FDA approves Roche skin cancer drug
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators on Monday approved Roche's pill to treat an advanced form of the most common form of skin cancer ...
Mon, January 30, 2012
Cell Therapeutics withdraws cancer drug application
(Reuters) - Cell Therapeutics Inc said on Monday it has voluntarily withdrawn the marketing application for its cancer drug, sending its shares down 17 percent ...
Mon, January 30, 2012
BTG's varicose-vein drug succeeds in U.S. study
By Paul Sandle
LONDON (Reuters) - British pharmaceutical firm BTG said the first of two U.S. trials of its varicose vein treatment Varisolve had ...
Fri, January 27, 2012
U.S. FDA approves Amylin's diabetes drug
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc won U.S. approval on Friday for its Bydureon diabetes drug, a long-awaited victory for the ...
Fri, January 27, 2012
Infinity stops cancer drug trial
By Anand Basu
(Reuters) - Infinity Pharmaceuticals pulled the plug on a mid-stage trial of its experimental pancreatic cancer drug as it failed to show ...
Wed, January 25, 2012
NY model tells of drug-fueled romp with De La Hoya
By Aman Ali
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Playboy model said on Wednesday she feared she would die while trapped in a luxury hotel room ...
Wed, January 25, 2012
FDA chides Celgene, Novartis on drug promotion
(Reuters) - Health regulators said drugmakers Celgene Corp and Novartis AG misrepresented their cancer drugs to doctors, overstating how well the medicines targeted tumors without ...
Wed, January 25, 2012
FDA fails to approve cholesterol drug for kidney disease
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators amended the prescribing label for Merck & Co's cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin to show it prevents ...
Wed, January 25, 2012
FDA label shows Merck cholesterol drug helps heart
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators amended the prescribing label for Merck & Co's cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin to show it prevents heart problems in patients with chronic kidney disease, but stopped short of approving its use for that purpose.
The decision means Merck cannot market Vytorin as a treatment for reducing the rate of heart problems in kidney patients, though it can discuss the new label with doctors.
Merck had asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve the new indication, and the company relayed the agency's decision on Wednesday.
"The final outcome is slightly disappointing, as many street observers had expected an actual new indication claim," Mark Schoenebaum, an analyst at ISI Group, said in a report.
Merck shares slipped 0.5 percent to $38.57 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange, slightly above a 0.7 percent dip in the Arca Pharmaceuticals Index.
Vytorin pairs a new type of cholesterol fighter Zetia, or ezetimibe, with Merck's older statin drug Zocor, or simvastatin.
Vytorin is already approved for lowering cholesterol, but the company had been hoping to expand its use to prevent stroke and other heart problems in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Chronic kidney disease affects about 14 percent of the U.S. population and puts people at a high risk of developing heart disease and having a stroke or heart attack.
The new labeling reflects the findings of the SHARP study, which showed Vytorin reduced the risk of major vascular problems in patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease.
It was the first randomized controlled study that showed statins can lower the rate of heart problems in kidney disease patients, Merck said.
However, because the study did not look at the individual contributions of Zetia and Zocor to the reduction in heart problems, the FDA did not approve a new indication for Vytorin or Zetia, Merck said.
Merck's patents on both Vytorin and Zetia expire in 2017. In 2010, Vytorin posted sales of $2 billion and Zetia reaped $2.3 billion.
(Additional reporting by Esha Dey in Bangalore; Editing by Derek Caney)
Mon, January 23, 2012
Stockpiled flu drug has "modest" benefits: reports
By Kerry Grens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - After billions of dollars worldwide have been spent stockpiling the anti-flu drug Tamiflu, two new reports cast ...
Fri, January 20, 2012
Arizona sting catches 2 officials in drug smuggling
By Tim Gaynor
PHOENIX (Reuters) - A U.S. Border Patrol agent and an Arizona jailer trapped in a sting operation have been arrested on ...
Fri, January 20, 2012
"Miss Bala" puts human face on Mexico's drug war
By Iain Blair
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In a ripped-from-the-headlines story, the new movie "Miss Bala," which opens in limited U.S. release on Friday ...
Fri, January 20, 2012
EU says Novartis MS drug needs heart monitoring
By Ben Hirschler and Katie Reid
LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency advised doctors to continuously monitor patients for six hours after giving ...
Fri, January 20, 2012
Drug lobby wants clearer FDA rules for diet pills
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The pharmaceutical industry may stop investing in medicines to treat diseases like diabetes or obesity without more explicit guidelines ...
Thu, January 19, 2012
Analysis: Goal for Alzheimer's drug by 2025 too ambitious?
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. government has set a deadline of 2025 for finding an effective way to treat or prevent ...
Thu, January 19, 2012
U.S. rebuffs AstraZeneca, Bristol on diabetes drug
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators need further clinical data, possibly including new clinical studies, before approving a new diabetes drug ...
Wed, January 18, 2012
Angel dust back in New York, drug ring busted
By Aman Ali
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Angel dust, the scourge of New York City in the 1970s, is back in the hands of drug ...
Tue, January 17, 2012
FDA approves BTG's drug for cancer toxicity
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators gave the nod on Tuesday to a drug from British specialty drugmaker BTG Plc that helps cancer patients ...
Tue, January 17, 2012
India doctor's claim of "totally" drug resistant TB disputed
HONG KONG (Reuters) - A tuberculosis strain among a dozen patients in India's financial hub and most populous city has been disputedly declared as ...
Fri, January 13, 2012
Cancer drug gets stronger label warning
(Reuters) - Seattle Genetics Inc said it found a second instance of a patient on its cancer drug Adcetris developing a deadly brain infection, prompting ...
Fri, January 13, 2012
Analysis: Investors likely to wait out 2012 drug launches
By Deena Beasley
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Burned by disappointing early sales for new, high-profile biotech medicines in 2011, healthcare investors are cautious ahead of ...
Fri, January 13, 2012
Novartis cuts 2,000 U.S. jobs after drug setback
By Katie Reid
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG plans to axe nearly 2,000 of its U.S. workforce ahead of the patent loss of ...
Tue, January 10, 2012
FDA says Merck's HIV drug gets generic threat
(Reuters) - Health regulators said they have received applications from generic drugmakers to make copycat versions of Merck & Co's HIV drug Isentress, GlaxoSmithKline's HIV drug Epivir and Bayer AG's birth control pill Beyaz.
However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not disclose the names of the generic drug applicants.
Isentress was first approved in 2007 for use in adult patients. Last month, the FDA expanded the label on the drug for use in children and adolescents.
Merck shares were trading almost flat at $38.58 on Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Reporting by Anand Basu in Bangalore; Editing by Supriya Kurane)
Mon, January 09, 2012
Heart attack risk seen with Boehringer clot drug
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa blood clot preventer has been associated with a slightly higher risk of heart attack or acute ...
Mon, January 09, 2012
Nebraska obtained execution drug legally: state official
OMAHA, Neb (Reuters) - Nebraska obtained its supply of a drug used in executions of death row inmates legally and executions should proceed, state Attorney ...
Mon, January 09, 2012
Heart attack risk seen with clot drug Pradaxa
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa blood clot preventer has been associated with a slightly higher risk of heart attack or acute ...
Mon, January 09, 2012
Heart attack risk seen with Boehringer clot drug
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa blood clot preventer has been associated with a slightly higher risk of heart attack or acute ...
Mon, January 09, 2012
Heart attack risk seen with Boehringer clot drug
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa blood clot preventer has been associated with a slightly higher risk of heart attack or acute ...
Mon, January 09, 2012
Vivus obesity drug may get broader label
(Reuters) - Vivus Inc said U.S. health regulators asked the company to remove a contraindication in the proposed label of its obesity drug Qnexa ...
Mon, January 09, 2012
Drug Recall On Popular OTC Drugs
Drug maker Novartis AG is recalling several popular over-the-counter drugs due to quality control concerns. The drugs include Excedrin, NoDoz, Bufferin and Gas-X. The ...
Fri, January 06, 2012
Biotech drug makers aim to extend brand dominance
By Deena Beasley
(Reuters) - Biotechnology companies, having outperformed the broader stock market in 2011, are for the first time bracing for competition from generic ...
Fri, January 06, 2012
Supreme Court to decide drug-detecting dog sniff case
By James Vicini
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday it would decide whether a sniff by a drug-detecting dog at ...
Fri, January 06, 2012
EU to set new biosimilar drug rules by mid-year
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - European regulators will detail the requirements for copies of multiple types of biotech drugs by mid-2012, setting the stage ...
Thu, January 05, 2012
Limit execution drug distribution: Docs to company
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - An international group of 25 doctors demanded on Friday that U.S.-based Hospira take action to prevent its ...
Thu, January 05, 2012
Police suspect former soldier in Utah police shooting
By James Nelson
OGDEN, Utah (Reuters) - Six police officers were shot, one fatally, when a gunman identified as a former U.S. soldier opened ...
Wed, January 04, 2012
Mexico drug lord pleads guilty to U.S. trafficking
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO, Calif (Reuters) - Once powerful Mexican drug lord Benjamin Arellano Felix pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court on ...
Wed, January 04, 2012
Police nab Mexican drug boat north of LA, arrest 10
(Reuters) - Police seized a Mexican motorboat loaded with more than a ton of marijuana north of Los Angeles early on Wednesday and arrested 10 ...
Wed, January 04, 2012
Mexico drug lord pleads guilty to U.S. trafficking
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO, California (Reuters) - Once-powerful Mexican drug lord Benjamin Arellano Felix pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court on Wednesday ...
Wed, January 04, 2012
Scientists say unreported drug data a health hazard
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Unreported data from early trials of experimental medicines in humans can result in harm to future patients and needless ...
Wed, January 04, 2012
Alnylam's drug reduces bad cholesterol in early study
(Reuters) - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc said an early-stage trial of its experimental cholesterol treatment showed the therapy reduced up to half the level of bad ...
Tue, January 03, 2012
Scientists say unreported drug data a health hazard
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Unreported data from early trials of experimental medicines in humans can result in harm to future patients and needless ...
Tue, January 03, 2012
Arena says addressed FDA concerns on weight loss drug
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday it submitted data to health regulators that should squash cancer concerns tied to the ...
Tue, January 03, 2012
Arena responds to FDA concerns on weight loss drug
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday it submitted an official response addressing safety concerns of U.S. health regulators over ...
Tue, January 03, 2012
Drug use not tied to mental decline in middle-age
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Middle aged adults whose memories have grown hazy can't blame occasional pot smoking or other light ...
Tue, January 03, 2012
Drug use not tied to mental decline in middle-age
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Middle aged adults whose memories have grown hazy can't blame occasional pot smoking or other light ...
Sun, January 01, 2012
Insight: Shortage of ADHD drug Adderall seen persisting
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - A shortage of Adderall, which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, shows little sign of easing as ...
Fri, December 23, 2011
Preventable drug reactions land vets in hospitals
By Andrew M. Seaman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Unexpected drug reactions land thousands of older veterans in hospitals every year, but a new study ...
Thu, December 22, 2011
Bristol-Myers liver cancer drug fails trial
(Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said on Thursday its liver cancer drug brivanib failed to meet the primary endpoint in a late-stage clinical trial.
Brivanib ...
Wed, December 21, 2011
Targeted drug side effects add to cancer costs
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Painful rashes and other skin-related side effects of newer targeted cancer drugs may jack up treatment costs ...
Wed, December 21, 2011
Merck gets approval for wider use of HIV drug
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have approved an expanded label for Merck & Co's treatment for HIV for use with other antiretroviral drugs in children and adolescents.
The safety and effectiveness of the drug was evaluated in a clinical trial of 96 children and adolescents of ages 2-18 years with HIV-1 infection, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.
The drug, Isentress, was first approved for use in adult patients in October 2007.
(Reporting by Shailesh Kuber in Bangalore; Editing by Don Sebastian)
Tue, December 20, 2011
U.S. authorities bust Mexico drug network in Arizona
TEMPE, Ariz (Reuters) - U.S. authorities have arrested 203 people and smashed a Mexican trafficking ring that funneled millions of dollars in drugs to ...
Tue, December 20, 2011
FDA to review Pfizer rheumatoid arthritis drug
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have accepted the application for Pfizer Inc's closely watched experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug, the drugmaker said on Tuesday ...
Tue, December 20, 2011
FDA looking into death of patient on Novartis' Gilenya
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said on Tuesday they received a report of a multiple sclerosis patient who died within 24 hours of taking ...
Fri, December 16, 2011
Drug helps prevent mountain sickness, herbs don't
By Lindsey Konkel
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- Acetazolamide, a drug commonly used to prevent acute mountain sickness, may reduce symptoms for some people who ...
Fri, December 16, 2011
Chicago Bears cut receiver Hurd after drug arrest
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago Bears said on Friday they will cut wide receiver Sam Hurd from the football team following his arrest on federal ...
Fri, December 16, 2011
Roche melanoma drug wins European green light
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - European regulators have recommended approval of a targeted melanoma drug from Swiss group Roche Holding AG, opening the way ...
Thu, December 15, 2011
German body questions InterMune drug, shares drop
By Zeba Siddiqui
(Reuters) - Shares of InterMune Inc fell as much as 30 percent on Thursday, after a German advisory body raised questions on ...
Thu, December 15, 2011
Chicago Bears player arrested on drug charge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chicago Bears wide receiver Samuel Hurd has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana, U ...
Tue, December 13, 2011
Experimental diet drug keeps weight off for 2 years
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An experimental diet drug seems to help some obese people shed pounds, and keep them off for two years, researchers ...
Tue, December 13, 2011
FDA panel backs Alexza drug with limits
U.S. drug advisers recommended approving an experimental treatment from Alexza Pharmaceuticals for calming down patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but placed restrictions ...
Mon, December 12, 2011
FDA panel backs Alexza drug with limits
U.S. drug advisers recommended approving an experimental treatment from Alexza Pharmaceuticals for calming down patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but placed restrictions ...
Mon, December 12, 2011
Takeda drug cuts myeloma death risk in 5-year study
By Bill Berkrot
(Reuters) - Takeda Pharmaceutical Co's Velcade reduced the risk of death by 31 percent when used in combination with standard medicines ...
Sun, December 11, 2011
Ariad leukemia drug helps 47 percent of patient: study
By Deena Beasley
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Early results from a pivotal trial of Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental leukemia drug ponatinib show it is ...
Sun, December 11, 2011
Pharmacyclics' blood cancer drug responses rise
By Deena Beasley
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Interim results from an early stage trial of Pharmacyclics Inc's experimental blood cancer drug show the number ...
Sun, December 11, 2011
Mexico drug gangs up ante with high-tech tunnels
By Rachel Uranga and Mica Rosenberg
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Reuters) - When architect Felipe de Jesus Corona built Mexico's most powerful drug lord a ...
Sat, December 10, 2011
Leukemia drug pulled from U.S. sparks new interest
By Deena Beasley
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A new study of leukemia drug Mylotarg, pulled from the U.S. market last year due to safety ...
Thu, December 08, 2011
FDA staff worried about lung risk with Alexza drug
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alexza Pharmaceutical's experimental drug for calming down patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can cause severe lung problems ...
Thu, December 08, 2011
FDA staff worried about lung risk with Alexza drug
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alexza Pharmaceutical's experimental drug for calming down patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can cause severe lung problems ...
Wed, December 07, 2011
FDA panel gives nod to Affymax drug for anemia
By Anna Yukhananov
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - A new Affymax Inc drug won expert backing to treat anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease ...
Wed, December 07, 2011
FDA panel backs Pfizer's drug for kidney cancer
By Anna Yukhananov
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc won unanimous expert backing for its Inlyta experimental drug for patients with advanced kidney cancer ...
Wed, December 07, 2011
FDA panel backs Pfizer's drug for kidney cancer
By Anna Yukhananov
SILVER SPRING, Md., Dec 7 - Pfizer Inc won unanimous expert backing for its Inlyta experimental drug for patients with advanced kidney ...
Tue, December 06, 2011
Sanofi announces positive results for diabetes drug
PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said a late-stage study of its lixisenatide drug in combination with Lantus insulin showed a significant improvement in blood ...
Mon, December 05, 2011
Pfizer cancer drug effect may be limited: FDA staff
(Reuters) - Slower tumor growth in kidney cancer patients taking Pfizer Inc's experimental drug, Inlyta, in a clinical trial was driven by a subset ...
Mon, December 05, 2011
FDA sees huge opportunities in opening up drug data
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Regulators and drugmakers need to find ways to make more clinical data openly available, since vital knowledge about fighting ...
Mon, December 05, 2011
FDA: Affymax anemia drug stacks up vs Amgen
(Reuters) - Drug reviewers found Affymax Inc's treatment for anemia in dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease to be as effective as market-leading drugs ...
Fri, December 02, 2011
Ex-Colorado sheriff hit with more charges in drug case
By Keith Coffman
DENVER (Reuters) - A former Colorado sheriff accused of trading methamphetamine for sex was charged on Friday with additional counts of soliciting ...
Fri, December 02, 2011
Court rejects Teva appeal over cholesterol drug Crestor
(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday refused to revive Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's patent infringement suit against AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP for the ...
Fri, December 02, 2011
Walgreen, others sue Pfizer over depression drug
By Jonathan Stempel
(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc and Teva Pharmceutical Industries Ltd were sued by Walgreen Co and four other large retailers, accused of violating ...
Thu, December 01, 2011
Walgreen, others sue Pfizer over depression drug
By Jonathan Stempel
(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc and Teva Pharmceutical Industries Ltd were sued by Walgreen Co and four other large retailers, accused of violating ...
Thu, December 01, 2011
Court rejects Teva appeal over cholesterol drug Crestor
(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday refused to revive Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's patent infringement suit against AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP for the ...
Thu, December 01, 2011
Lawmakers Pushing for Welfare Drug Tests
Indiana Republican lawmakers are attempting to put some tighter stipulations on welfarerecipients. Two legislators are pushing for random drug tests for those on welfare ...Wed, November 30, 2011
San Diego drug tunnel stands out for sophistication
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A drug smuggling tunnel that has been uncovered between San Diego and Tijuana stands out for its sophistication ...
Wed, November 30, 2011
Onetime "sheriff of the year" charged in Colorado drug case
By Keith Coffman
DENVER (Reuters) - A former Colorado sheriff who once was named national "sheriff of the year" made his first court appearance on ...
Tue, November 29, 2011
Bristol/Pfizer anti-clot drug gets fast FDA review
By Debra Sherman
(Reuters) - A promising new drug shown to be better than warfarin at preventing strokes in patients with a dangerously irregular heartbeat ...
Mon, November 28, 2011
Mexican truck driver jailed in drug tunnel conspiracy
SAN DIEGO, California (Reuters) - A U.S. judge jailed a Mexican truck driver for 15 years and 8 months on Monday for his role ...
Wed, November 23, 2011
Novartis eye drug suffers fresh rebuff in Britain
LONDON (Reuters) - Novartis's costly eye drug Lucentis has been rejected for another new use by Britain's health cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE, following a ...
Wed, November 23, 2011
UnitedHealth switches drug unit CEO amid expansion
(Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc has changed the leadership of its pharmacy benefit unit as the business readies for a major expansion that positions it ...
Tue, November 22, 2011
Peregrine's breast cancer drug shows promise in trial
(Reuters) - Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc said breast cancer patients taking its experimental combination therapy lived seven months longer than patients who received standard chemotherapy in ...
Tue, November 22, 2011
Pfizer to buy Excaliard Pharma for skin drug
(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc
Sun, November 20, 2011
Novartis unit pays $150 million to end drug-price dispute
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis' Sandoz unit has agreed to pay $150 million Swiss francs to settle claims it charged the U.S. and state governments ...
Fri, November 18, 2011
Amgen signs DaVita, Fresenius anemia drug deals
By Deena Beasley
(Reuters) - Amgen Inc, aiming to secure future sales of its flagship anemia drug Epogen as potential competition emerges, has reached new ...
Fri, November 18, 2011
Regeneron eye drug gets FDA nod
(Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said U.S. regulators approved its new drug for treating a common cause of blindness in the elderly, giving a boost ...
Fri, November 18, 2011
Amgen signs 7-year anemia drug contract with DaVita
(Reuters) - Amgen Inc reached a seven-year contract to supply DaVita Inc with nearly all of the anemia drugs needed by the dialysis clinic operator ...
Fri, November 18, 2011
Amgen signs 7-year anemia drug contract with DaVita
(Reuters) - Amgen Inc reached a seven-year contract to supply DaVita Inc with nearly all of the anemia drugs needed by the dialysis clinic operator ...
Fri, November 18, 2011
EU backs stroke prevention drug despite 256 deaths
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Doctors should exercise caution in using Boehringer Ingelheim's new stroke prevention pill Pradaxa, following 256 cases of fatal ...
Thu, November 17, 2011
Europe kickstarts R&D fightback against superbugs
By Ben Hirschler and Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Europe set out plans to boost research into the neglected area of antibiotics on Thursday by ...
Wed, November 16, 2011
Police find major drug tunnel under U.S.-Mexico border
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Police have discovered a "major cross-border drug tunnel" running to California from Mexico, and seized more than 17 ...
Wed, November 16, 2011
Police find major drug tunnel under U.S.-Mexico border
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Police have discovered a "major crossborder drug tunnel" running to California from Mexico, and seized 14 tons of marijuana, authorities said ...
Wed, November 16, 2011
Drug Raid Near Vincennes University
Vincennes City and University Police confiscated thousands of dollars worth of drugs and money after conducting a raid on an off campus apartment Tuesday ...Mon, November 14, 2011
Doctors group supports fight on drug shortages
By Alina Selyukh
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - The American Medical Association threw its support behind government efforts to ensure the supply of lifesaving medicines but ...
Wed, October 26, 2011
Hammond opens up about drug and alcohol battles
The former Saturday Night Live regular is sharing details about his personal life and abusive childhood in the book God, If You're Not ...
Wed, October 26, 2011
Perry talks drug control with government officials
The actor checked into rehab for the third time in May (11) in an ongoing battle with drug issues, and he is using his ...
Mon, October 24, 2011
Douglas' son pleads guilty to new drug charge
Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one count of cocaine ...
Sun, October 23, 2011
Douglas' son pleads guilty to new drug charge
Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one count of cocaine ...
Sat, October 22, 2011
Douglas' son pleads guilty to new drug charge
Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one count of cocaine ...
Thu, October 20, 2011
Soulja Boy Arrested For Drug Possession
Soulja Boy (DeAndre Cortez Way) was arrested early this morning for drug possession after the police found a ""substantial amount"" of marijuana, guns, and ...
Thu, October 13, 2011
FDA reviewers unconvinced on Teva Parkinson's drug
By Alina Selyukh
(Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's clinical trials of its Parkinson's drug Azilect left U.S. drug reviewers unconvinced that ...
Thu, October 13, 2011
Outkast rapper Big Boi to settle drug charges
MIAMI (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning Outkast rapper Big Boi will avoid jail time on drug charges in Florida if he passes several drug tests and ...
Thu, October 13, 2011
Anadys hep C drug shows promise in mid-stage trial
(Reuters) - Anadys Pharmaceuticals Inc said a mid-stage trial showed that over three-fourths of untreated hepatitis C patients receiving a combination of its drug setrobuvir ...
Wed, October 12, 2011
Border Patrol agent convicted of drug trafficking
By David Schwartz
PHOENIX (Reuters) - A U.S. Border Patrol agent caught with more than 700 pounds of marijuana inside his truck was convicted ...
Wed, October 12, 2011
Onyx settles claims with Bayer over cancer drug
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's Bayer and its U.S. development partner Onyx have reached a settlement over a contested sister compound to their potential ...
Tue, October 11, 2011
Cancer drug stent keeps leg arteries open: FDA staff
(Reuters) - U.S. medical device reviewers said a Cook Medical stent coated with a common cancer-fighting drug was safe and effective for treating clogged ...
Tue, October 11, 2011
FDA warns Bristol's leukemia drug may raise lung risks
(Reuters) - Health regulators warned on Tuesday that Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's leukemia drug Sprycel may raise the risk of a rare, but serious condition ...
Mon, October 10, 2011
Roche drug shows promise in early Alzheimer's
(Reuters) - An experimental drug being developed by Roche Holding AG removed amyloid plaques from the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients in a small ...
Mon, October 10, 2011
Tip Leads to Drug Arrest
Drugs land a Clay County man in jail. On Sunday, police were tipped off about a home being used to sell drugs in Brazil ...Fri, October 07, 2011
Exercise may offer drug-free migraine prevention
By Megan Brooks
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Regular aerobic exercise worked just as well as relaxation therapy or the antiepileptic drug topiramate in preventing ...
Fri, October 07, 2011
Zytiga creeps up on Provenge prostate-cancer drug
By Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Interest in Dendreon Corp's Provenge vaccine to treat prostate cancer seems to be waning following recent approval ...
Fri, October 07, 2011
Drug Tip Lands Students in Hot Water
Thu, October 06, 2011
Breast cancer drug tied to diabetes in older women
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older women taking the breast cancer drug tamoxifen may have an increased risk of developing diabetes, a ...
Tue, October 04, 2011
Boeing drug probe took four years to be thorough: official
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The federal drug raid on a Boeing plant that makes key U.S. military aircraft was the culmination of ...
Tue, October 04, 2011
Medicare prescription drug abuse a problem: GAO
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prescription drug abuse by elderly and disabled beneficiaries of Medicare cost the U.S. program nearly $150 million in 2008, highlighting an ...
Tue, October 04, 2011
Transcept gets shorter review on sleep drug
By Anand Basu
(Reuters) - Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc said health regulators granted a shorter review period of two months for its experimental sleep drug, reviving ...
Tue, October 04, 2011
Transcept gets shorter review on sleep drug
(Reuters) - Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc said health regulators granted a shorter review period of two months for its experimental sleep disorder drug, sending its shares ...
Mon, October 03, 2011
Targacept depression drug: high risk, high reward
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Targacept Inc, a small drugmaker that began life inside the bowels of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co, has for ...
Mon, October 03, 2011
Supreme Court won't review drug case text message search
By James Vicini
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a ruling that the police can search text messages from an arrested ...
Sun, October 02, 2011
Calif. insurer won't pay for breast cancer drug
(Reuters) - Health insurer Blue Shield of California has decided not to pay for Roche Holding's drug Avastin to treat breast cancer after health ...
Sun, October 02, 2011
Study finds early potential in GSK leukaemia drug
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists conducting early-stage research have found that a potential new drug from GlaxoSmithKline could treat mixed-lineage leukemia(MLL ...
Sun, October 02, 2011
Perry suggests U.S. military role in Mexico drug war
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry said on Saturday he would get the U.S. military involved in Mexico's war ...
Fri, September 30, 2011
Boeing arrest points to U.S. workplace drug problems
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The arrest of more than three dozen people on drug charges at a Boeing military aircraft plant highlights the ...
Fri, September 30, 2011
California desert drug bust nets $22.6 million in marijuana
By Mary Slosson
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A record 14 tons of marijuana, valued at over $22.6 million, was seized in the California desert ...
Fri, September 30, 2011
Safe drug-injection site can stay: Supreme Court of Canada
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Vancouver's Insite clinic, the only safe-injection site for drug addicts in North America, can stay open, the Supreme ...
Thu, September 29, 2011
Drug bust at Boeing aircraft plant in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Thirty-seven people were arrested on Thursday in a drug bust at a Boeing plant in Pennsylvania that makes military aircraft, with the ...
Thu, September 29, 2011
Boeing drug probe took four years to be thorough: officials
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The federal drug raid on a Boeing plant that makes key U.S. military aircraft was the culmination of ...
Thu, September 29, 2011
Some stroke patients not getting recommended drug
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Guidelines say that stroke sufferers with the heart-rhythm problem atrial fibrillation should take the clot-fighting drug warfarin ...
Wed, September 28, 2011
Old anti-smoking drug passes new test
By Gene Emery
(Reuters Health) - Cytisine, an extract from the seeds of the Golden Rain acacia that was first marketed in Bulgaria in 1964 ...
Wed, September 28, 2011
Analysis: Open-access R&D one answer to drug industry woes
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Drug companies are learning how to share.
In a bid to save both time and money, some of the ...
Tue, September 27, 2011
Mexican social media boom draws drug cartel attacks
NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico (Reuters) - Maria Macias used the Internet to denounce the brutality of local drugs lords in this Mexican border city until they ...
Tue, September 27, 2011
J&J sees continued supply shortages of cancer drug
(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson has told doctors it expects a limited supply of its Doxil cancer drug to become available within the next six weeks, but warned the amount would not be sufficient for all patients currently on waiting lists.
Supplies of the drug will fluctuate over the next several months as a contracted specialty manufacturer works to increase production, the company said in a Sept 23 letter posted on its website.
The specialty manufacturer will continue producing Doxil until J&J has transitioned to a new manufacturer, the company said.
The injectable drug, which had annual global sales of about $500 million as of July, is used to treat ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma.
In July, the company cautioned doctors not to begin treating patients with Doxil as it expected supply shortages of the drug because of production constraints at the contracted specialty manufacturer.
J&J's shares closed at $62.69 on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Reporting by Divya Sharma in Bangalore; Editing by Matt Driskill)
Tue, September 27, 2011
Novartis seeks approval for new smoker's cough drug
By Aaron Gray-Block
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis said it has applied to start selling its experimental drug to treat smoker's cough -- which ...
Mon, September 26, 2011
J&J sees continued supply shortages of cancer drug
(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson has told doctors it expects a limited supply of its Doxil cancer drug to become available within the next six weeks, but warned the amount would not be sufficient for all patients currently on waiting lists.
Supplies of the drug will fluctuate over the next several months as a contracted specialty manufacturer works to increase production, the company said in a Sept 23 letter posted on its website.
The specialty manufacturer will continue producing Doxil until J&J has transitioned to a new manufacturer, the company said.
The injectable drug, which had annual global sales of about $500 million as of July, is used to treat ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma.
In July, the company cautioned doctors not to begin treating patients with Doxil because its specialty manufacturer was moving out of the contract manufacturing business, which could cause shortages of the drug.
J&J's shares closed at $62.69 on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Reporting by Divya Sharma in Bangalore; Editing by Matt Driskill)
Sun, September 25, 2011
Novartis drug may help older breast cancer patients
By Kate Kelland
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Novartis's bone drug Zometa extended survival in older breast cancer patients but failed to improve disease-free survival among ...
Sun, September 25, 2011
Roche bone drug eases pain in prostate cancer trial
By Kate Kelland
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Roche's bone strengthening drug Boniva is as good for pain relief as single dose radiotherapy in patients whose ...
Sat, September 24, 2011
Roche says skin cancer drug substantially shrinks
By Kate Kelland
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A new skin cancer drug from Roche had "remarkable" results in a mid-stage trial, substantially shrinking tumors and lesions ...
Sat, September 24, 2011
Mexico drug quarterbacks aim for U.S. touchdown
By Jeffrey B. Miller
NOGALES, Ariz (Reuters) - To Mexican drug traffickers, the tall new steel fence now carving along the southern boundary of this ...
Fri, September 23, 2011
Large New Mexico drug ring busted, officials say
By Dennis J. Carroll
SANTA FE, N.M (Reuters) - Some 84 residents are facing drug charges in Roswell after a massive investigation into what ...
Fri, September 23, 2011
Bayer drug a "major new player" in prostate cancer
By Kate Kelland
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - An experimental drug from Germany's Bayer and Norwegian biotech Algeta that prolongs the lives of patients with advanced ...
Fri, September 23, 2011
Roche expects $10 billion sales for HDL drug
By Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The research chief of Roche Holding AG
Fri, September 23, 2011
Judge issues gag order in Jackson death trial
By Alex Dobuzinskis
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The judge in the manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor issued a sharply worded gag order for ...
Fri, September 23, 2011
FDA approves Alexion's rare blood disease drug
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators cleared on Friday an Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc drug for adults and children with a very rare genetic disorder, as ...
Thu, September 22, 2011
Drug company CEO denied state review of girlfriend's death
SACRAMENTO, Calif (Reuters) - California's attorney general has declined a request by pharmaceutical mogul Jonah Shacknai for a review of the police investigation that ...
Thu, September 22, 2011
FDA puts Immunomedics cancer drug trial on hold
(Reuters) - Immunomedics Inc said on Thursday that the U.S. health regulator put a partial hold on the company's pancreatic cancer drug trial ...
Tue, September 20, 2011
Sanofi CEO says drug industry undervalued
By Ransdell Pierson and Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sanofi SA's
Tue, September 20, 2011
Davis' drug charges dropped
The grandson of billionaire businessman Marvin Davis, who has appeared on U.S. reality TV show Celebrity Rehab, worked out an agreement to have ...
Mon, September 19, 2011
Gilead: Second trial of 4-drug AIDS pill meets goal
(Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc's four-drug experimental HIV pill worked as well as a regimen containing protease inhibitor Reyataz in the second pivotal trial ...
Mon, September 19, 2011
FDA clears Amgen bone drug for cancer patients
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators approved two new uses for Amgen Inc's osteoporosis drug Prolia, allowing it to be used for bone ...
Mon, September 19, 2011
Redmond O'Neal faces more prison time for rehab drug offence
O'Neal avoided jail time last month (Aug11) after he pleaded no contest to two felony counts, including heroin and firearms possession - because the ...
Sun, September 18, 2011
Amgen osteoporosis drug effective in study
(Reuters) - An Amgen Inc drug to treat osteoporosis in women increased bone mineral density (BMD), an important determinant of bone strength, the biotechnology company ...
Sun, September 18, 2011
Redmond O'Neal faces more prison time for rehab drug offence
O'Neal avoided jail time last month (Aug11) after he pleaded no contest to two felony counts, including heroin and firearms possession - because the ...
Sat, September 17, 2011
Redmond O'Neal faces more prison time for rehab drug offence
O'Neal avoided jail time last month (Aug11) after he pleaded no contest to two felony counts, including heroin and firearms possession - because the ...
Fri, September 16, 2011
U.S. to develop chip that tests if a drug is toxic
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. government researchers plan to design a chip that can check whether new drugs are toxic before they are tested in ...
Fri, September 16, 2011
Novartis drug helps in serious childhood arthritis
(Reuters) - Patients with the most serious form of childhood arthritis can get substantial symptom relief from a Novartis drug, researchers said on Friday, raising ...
Fri, September 16, 2011
Analysis: Biogen investors place bets ahead of MS drug trial
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Over the past year, Biogen Idec Inc has given investors little to complain about. The biotechnology company, operating under ...
Thu, September 15, 2011
Anti-nausea drug may pose risk to heart rhythm: FDA
BANGALORE (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said they are reviewing the safety of GlaxoSmithKline's anti-nausea drug Zofran to ascertain whether there is a ...
Thu, September 15, 2011
U.S. charges two in insider scheme on drug companies
By Basil Katz
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A filmmaker and a former human resources consultant were charged and arrested on Thursday with netting more than ...
Wed, September 14, 2011
Casey Anthony dad says Caylee died of drug overdose
By Alex Dobuzinskis
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The father of Casey Anthony said in a TV interview that aired on Wednesday he believes his daughter ...
Wed, September 14, 2011
Derma sees partner for new drug in first half 2012
By Anand Basu
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Derma Sciences Inc expects to find a deep-pocketed partner for its treatment for diabetes-induced foot ulcers in the ...
Wed, September 14, 2011
More U.S. doctors facing charges over drug abuse
By Terry Baynes
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's doctor, accused of killing the pop star with a powerful anesthetic, has joined a small ...
Tue, September 13, 2011
Three TSA agents arrested over interstate drug ring
CONWAY, Mass (Reuters) - Three Transportation Security Administration employees, a police officer and a state trooper were among 20 people arrested and accused of running ...
Mon, September 12, 2011
U.S. seeks to allay drug access concerns in TPP talks
By Doug Palmer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Monday sought to allay concerns that the U.S. push for stronger drug patent protections ...
Mon, September 12, 2011
Misunderstanding of drug approval common: study
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many people believe that drugs given the okay by the Food and Drug Administration are safer and ...
Mon, September 12, 2011
U.S. seeks to allay drug access concerns in TPP talks
By Doug Palmer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Monday sought to allay concerns that the U.S. push for stronger drug patent protections ...
Mon, September 12, 2011
FDA panel gives nod to Bayer/J&J anti-clot drug
By Anna Yukhananov
COLLEGE PARK, Maryland (Reuters) - A new stroke preventer from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson moved one step closer to U.S. approval, but questions remained about restrictions on labeling and the need for more studies.
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 9-2 on Thursday to recommend approval of the once-a-day anti-clotting pill, called Xarelto.
Xarelto is one of several promising entrants angling to replace warfarin for people with dangerously irregular heart rhythms, called atrial fibrillation (AF).
Warfarin is a problematic decades-old clot preventer originally developed as rat poison.
"I've seen the problems many patients face with warfarin," said Dr. Philip Sager, a panel member and executive committee member of the Cardiac Safety Research Consortium in San Francisco. "I think there's a tremendous unmet medical need for new therapies."
Analysts estimate the stroke-fighting market could top $10 billion annually. Xarelto may lose out on market share if the FDA asks the company to conduct further trials, delaying approval, analysts said.
AF patients' irregular heartbeats can cause blood to pool, increasing their risk of blood clots and strokes. But many are unwilling to take warfarin, which requires regular blood tests, or are unable to tolerate it.
Panelists were divided on whether Xarelto, with the clinical name rivaroxaban, was as effective as warfarin.
In clinical trials that compared Xarelto to warfarin, panelists and the FDA said the older drug was not always given in the proper dosing, making it more difficult to determine if Xarelto was just as good.
"I've heard nothing that convinces me that rivaroxaban should be first-line treatment for many patients," said Allan Coukell, the consumer representative on the panel and director for medical safety at Pew Health Group, adding that Xarelto's label should reflect that.
Earlier this week, FDA reviewers said for conditions such as stroke, which can cause irreversible harm, new drugs must be shown to be at least as effective as older treatments, and called for the agency to delay Xarelto's approval.
In Thursday's meeting, panel members also focused on risks for patients when they come off the drug. Patients who stopped taking Xarelto and resumed warfarin at the end of the main clinical trial had a higher risk of stroke, a so-called "rebound" effect.
"Additional data probably should be obtained regarding how to transition (off of Xarelto) prior to approval," said Dr. Michael Lincoff, chair of the panel and professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
DELAY IN APPROVAL?
The FDA is set to make the final decision on Xarelto by November 4, Johnson & Johnson said.
"Given the relatively risk-adverse nature of the FDA, even with this panel's recommendation of Xarelto, the agency may want a number of additional studies" before granting approval, said Morningstar analyst Damien Conover.
"So there could be a one-to-two-year delay," he predicted, saying that would greatly hurt the drug's ultimate sales potential.
He said the FDA might be willing to take its time because another effective blood clot preventer, Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa, was approved last year and is already available as an alternative to warfarin.
Conover said he had expected Xarelto to eventually capture 15 percent of the stroke-prevention market among AF patients, but he now expects its market share to be below 10 percent.
Dr Peter Dibattiste, global head of J&J's cardiovascular and metabolic division, said the company will discuss with the FDA the need for additional studies. A study looking at how long Xarelto lasted in patients could be relatively quick, "probably months," he told reporters.
A delay for Xarelto could give the edge to a rival treatment called Eliquis being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer Inc. If Eliquis is approved, Morningstar's Conover predicted, it could have four times the sales of Xarelto.
Eliquis, also called apixaban, showed superiority over warfarin in effectiveness, safety and saving lives in a clinical trial presented last month at a scientific meeting in Paris, affirming its place as the potential leader of the pack.
Xarelto is approved in the United States and Europe for anti-clotting in patients after knee and hip surgery, a much smaller market than stroke prevention for AF patients.
Earlier this week, analysts from Sanford Bernstein forecast Xarelto sales of $948 million for J&J in 2015, and 800 million euros ($1.1 billion) for Bayer, which has much greater sales outside the United States.
Bayer said it sees peak sales of Xarelto at more than 2 billion euro ($2.8 billion), "irrespective of the decision by the FDA in early November," according to a statement.
Bayer, which co-developed the drug with J&J, sold exclusive U.S. marketing rights for Xarelto to J&J in 2005. As part of that agreement Bayer stands to receive royalty payments of up to 30 percent on U.S. sales.
Bayer said it expects approval of Xarelto in Europe in the third or fourth quarter of this year.
(Additional reporting by Ransdell Pierson in New York and Ludwig Baker in Frankfurt; editing by Bernard Orr, Gary Hill, Dave Zimmerman)
(This ...
Fri, September 09, 2011
U.S. says no deal cut with accused Mexico drug kingpin
CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors denied on Friday striking a deal with an accused Mexican drug trafficker who said he was a confidential informant ...
Fri, September 09, 2011
U.S. says no deal struck with accused Mexico drug kingpin
CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Friday denied striking a deal with an accused Mexican drug trafficker who says he was a confidential informant ...
Fri, September 09, 2011
Family disputes cause of drug company CEO girlfriend's death
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The ex-husband and relatives of the woman found hanged, bound and nude at the mansion of a wealthy ...
Fri, September 09, 2011
Family dispute cause of drug company CEO girlfriend's death
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The ex-husband and relatives of the woman found hanged, bound and nude at the mansion of a wealthy ...
Thu, September 08, 2011
FDA panel gives nod to Bayer/J&J anti-clot drug
COLLEGE PARK, Maryland (Reuters) - A new stroke preventer from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson moved one step closer to U.S. approval, but questions remained about restrictions on labeling and the need for more studies.
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 9-2 on Thursday to recommend approval of the once-a-day anti-clotting pill, called Xarelto.
Xarelto is one of several promising entrants angling to replace warfarin for people with dangerously irregular heart rhythms, called atrial fibrillation (AF).
Warfarin is a problematic decades-old clot preventer originally developed as rat poison.
"I've seen the problems many patients face with warfarin," said Dr. Philip Sager, a panel member and executive committee member of the Cardiac Safety Research Consortium in San Francisco. "I think there's a tremendous unmet medical need for new therapies," Sager said.
Analysts estimate the stroke-fighting market could top $10 billion annually.
AF patients' irregular heartbeats can cause blood to pool, increasing their risk of blood clots and strokes. But many are unwilling to take warfarin, which requires regular blood tests, or are unable to tolerate it.
Panelists were divided on whether Xarelto was as effective as warfarin.
In clinical trials that compared Xarelto to warfarin, panelists and the FDA said the older drug was not always given in the proper dosing, making it more difficult to determine if Xarelto was just as good.
Earlier this week, FDA reviewers said for conditions such as stroke, which can cause irreversible harm, new drugs must be shown to be at least as effective as older treatments.
They also focused on risks for patients when they come off the drug. When patients stopped taking Xarelto and resumed warfarin at the end of the main clinical trial, higher risk of stroke was seen, a so-called "rebound" effect.
"Additional data probably should be obtained regarding how to transition (off of Xarelto) prior to approval," said Dr. Michael Lincoff, chair of the panel and professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
The FDA is set to make the final decision on Xarelto in early November, Johnson & Johnson said.
The drug is approved in the United States and Europe for anti-clotting in patients after knee and hip surgery, a much smaller market than stroke prevention for AF patients.
(Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; editing by Bernard Orr)
Wed, September 07, 2011
ACLU sues over Florida drug tests for aid applicants
By Michael Peltier
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - A new Florida law that requires low-income parents to pass drug tests before receiving public aid constitutes an ...
Wed, September 07, 2011
J&J's prostate cancer drug approved in EU
LONDON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's prostate cancer drug Zytiga has been approved in the European Union, paving the way for the launch of a ...
Wed, September 07, 2011
UK watchdog changes mind to back bone cancer drug
LONDON(Reuters) - Britain's health costs watchdog NICE has decided to back Japanese drugmaker Takeda's bone cancer drug Mepact after re-assessing the impact ...
Tue, September 06, 2011
Vertex rheumatoid arthritis drug meets study goals
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental oral drug for rheumatoid arthritis met the main goals of a mid-stage study.
Vertex's ...
Tue, September 06, 2011
Bayer, J&J stroke drug not ready for approval: FDA
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug regulators said an experimental stroke preventer from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson is not ready for approval and raised ...
Tue, September 06, 2011
Positive hep C drug results boost Pharmasset shares
(Reuters) - Pharmasset Inc said its hepatitis C shot showed positive results in a trial involving patients who have not been previously treated for the ...
Tue, September 06, 2011
Superbug structure model seen boosting drug
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have deciphered the structure of NDM-1, an enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to even the most powerful class of antibiotics, and ...
Tue, September 06, 2011
Bayer/J&J stroke drug not ready for approval-US FDA
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators said an experimental stroke preventer from Bayer
"There is a lack of substantial evidence that rivaroxaban will have its desired effect when used as recommended in labeling," Food and Drug Administration staff in documents released on Tuesday.
The FDA staff recommended that the agency issue a so-called complete response letter for the drug, also known by its proposed trade name Xarelto, which means it cannot be approved without more data from the companies.
Even if approved, the agency staff said the drug should be used as a third option behind other treatments, unless the companies submit more data on effectiveness and safety.
"The wording is quite critical," said Karl-Heinz Scheunemann, an analyst with LBBW. "Should the committee agree with the recommendation - which is not always the case - it's safe to assume that there will be a delay in the market approval."
The FDA will make its final decision after taking into account the views of an advisory panel, which considers Xarelto on Thursday.
Xarelto is one of several promising entrants angling to replace risky clot preventer warfarin for people with dangerously irregular heart rhythms, called atrial fibrillation (AF).
AF patients' irregular heartbeats can cause blood to pool, increasing their risk of blood clots and strokes. But many are unwilling to take warfarin, which requires regular blood tests, or are unable to tolerate the decades-old medicine.
Bayer shares fell as much as 13 percent before paring losses. J&J shares were mostly flat on a down day for U.S. markets. Bayer, a smaller company than Johnson & Johnson, is more reliant on Xarelto.
The drug is approved in the United States and Europe for anti-clotting in patients after knee and hip surgery, a much smaller market than stroke prevention for AF patients.
Atlantic Equities analyst Richard Purkiss said Xarelto's prospects have now significantly dimmed. Even if approved, Purkiss said, the drug will now likely only be used if patients do not benefit from warfarin and Pradaxa, a newly approved stroke medicine from privately held Boehringer Ingelheim.
The FDA review appeared to be good news for a rival treatment called Eliquis being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb
Pfizer shares were up 0.7 percent, while Bristol-Myers was up 0.4 percent, with both stocks were outperforming the broader U.S. market and the Arca Pharmaceuticals Index <.DRG>.
Eliquis, also called apixaban, showed superiority over warfarin in effectiveness, safety and saving lives in a clinical trial presented last month at a scientific meeting in Paris, affirming its place as the potential leader of the pack.
"The prospects for apixaban and Pradaxa just got better," Purkiss said after the Xarelto review.
THIRD-LINE STATUS?
FDA reviewers questioned whether Xarelto was as effective as warfarin, saying that in a trial comparing the two, warfarin was not given in the proper dosing.
They said for conditions such as stroke, which can cause irreversible harm, new drugs must be shown to be at least as effective as older treatments.
They also focused on risks for patients when they come off the drug. When patients stopped taking Xarelto and resumed warfarin at the end of the main clinical trial, higher risk of stroke was seen, a so-called "rebound" effect.
However, bleeding risk was the only significant issue with Xarelto on its own, the FDA staff said.
They asked the companies to conduct further trials to show Xarelto was as safe and effective as warfarin, or as compared to Pradaxa.
"It seems advisable to make rivaroxaban a third-line agent, behind both warfarin and dabigatran (Pradaxa)," FDA staff said in the documents, until the companies submit more data on Xarelto.
Johnson & Johnson said the FDA staff documents did not represent the agency's final recommendation.
"We're confident in the effectiveness of rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in patients with AF," said Ernie Knewitz, a spokesman for J&J. The two companies co-developed the drug, and J&J has marketing rights in the United States.
Analysts from Sanford Bernstein forecast Xarelto sales of $948 million for J&J in 2015, and 800 million euros ($1.1 billion) for Bayer, which has much greater sales outside the United States.
They said the market overreacted in its initial sharp drop, especially as European regulators often reach different conclusions than the FDA.
"We accept ... that the reviewers in this case are unusually directive, recommending a complete response rather than simply raising questions," Bernstein analysts said in a note.
"(But) all is not lost for Xarelto in the advisory committee on Thursday," the analysts said. "Panels do not always follow the recommendations of the FDA reviewers."
(Additional reporting by Ransdell Pierson and Lewis Krauskopf in New York, and Ludwig Baker in Frankfurt; Editing by Derek Caney, John Wallace ...
Mon, September 05, 2011
Researchers find possible drug target for PTSD
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - People with post-traumatic stress disorder appear to have lower levels of a specific kind of brain chemical known as ...
Fri, September 02, 2011
Death of drug company CEO's girlfriend ruled suicide
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The death of a woman found hanged, bound and nude in July at the estate of a prominent ...
Fri, September 02, 2011
Vikings' Williams banned two games for drug violation
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams has been suspended for the first two games of the 2011 season for violating the ...
Fri, September 02, 2011
Death of drug company exec's girlfriend ruled suicide
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A woman found hanged, bound and nude at the estate of a prominent pharmaceutical executive in July -- two days after the ...
Fri, September 02, 2011
Death of drug company executive's girlfriend ruled suicide
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A woman found hanged bound and nude at the estate of a prominent pharmaceutical executive in July -- two days after the ...
Fri, September 02, 2011
Bayer, J&J clot drug seen winning U.S. panel nod
By Anna Yukhananov and Ransdell Pierson
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - An experimental stroke preventer from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson is likely to win a recommendation from U.S. health advisers next week, but not without concern over risks seen when patients come off the drug.
A key issue for the Food and Drug Administration advisers may be the so-called rebound effect of the medicine Xarelto. When patients stopped taking it and resumed older drug warfarin, higher risk of stroke was seen in trials.
"We think the FDA advisory panel will be concerned that there's a 'rebound' effect with discontinuing Xarelto," Wells Fargo analysts said in a research note on Thursday. "However, our consultants do not believe this will be a deal breaker."
Xarelto's shortcomings may also relegate it to second place in the marketplace behind a rival treatment being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Pfizer Inc, in an anti-clotting market that could top $10 billion a year, analysts say.
The advisory panel is set to consider the data on Xarelto next Thursday, after the FDA releases its initial findings on the drug on Tuesday.
"Key opinion leaders expect a panel recommendation for Xarelto, but not without controversy," analysts at Leerink Swann wrote in a note on Thursday.
The FDA usually follows the advice of its advisory panels, and Xarelto could be approved by November if the pill wins support at the meeting.
Xarelto is one of several promising entrants angling to replace risky clot preventer warfarin for people with dangerously irregular heart rhythms, called atrial fibrillation (AF).
AF patients' irregular heartbeats can cause blood to pool, increasing their risk of blood clots and strokes. But many are unwilling to take warfarin, which requires regular blood tests, or are unable to tolerate the old medicine.
Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa is already approved in stroke prevention, while Eliquis, from Bristol-Myers and Pfizer, has so far shown the best clinical data, especially for reducing the risk of major bleeding.
RANKING THE COMPETITION
Jeff Jonas, an analyst with Gabelli & Co, predicted the advisory panel will recommend Xarelto because of its effectiveness and acceptable bleeding risk, and its advantages over warfarin.
"Xarelto will be overshadowed by apixaban (Eliquis), but it is going to be a decent drug and could generate $1 billion to $2 billion in annual sales, with the marketing muscle of J&J and Bayer," he said. Bristol and Pfizer plan to submit Eliquis for U.S. approval later this year for preventing stroke.
Another issue is some inconsistent data. A clinical trial last November showed Xarelto, known generically as rivaroxaban, was 21 percent better at preventing stroke in patients with AF compared with warfarin.
But when all those who entered the trial were evaluated, no superiority was established for Xarelto, a fact that is likely to come up in panel discussions.
"A superiority claim over warfarin ... is unlikely in our view and is not widely anticipated," said Barbara Ryan, analyst at Deutsche Bank, in a research note on Friday.
Panelists may also focus on the fact that warfarin was not used as effectively as it might have been in the study, making it more difficult to compare it with Xarelto.
Xarelto's advantage over rivals may come in its dosing, since it needs to be taken only once a day as opposed to twice for Eliquis and Pradaxa, a key factor for elderly patients taking multiple medications.
Gabelli & Co's Jonas said Eliquis is likely to capture 50 percent or more of the warfarin-replacement market, with Xarelto in second place comfortably ahead of Pradaxa.
"Pradaxa is being dismissed; it will be relatively small," he ...
Fri, September 02, 2011
De La Hoya considered suicide during drug battle
The retired fighter, nicknamed The Golden Boy, checked himself into a rehabilitation centre in California in May (11) to seek help for a substance ...
Fri, September 02, 2011
Astra's Crestor drug fails to beat Pfizer's Lipitor
By Paul Hoskins and Ben Hirschler
LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc's key cholesterol drug Crestor failed to beat Pfizer Inc's Lipitor in ...
Wed, August 31, 2011
Jamaican Christopher Coke admits to drug, racketeering crimes
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Accused Jamaican drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke pleaded guilty in a New York court on Wednesday to racketeering charges more than ...
Wed, August 31, 2011
Experimental obesity drug beats placebo again
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The experimental weight-loss drug lorcaserin may spur modest weight loss without the heart risks of some older ...
Tue, August 30, 2011
Google investor sues board over online drug ads
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc's board of directors faces a lawsuit for previously allowing Canadian pharmacies to advertise prescription drugs to U.S ...
Tue, August 30, 2011
Experimental obesity drug beats placebo again
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The experimental weight-loss drug lorcaserin may spur modest weight loss without the heart risks of some older ...
Tue, August 30, 2011
Lohan's mother seeking $5 million investment for drug movie
The Mean Girls star's mum heads up production company Defiant Pictures and she is working on a new drama called Growing Defiant, described ...
Mon, August 29, 2011
Lohan's mother seeking $5 million investment for drug movie
The Mean Girls star's mum heads up production company Defiant Pictures and she is working on a new drama called Growing Defiant, described ...
Sun, August 28, 2011
Lohan's mother seeking $5 million investment for drug movie
The Mean Girls star's mum heads up production company Defiant Pictures and she is working on a new drama called Growing Defiant, described ...
Sun, August 28, 2011
Roche cholesterol drug "fine" for blood pressure
By Ben Hirschler
PARIS (Reuters) - An experimental drug from Roche raised "good" HDL cholesterol substantially without increasing blood pressure, the problem that sank a ...
Sun, August 28, 2011
New Bristol, Pfizer clot drug saves lives in study
By Ben Hirschler
PARIS (Reuters) - An experimental anti-clotting drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer saved more lives than standard treatment warfarin in a major ...
Sat, August 27, 2011
Lohan's mother seeking $5 million investment for drug movie
The Mean Girls star's mum heads up production company Defiant Pictures and she is working on a new drama called Growing Defiant, described ...
Fri, August 26, 2011
Separate paths lead to promising cholesterol drug
By Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Discovery of one of the most promising cholesterol fighters in decades began in 1999 with Catherine Boileau, a ...
Fri, August 26, 2011
Insight: Next big drug against cholesterol takes shape
By Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A handful of drugmakers are racing to develop a new class of medicines they believe could be the ...
Fri, August 26, 2011
Lohan's mother seeking $5 million investment for drug movie
The Mean Girls star's mum heads up production company Defiant Pictures and she is working on a new drama called Growing Defiant, described ...
Fri, August 26, 2011
Waits fined, drug charges dropped
The former nightclub boss and Hilton were pulled over by cops while driving down the Las Vegas Strip last August (10) and officers smelled ...
Thu, August 25, 2011
U.S. indicts 13 in Caribbean drug ring bust
By Tom Brown
MIAMI (Reuters) - Thirteen people have been indicted in Miami in a crackdown on what U.S. authorities described on Thursday as ...
Thu, August 25, 2011
UK warns on painkiller, anti-psychotic drug mix-up
LONDON (Reuters) - British regulators issued a safety alert on Thursday after discovering packs of the over-the-counter painkiller Nurofen Plus containing the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel ...
Wed, August 24, 2011
Redmond O'Neal takes plea on drug charge, gets rehab
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Redmond O'Neal, the troubled son of the late Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal, pleaded no contest to drug and ...
Wed, August 24, 2011
Social networking increases risk of teen drug abuse: study
By Molly O'Toole
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Time spent social networking increases the risk of teens smoking, drinking and using drugs, according to a national ...
Wed, August 24, 2011
Google to pay U.S. $500 million over online drug ads
By Diane Bartz
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google Inc has agreed to pay $500 million to settle a probe into ads it accepted for online Canadian ...
Wed, August 24, 2011
U.S. believes Google's Page knew about pharmacy ads: report
(Reuters) - Justice Department investigators believed that Google Inc's Chief Executive Larry Page knew about improper online pharmacy ads that Google carried, and allowed ...
Tue, August 23, 2011
Florida court rejects drug argument, clears way for execution
By Michael Peltier
TALLAHASSEE, Fla (Reuters) - The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the execution of a man convicted in the ...
Tue, August 23, 2011
Dourdan escapes drug charge
Los Angeles cops took the actor into custody in June (11) after they found pills in his possession while investigating a car crash involving ...
Mon, August 22, 2011
Drug may help ease Ramadan headaches: study
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A painkilling, anti-inflammatory drug may help prevent headaches in Muslims fasting from dawn to dusk for Ramadan, according to a study ...
Mon, August 22, 2011
Bone drug tied to lower colon cancer risk
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study adds to evidence that bone drugs may play a role in suppressing cancer development ...
Mon, August 22, 2011
Seattle Genetics cancer drug price may top $100,000
By Alina Selyukh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The price of Seattle Genetics Inc's blood cancer drug Adcetris could top $100,000 for a course of ...
Mon, August 22, 2011
Data may prove Bristol and Pfizer drug a winner
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Despite being third to market, a new bloodthinner from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer may become the biggest seller in ...
Mon, August 22, 2011
Roche "good" cholesterol drug shows early promise
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental drug from Roche designed to raise "good" HDL cholesterol has produced encouraging results in a small mid-stage ...
Mon, August 22, 2011
Data may prove Bristol and Pfizer drug a winner
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Despite being third to market, a new bloodthinner from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer may become the biggest seller in ...
Fri, August 19, 2011
FDA approves Seattle Genetics cancer drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug regulators gave the go ahead on Friday for a blood cancer medicine by Seattle Genetics Inc, making it the first drug ...
Fri, August 19, 2011
Gout drug may help some with few treatment options
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new drug that's injected intravenously may help some very sick gout patients who don't ...
Wed, August 17, 2011
Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question
Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...
Wed, August 17, 2011
Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question
Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...
Wed, August 17, 2011
Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question
Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...
Wed, August 17, 2011
Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question
Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...
Wed, August 17, 2011
Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question
Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...
Wed, August 17, 2011
Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question
Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...
Wed, August 17, 2011
FDA approves Roche skin cancer drug Zelboraf
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators on Wednesday approved a targeted skin cancer drug from Roche Holding along with its diagnostic ...
Tue, August 16, 2011
Regeneron says FDA extends review of eye drug
(Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said U.S. health regulators extended the review of its experimental eye drug by three months, sending its shares down ...
Tue, August 16, 2011
Gout drug may help some with few treatment options
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new injectable drug may help some very sick gout patients who don't get better with ...
Tue, August 16, 2011
Experts redesign common microbe to fight drug-resistant bacteria
By Tan Ee Lyn
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Researchers in Singapore have re-engineered a harmless strain of bacteria to fight another common, drug-resistant microbe that ...
Mon, August 15, 2011
FDA, industry reach generic drug fee agreement
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators and generic drugmakers have reached a compromise agreement for a user-fee program that would require the companies to pay ...
Sat, August 13, 2011
U.S. sprinter Rodgers fails drug test
By Gene Cherry
RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Former U.S. 100 meters champion Mike Rodgers has tested positive for a banned stimulant, putting his ...
Wed, August 10, 2011
Drug improves some cases of chronic constipation
By Gene Emery
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The experimental drug linaclotide can relieve some cases of chronic constipation, but the majority of patients showed ...
Wed, August 10, 2011
Bayer anti-clot drug gets cautious journal welcome
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - An anti-clotting pill from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson offers a new way of preventing stroke although further studies will ...
Wed, August 10, 2011
FDA sets review for Amylin diabetes drug
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has set a January 28, 2012 deadline for its review of a diabetes drug ...
Wed, August 10, 2011
Customs agents seize "date rape" drug at LA airport
By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Customs agents have seized three gallons of a chemical used to make the date rape drug GHB at ...
Wed, August 10, 2011
FDA approval of Roche melanoma drug may come early
By Deena Beasley
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are moving quickly with Roche's application for targeted melanoma drug vemurafenib, which could receive ...
Wed, August 10, 2011
Illinois HS Drug Testing Continues
High schoolers who play sports in Illinois will continue to undergo drug tests. The Illinois High School Association announced this week that the drug ...
Wed, August 10, 2011
Pearson strikes plea deal over drug bust
The star, who played drug dealer and assassin Snoop on the hit TV series, was among a group of 38 suspects arrested during a ...
Tue, August 09, 2011
FDA approval of Roche melanoma drug may come early
By Deena Beasley
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are moving quickly with Roche's application for targeted melanoma drug vemurafenib, which could receive ...
Fri, August 05, 2011
Vergara sending drug addict brother back to Colombia for help
The Smurfs star admits her sibling Julio, 34, never recovered from the murder of their older brother Rafael in 1998 and sank into a ...
Thu, August 04, 2011
Redmond O'Neal pleads not guilty to drug charge
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Redmond O'Neal, son of actor Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of possessing ...
Thu, August 04, 2011
Medicare prescription drug premiums to fall
By Andrew Seaman
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Medicare participants enrolled in the health insurance program's prescription drug benefit should see their premium cost decline slightly ...
Thu, August 04, 2011
Lawsuit names drug company, hospital over suspected murder case
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Relatives of a man whose chemist wife is accused of poisoning him with thallium have filed a wrongful death ...
Thu, August 04, 2011
Kids from drug-making homes mostly healthy: study
By Allison Bond
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Most children raised in homes where illegal drugs are produced appear to be in good health, according ...
Thu, August 04, 2011
Covance sees more big-ticket drug R&D alliances
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Joe Herring, the chief executive of U.S. contract research group Covance Inc, finds a lot of drug companies ...
Thu, August 04, 2011
Medtronic hires Yale experts for spine drug review
By Debra Sherman
CHICAGO (Reuters) - In a bid to clear its name, Medtronic Inc is hiring top researchers at Yale University to review data ...
Thu, August 04, 2011
Vergara sending drug addict brother back to Colombia for help
The Smurfs star admits her sibling Julio, 34, never recovered from the murder of their older brother Rafael in 1998 and sank into a ...
Thu, August 04, 2011
Self-medication of anxiety tied to later drug abuse
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who drink or use drugs to calm down anxious nerves are at increased risk of developing full-blown substance abuse ...
Wed, August 03, 2011
Former Judge Sentenced on Drug Charges
He, himself was once a judge and Tuesday was sentenced by a judge to spend 15 months in federal prison. Sixty-nine year old Robert ...
Tue, August 02, 2011
Redmond O'Neal arrested for alleged drug possession
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Redmond O'Neal, the son of actors Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal, was arrested again on Tuesday after police said ...
Tue, August 02, 2011
Actelion drug cuts brain lesions in MS patients
By Martin de Sa'Pinto and Katie Reid
ZURICH (Reuters) - Actelion's experimental multiple sclerosis drug ponesimod met its main goal in a mid-stage ...
Mon, August 01, 2011
Pfizer global drug sales fall, spark concern
By Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc
Mon, August 01, 2011
Doping tennis player Kendrick to appeal drug ban
By Matthew Cronin
SAN DIEGO, California (Reuters) - Banned American tennis player Robert Kendrick will appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) to ...
Mon, August 01, 2011
Factbox: Who serves on FDA drug advisory panels
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - drugs regulators are revisiting conflict-of-interest rules that critics say rob advisory committees of necessary expertise by overly restricting who can serve.
The ...
Mon, August 01, 2011
Lawmakers may relax FDA drug conflict rules
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers likely will change the criteria for advisers reviewing new medicines next year because of complaints that ...
Fri, July 29, 2011
New drug regulator asks Congress for more power
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug companies should take more responsibility for the safety of ingredients sourced overseas, and Congress should make them if ...
Wed, July 27, 2011
Hospital spending down after Medicare drug coverage
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - After Medicare began covering prescription drugs in 2006, spending on hospital and nursing home stays appears to ...
Wed, July 27, 2011
FDA finds drug research firm faked samples, documents
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug companies that had medicines tested by contractor Cetero Research might have to reevaluate results, U.S. regulators warned after the firm ...
Tue, July 26, 2011
FDA finds U.S. drug research firm faked documents
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug companies that had medicines tested by contractor Cetero Research might have to reevaluate results, U.S. regulators warned after the firm ...
Tue, July 26, 2011
Florida execution stayed to allow hearing on drug concerns
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (Reuters) - The Florida Supreme Court temporarily halted on Monday the execution of a man convicted of killing a police officer and ...
Fri, July 22, 2011
Illinois Welfare Recipients Could Have to Pass Drug Test
SPRINGFIELD, IL (WIBQ) -- Like other states, Illinois could be the next to drug test welfare recipients. A Missouri law says any welfare recipient suspected ...
Wed, July 20, 2011
Drug trade menaces Afghanistan despite progress: U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has made headway in building up Afghanistan's counternarcotics forces, but the war-torn country needs more international help to ...
Wed, July 20, 2011
Alzheimer's drug from Pfizer, J&J may prove safer
By Julie Steenhuysen
PARIS (Reuters) - Experimental Alzheimer's drug bapineuzumab, from Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson , may be safer than originally thought, according to two ...
Mon, July 18, 2011
Drug company CEO's child dies from injuries
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Four days after the girlfriend of a wealthy pharmaceutical executive was found hanged at his mansion near San ...
Mon, July 18, 2011
Drug company CEO's child dies from injuries
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Four days after the girlfriend of a wealthy pharmaceutical executive was found hanged at his mansion near San ...
Fri, July 15, 2011
Girlfriend of drug company exec found dead at his home
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The girlfriend of a prominent pharmaceutical executive was found bound, nude and hanged from a balcony at his ...
Thu, July 14, 2011
FDA panel backs Seattle Genetics drug for lymphoma
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - An experimental drug from Seattle Genetics Inc garnered unanimous backing from U.S. advisers for a second type of blood ...
Thu, July 14, 2011
NICE seen at heart of new UK drug pricing system
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's cost-effectiveness health watchdog NICE expects to play a central role in a value-based pricing system for new ...
Thu, July 14, 2011
More Mexicans fleeing the drug war seek U.S. asylum
By Patricia Giovine
EL PASO, Texas (Reuters) - Mexican journalist Armando Rodriguez, renowned for his coverage of gangland slayings in his hometown of Ciudad Juarez ...
Tue, July 12, 2011
FDA proposes targeted drug testing guidelines
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Targeted drugs or therapies up for regulatory approval would have to be reviewed simultaneously with the diagnostic devices they rely on, according ...
Tue, July 12, 2011
FDA eyes trial size for Seattle Genetics cancer drug
By Alina Selyukh and Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seattle Genetics' experimental cancer drug showed promise in treating two rare types of blood cancer, but ...
Tue, July 12, 2011
23 indicted in $36 million Mexican drug cartel smuggling
By Keith Coffman
DENVER (Reuters) - A Colorado grand jury has indicted 23 people allegedly linked to the Los Zetas drug cartel in connection with ...
Fri, July 08, 2011
Medtronic warns of battery issue in some drug pumps
By Debra Sherman
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Medtronic Inc has sent a letter to physicians warning about possible reduced battery performance in a small percentage of ...
Wed, July 06, 2011
Sports doctor pleads guilty in drug case
By Neale Gulley
BUFFALO, New York (Reuters) - Toronto sports doctor Anthony Galea, who has treated such athletes as golfer Tiger Woods, admitted on Wednesday ...
Wed, July 06, 2011
Sunburn offers clues for pain drug development
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have found a molecule in the body which controls sensitivity to pain from UVB irradiation, or sunburn, and ...
Tue, July 05, 2011
Novartis gets good news on cancer drug Afinitor
By Catherine Bosley and Emma Thomasson
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG said a late-stage study showed its drug hope Afinitor slowed tumor growth in advanced ...
Tue, July 05, 2011
Drug war bodies expose flaws in Mexican forensics
By Mica Rosenberg
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Alejandro Espinoza knew his brother and nephew were dead when he saw the photo in the newspaper, their ...
Mon, July 04, 2011
Pfizer's quit smoking drug raises heart risks: study
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Healthy, middle-aged smokers who take Pfizer's Chantix or Champix, one of the most popular quit-smoking drugs, have a ...
Sat, July 02, 2011
Medicare proposes change in anemia drug usage
By Deena Beasley
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Medicare federal health insurance program has proposed removing its requirement that kidney dialysis providers keep patient hemoglobin ...
Fri, July 01, 2011
Lundbeck acts to stop misuse of drug in executions
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish pharmaceutical group Lundbeck on Friday said it was changing the distribution of its epilepsy drug Nembutal to avoid the drug being ...
Fri, July 01, 2011
No Drug Test, No Unemployment
If you don’t take a drug test, you won’t get unemployment benefits. And that’s not at the unemployment office. Starting today ...
Thu, June 30, 2011
Medicare to cover Dendreon's prostate drug
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Medicare and Medicaid federal health insurance programs will fully cover Provenge, Dendreon Corp's expensive treatment for advanced ...
Thu, June 30, 2011
Novartis lung drug has similar efficacy to rival
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG experimental lung drug NVA237 helps patients with a life threatening respiratory disease in a similar way to a ...
Wed, June 29, 2011
Old osteoporosis drug may help in killing flu viruses
By Tan Ee Lyn
HONG KONG (Reuters) - A old osteoporosis drug may be effective in killing a range of influenza viruses, including ones that ...
Tue, June 28, 2011
Malaria funding rise fills drug pipeline
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Annual funding for research and development (R&D) in the fight against malaria has quadrupled over 16 years, generating ...
Sun, June 26, 2011
Roche to fight for Avastin as breast cancer drug
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Drugmaker Roche Holding AG will try to convince U.S. regulators to reverse course on Avastin, the world's ...
Sat, June 25, 2011
Wal-Mart hikes branded diabetes drug prices-study
By Deena Beasley
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Big-box retailers Wal-Mart Stores and Kmart, pioneers in the push to cut consumer prices for generic drugs, have ...
Fri, June 24, 2011
Endo recalls two lots of pain drug
(Reuters) - Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc said it recalled two lots of its pain drug Endocet as it may contain incorrect tablets that have a ...
Fri, June 24, 2011
Sanofi diabetes drug shown to work as well as Byetta
By Deena Beasley
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A trial of Sanofi's experimental once-daily drug for Type 2 diabetes, Lyxumia, found that it worked as ...
Fri, June 24, 2011
Ex-Bolivian anti-drug chief pleads guilty in Miami
By Kevin Gray
MIAMI (Reuters) - A former top Bolivian anti-drug official pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the ...
Fri, June 24, 2011
Dutch may label some cannabis as a hard drug
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Netherlands, famous for its liberal soft drugs policies, said on Friday it may label some highly concentrated forms of cannabis as ...
Fri, June 24, 2011
Kidney improvement sustained by Abbott drug: study
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Diabetics with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease showed significant and sustained improvement in kidney function through 52 ...
Fri, June 24, 2011
Common drug effect ups elderly death risk: study
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - A side effect of many commonly used drugs, including antihistamines and antidepressants, appears to increase the risk of reduced ...
Thu, June 23, 2011
Ex-Bolivian anti-drug chief pleads guilty in Miami
By Kevin Gray
MIAMI (Reuters) - A former top Bolivian anti-drug official pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the ...
Wed, June 22, 2011
Bristol/Pfizer stroke prevention data wow market
By Bill Berkrot and Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A blood thinner developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Pfizer Inc proved superior to and ...
Tue, June 21, 2011
Producer linked to Tupac attack faces drug charges
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A record executive accused of paying someone to rob the late rapper Tupac Shakur in 1994 was charged on Tuesday with ...
Tue, June 21, 2011
China detains 52 in fake drug, Viagra crackdown
BEIJING (Reuters) - Police in China have detained 52 people in a crackdown on fake drugs, including the anti-impotence pill Viagra, seizing pills for other ...
Tue, June 21, 2011
Shire drug for rare swelling worked in trial: FDA
By Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shire Plc's drug to treat severe swelling caused by a rare genetic disorder showed effectiveness in a ...
Sun, June 19, 2011
Four dead in New York drug store shooting
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Four people were shot to death on Sunday in a suspected robbery at a Long Island drug store, police said.
Suffolk ...
Fri, June 17, 2011
Celgene gets FDA OK to expand use of lymphoma drug
(Reuters) - Celgene Corp said it received expedited U.S. regulatory approval to expand the use of its Istodax drug in the treatment of cancers ...
Thu, June 16, 2011
Crusading poet embodies Mexico's drug war pain
CHIHUAHUA, Mexico (Reuters) - It was well past midnight when Mexicans usually too afraid to venture out after dark streamed into Chihuahua's central square ...
Wed, June 15, 2011
FDA approves Bristol-Myers kidney transplant drug
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators approved on Wednesday a Bristol-Myers Squibb Co drug to prevent organ rejection in adult patients who have ...
Wed, June 15, 2011
FDA says Takeda diabetes drug raises cancer risk
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Takeda Pharmaceutical's Actos diabetes drug can increase the risk of bladder cancer if used for more than a year, U.S ...
Wed, June 15, 2011
Regeneron drug effectively treats vision loss: FDA
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A proposed eye medicine from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Bayer AG was found by U.S. drug reviewers to be ...
Wed, June 15, 2011
Four People Arrested In Vermillion County Drug Bust
VERMILLION COUNTY, IN (WIBQ) -- Four people were busted in Vermillion County on drug charges, bringing the total of arrests so far, to 22. Indiana ...
Thu, June 09, 2011
UCB to pay $34.4 mln over illegal drug promotion
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The American unit of Belgian pharmaceutical company UCB SA will plead guilty and pay $34.4 million to settle criminal and civil ...
Wed, June 08, 2011
Public high school opens precedent-setting drug clinic
By Bernd Debusmann Jr.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - An in-school drug and alcohol abuse clinic is opening at a public high school on Long Island ...
Wed, June 08, 2011
Drug firms go online to test and sell medicines
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Prompted by the soaring cost of developing and marketing their medicines, drug companies are embracing the Internet in a ...
Mon, June 06, 2011
Exelixis shares fall on cancer drug safety concerns
By Deena Beasley
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Shares of Exelixis Inc fell 20 percent on Monday after the company reported data over the weekend showing that ...
Sun, June 05, 2011
Melanoma drug extends life in second large study
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - People with advanced melanoma who were treated with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's Yervoy plus chemotherapy lived an average of ...
Sun, June 05, 2011
Roche melanoma drug cuts risk of death by 63 percent
By Deena Beasley
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Advanced melanoma patients treated with an experimental pill developed by Roche and Daiichi Sankyo were 63 percent less likely ...
Sat, June 04, 2011
Cancer cell tests may help predict drug reaction
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Counting bits of prostate cancer found in a patient's bloodstream may help doctors better predict which drugs work ...
Sat, June 04, 2011
Targeted drug combo shows promise against melanoma
By Deena Beasley
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The combination of two experimental pills developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc has shown promise as a treatment for melanoma, the ...
Sat, June 04, 2011
"Peace caravan" crossing Mexico to protest drug war
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Hundreds of Mexicans began a weeklong caravan on Saturday to protest the country's bloody drug war, led by a crusading ...
Fri, June 03, 2011
Mexican drug war scares U.S. teens off smuggling
By Tim Gaynor
EL PASO, Texas (Reuters) - Police in the U.S. border city of El Paso can thank criminals in Mexico for ridding ...
Fri, June 03, 2011
Two dozen charged in Midwest gambling and drug ring
By John Rondy
MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Twenty-four people were charged Thursday with federal drug trafficking and gambling offenses in a ring that stretched from the ...
Thu, June 02, 2011
Mexican teens turn to kidnapping in drug war city
By Julian Cardona
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - School dropout Toby was just 15 when he and his friends started kidnapping businessmen, truck drivers and ...
Thu, June 02, 2011
Drug companies drive U.S. 2010 corporate philanthropy
By Michelle Nichols
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Drug companies helped drive an almost 18 percent increase in corporate philanthropy last year as they gave away ...
Tue, May 31, 2011
Mexican drug link probed in ambush murder of Texas lawman
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The death of a Bexar County sheriff's sergeant who died in a hail of gunfire as he sat in his ...
Fri, May 27, 2011
FDA approves Optimer's diarrhea drug
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators approved Optimer Pharmaceuticals' drug Dificid to treat diarrhea associated with clostridium difficile (CDAD).
Clostridium difficile is a bacteria naturally ...
Fri, May 27, 2011
Injection drug issue puts Nebraska execution on hold
By Christopher Burbach
OMAHA, Neb (Reuters) - Controversy over a lethal injection drug imported from India has put on hold the execution of a convicted ...
Wed, May 25, 2011
Women with high co-pays prone to stop cancer drug
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women taking breast cancer drugs are more likely to skip days or drop the treatment entirely if ...
Wed, May 25, 2011
Derma Sciences foot-wound drug shows promise
By Anand Basu
BANGALORE (Reuters) - Derma Sciences Inc said foot ulcers in 85 percent of diabetic patients healed completely after being treated with its ...
Wed, May 25, 2011
Novartis drug gives pain relief in gouty arthritis
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG's gout treatment hopeful gives patients better pain relief and significantly cuts the risk of new attacks, two late stage ...
Mon, May 23, 2011
UK's NICE backs Roche drug as maintenance therapy
LONDON (Reuters) - Roche's cancer drug MabThera has been recommended for use on Britain's state health service as a maintenance therapy for patients ...
Mon, May 23, 2011
Ampio premature ejaculation drug shows promise
EU trial
BANGALORE (Reuters) - Ampio Pharmaceuticals Inc said its drug to treat premature ejaculation showed statistically significant results in a late-stage trial in Europe ...
Mon, May 23, 2011
Vertex hepatitis C drug OK'd, promising more cures
By Lewis Krauskopf and Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc's highly anticipated hepatitis C drug won U.S. approval, promising far ...
Fri, May 20, 2011
Mexican drug cartel boss caught at birthday party
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican police said on Friday they captured a suspected drug kingpin from the Gulf drug cartel during what authorities believe was ...
Fri, May 20, 2011
GSK and HGS lupus drug wins green light in Europe
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - The first new treatment for lupus in a half-century was recommended for approval in Europe on Friday, offering a ...
Thu, May 19, 2011
Police break up Arizona-Mexico drug smuggling network
By Brad Poole
TUCSON (Reuters) - Police in Arizona have arrested 25 suspected members of a Mexican drug cartel, significantly hampering the group's ability ...
Wed, May 18, 2011
Whitewater City Councilman arrested on drug charges
WHITEWATER, Wis. (WTAQ) - A UW-Whitewater student who’s on the City Council is free on a signature bond, after being charged with two felony ...
Wed, May 18, 2011
Cancer drug spending to jump through 2013: report
By Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Spending on cancer drugs could rise at least 10 percent a year through 2013, fueled by use of ...
Wed, May 18, 2011
Generics seen slashing global drug sales growth
By Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global sales growth of prescription drugs could be cut in half over the next five years as lucrative ...
Fri, May 13, 2011
More signs diabetes drug linked to bladder cancer
By Alison McCook
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A review of official reports of bad drug reactions is revealing more signs that people taking the ...
Fri, May 13, 2011
Internet tied to rise in drug abuse
BOSTON(Reuters) - Access to rogue online pharmacies may be driving a rapid increase in the abuse in the United States of prescription drugs like ...
Thu, May 12, 2011
Common drug helps babies with sickle cell disease
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A drug that eases symptoms of sickle cell disease in older children is safe and effective to use for ...
Thu, May 12, 2011
Internet tied to growth in U.S. prescription drug abuse
BOSTON (Reuters) - Access to rogue online pharmacies may be driving a rapid increase in the abuse of prescription drugs like powerful painkillers Percocet and ...
Thu, May 12, 2011
Early drug treatment greatly cuts spread of HIV
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Men and women infected with the AIDS virus who take antiretroviral drugs immediately rather than waiting to become more ...
Wed, May 11, 2011
J&J unit finds traces of fungicide in HIV drug
BANGALORE (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen said it was in discussions with regulatory authorities in five countries to address trace amounts of a fungicide ...
Mon, May 09, 2011
Whitney Houston back in drug rehab
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Whitney Houston is undergoing treatment again for drug and alcohol addiction, her spokeswoman said on Monday.
The multiple Grammy Award-winning ...
Sat, May 07, 2011
Tunisian court convicts Ben Ali relative of drug use
TUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian court convicted on Saturday a nephew of ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's wife on charges of drug use ...
Fri, May 06, 2011
FDA approves Novartis pancreas cancer drug
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG's cancer drug Afinitor has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a rare type of ...
Fri, May 06, 2011
South Carolina set to execute man using new drug
GREENVILLE, South Carolina (Reuters) - A man who strangled his cellmate in a prison is set to be executed by lethal injection in South Carolina ...
Fri, May 06, 2011
Jones 'took part in drug deal to help a pal'
The former Smallville star has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to supply drugs while involved with a narcotics ring, which saw a ...
Thu, May 05, 2011
Roche eye drug debate moves into patient rooms
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Doctors say new data give them more confidence that the cheaper drug Avastin works as well as Lucentis in ...
Tue, May 03, 2011
Texas executes first inmate using drug used on animals
By Corrie MacLaggan
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas on Tuesday carried out its first execution using a sedative often used to euthanize animals.
Cary Kerr ...
Tue, May 03, 2011
Pfizer drug sales fall but lower-margin units shine
By Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc posted disappointing revenue for Lipitor and other medicines, exposing the risks the world's biggest drugmaker ...
Fri, April 29, 2011
Mexico extradites once-powerful drug lord to U.S.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico extradited once-powerful drug lord Benjamin Arellano Felix to the United States on Friday in a renewed sign of U.S ...
Thu, April 28, 2011
Study backs new drug for typhoid in poor countries
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - A large trial comparing treatments for typhoid has backed the use of gatifloxacin, an antibiotic launched by Bristol Myers ...
Thu, April 28, 2011
Feds arrest 12 in airport drug smuggling probe
DETROIT (Reuters) - A dozen people, including 10 current or former Delta Air Lines baggage handlers, face drug trafficking and related charges in a probe ...
Thu, April 28, 2011
Cheaper Roche drug as good as Lucentis: report
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Avastin, a cancer drug made by Roche Holding AG, was about as effective as the company's far more ...
Thu, April 28, 2011
Feds arrest 12 in Detroit airport drug smuggling probe
DETROIT (Reuters) - Federal authorities arrested 12 people on Thursday, including 10 current or former Delta Air Lines baggage handlers, in an internal probe of ...
Wed, April 27, 2011
FDA panel backs Merck hepatitis drug
By Lisa Richwine
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - A Merck & Co drug that boosts the chance of curing hepatitis C infection moved closer to the ...
Wed, April 27, 2011
Merck pitches hepatitis C drug to U.S. FDA panel
By Lisa Richwine
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - An experimental drug for the liver-damaging hepatitis C virus offers an advance over the current decade-old treatment ...
Tue, April 26, 2011
German cost agency changes tack on Alzheimer's drug
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's healthcare cost-effectiveness watchdog Iqwig said Alzheimer's disease drug memantine provides a benefit, one and a half years after its ...
Tue, April 26, 2011
FDA backs Vertex hepatitis drug efficacy, shares jump
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A hepatitis C drug from Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc cured more patients than previously reported, U.S. health reviewers said ...
Tue, April 26, 2011
U.S. top court questions state drug data limits
By James Vicini
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court justices sharply questioned on Tuesday whether a state may prohibit the use of prescription drug ...
Mon, April 25, 2011
U.S. extends Mexico travel warning over drug mayhem
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Spreading drug cartel violence in northern and central Mexico has led U.S. authorities to increase the number of states Americans should ...
Mon, April 25, 2011
Early anti-smoking drug start seems better: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Getting a head start on Pfizer's anti-smoking drug Chantix may help smokers kick the habit, according to a preliminary ...
Mon, April 25, 2011
FDA sees safety issue with Merck hepatitis drug
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers highlighted safety issues with an experimental Merck & Co hepatitis drug, including anemia and reports of ...
Fri, April 22, 2011
FDA details timeframe of MS drug Tysabri's risks
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The brain infection risk from Biogen Idec's multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri appears highest during the third year of treatment, U.S ...
Thu, April 21, 2011
US wants lawsuit over execution drug dismissed
By Jeremy Pelofsky
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that challenged a decision allowing unapproved ...
Thu, April 21, 2011
Maine sore spot in nation's prescription drug scourge
By Zach Howard
BRUNSWICK, Maine (Reuters) - It was yet another pharmacy robbery in the small town of Sanford, Maine, where a woman claiming to ...
Wed, April 20, 2011
U.S. wants lawsuit over execution drug dismissed
By Jeremy Pelofsky
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that challenged a decision that allowed ...
Wed, April 20, 2011
Grandsons may be affected by old pregnancy drug
By Kerry Grens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Four decades after doctors realized that a drug called DES - used to prevent pregnancy complications - had devastating ...
Tue, April 19, 2011
White House announces plans to reduce prescription drug abuse
By Wendell Marsh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's administration unveiled on Tuesday a plan to fight what it calls a prescription drug abuse ...
Tue, April 19, 2011
FDA unveils new action on prescription drug abuse
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. health regulator ordered painkiller makers to provide educational materials to help train physicians about the correct use of the ...
Tue, April 19, 2011
U.S. drug spending slows; hits $307 bln in 2010: report
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. spending growth on prescription drugs slowed to 2.3 percent in 2010 - the second lowest level ...
Tue, April 19, 2011
Global switch needed on severe malaria drug: MSF
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Up to 200,000 deaths from severe malaria could be averted each year if malarial countries were to switch ...
Mon, April 18, 2011
Novartis Q1 seen hit by absence of flu drug sales
By Katie Reid
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG <NOVN.VX> is likely to be the latest drugmaker to show it too has been hit by ...
Mon, April 18, 2011
Hemophilia drug often used in other patients: study
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A drug approved only to treat the rare bleeding disorder hemophilia is being used much more often ...
Sun, April 17, 2011
Canadian drug facility cut overdose deaths: study
By Allan Dowd
VANCOUVER (Reuters) - North America's only sanctioned facility for injection of illegal drugs has cut overdose deaths and should be used ...
Fri, April 15, 2011
FDA warns against some use of Teva reflux drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has received reports of clogging problems when a generic acid reflux drug made ...
Thu, April 14, 2011
Drug industry, states near deal on pandemic vaccine
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - Drug companies are set to donate vaccines and antivirals to poor countries, and share patented technology under a deal ...
Thu, April 14, 2011
Acorda shares soar on possible patent extension of MS drug
BOSTON/BANGALORE (Reuters) - Shares of Acorda Therapeutics Inc jumped 27 percent before being halted amid optimism the company will be granted a patent extension ...
Thu, April 14, 2011
Former Glaxo lawyer indicted again over drug probe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former lawyer for GlaxoSmithKline has been reindicted for obstructing a probe into the company's marketing practices for a drug after ...
Thu, April 14, 2011
Drug gangs clash with dogged miners in Mexico
By Mica Rosenberg
CUETZALA DEL PROGRESO, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican drug cartels greedy for new sources of revenue are targeting the country's rich mines ...
Thu, April 14, 2011
J&J recalls 57,000 bottles of epilepsy drug
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday it is recalling about 57,000 bottles of its Topamax epilepsy drug after reports of a ...
Thu, April 14, 2011
J&J recalls 57,000 bottles of epilepsy drug
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday it is recalling about 57,000 bottles of its Topamax epilepsy drug after reports of a ...
Tue, April 12, 2011
Roche's diet drug tied to kidney damage
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In another blow to diet drugs, Canadian researchers are reporting a link between Roche's Xenical and ...
Mon, April 11, 2011
Common drug ineffective in early Alzheimer's: study
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A commonly prescribed Alzheimer's drug had no effect in treating patients with a mild form of the disease ...
Mon, April 11, 2011
Drug resistance not a risk in acne treatment: study
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who are prescribed certain antibiotics for acne - even those who take them for months at a ...
Fri, April 08, 2011
Rays' Ramirez retires after drug-policy issue
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Manny Ramirez, a 12-times All-Star who won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox, has retired after being notified ...
Thu, April 07, 2011
Indian company halts U.S. sales of execution drug
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An Indian company that supplied an anesthetic used to execute murderers on death row said on Thursday it has stopped selling ...
Wed, April 06, 2011
FDA approves AstraZeneca's thyroid cancer drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. health regulator on Wednesday approved AstraZeneca Plc's medullary thyroid cancer drug, vandetanib, the first treatment to be approved ...
Tue, April 05, 2011
Mississippi switches to new drug for executions
By Leigh Coleman
BILOXI, Miss (Reuters) - Mississippi will switch to a different sedative drug for three executions the state is seeking to carry out ...
Tue, April 05, 2011
Texas inmate seeks execution delay, citing drug
By Jim Forsyth
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - An attorney for a death row inmate set to die on Tuesday urged Governor Rick Perry on Monday ...
Tue, April 05, 2011
Higher bleeding risk seen in J&J, Bayer clot drug
By Ransdell Pierson and Bill Berkrot
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - A blood clot preventer from Johnson & Johnson and Bayer caused a surprisingly high rate of ...
Fri, April 01, 2011
Two more U.S. states turn over executions drug in probe
By Tim Ghianni
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Tennessee and Kentucky turned over their supplies of a lethal injection drug to the U.S. Drug Enforcement ...
Fri, April 01, 2011
Roberts promotes drug company for free
The Expendables star, who is currently battling an addiction to marijuana, admits he's a big fan of GenMed's products and policy - and ...
Thu, March 31, 2011
AC/DC drummer's drug conviction overturned in NZ
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The drummer with rock band AC/DC has had his cannabis conviction quashed by a court in his adopted homeland of ...
Thu, March 31, 2011
Correction: Drug in morning-after pill ok for non-emergency use
By Leigh Krietsch Boerner
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The active ingredient in the morning-after pill, at a lower dose, may be safe and effective ...
Wed, March 30, 2011
UK's cost agency rebuffs Bristol arthritis drug
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's healthcare cost watchdog NICE has recommended against using Bristol-Myers Squibb's rheumatoid arthritis drug Orencia on the state health service ...
Wed, March 30, 2011
Amgen, Takeda drug fails advanced lung-cancer study
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amgen Inc and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd said their experimental drug, motesanib, had failed to improve overall survival in a late-stage ...
Tue, March 29, 2011
Coloring book used in New Jersey jail drug smuggling scheme
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Three inmates and their loved ones were charged with attempting to smuggle drugs into a New Jersey jail on the pages of ...
Tue, March 29, 2011
Johnny Jolly jailed on new drug charges
HOUSTON (WSAU) Suspended Green Bay Packer Johnny Jolly is being held in the Harris County, Texas jail without bond awaiting his first court appearance ...
Mon, March 28, 2011
Florida governor faces legal fight over drug tests
MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida's Republican Governor Rick Scott will soon be hit with legal challenges over his decision to make drug tests mandatory for ...
Mon, March 28, 2011
More evidence ties cholesterol drug, diabetes
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People on a high-dose regimen of the cholesterol drug Lipitor may have a slightly increased risk of ...
Fri, March 25, 2011
Five years on breast cancer drug tamoxifen beats two
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study has a bit of good news for most women who've had breast cancer ...
Fri, March 25, 2011
FDA approves Bristol-Myers melanoma drug
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first drug to help patients with advanced melanoma live longer won U.S. approval on Friday, a major ...
Thu, March 24, 2011
Teva, Procter & Gamble create OTC drug partnership
By Toni Clarke and Jessica Wohl
BOSTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co <PG.N> and generic drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd <TEVA.O> are ...
Wed, March 23, 2011
Arthritis drug could help beat deadly skin cancer
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists seeking treatments for a deadly type of skin cancer say an existing arthritis drug slows the growth of ...
Wed, March 23, 2011
Drug-resistant TB to afflict 2 million by 2015: WHO
By Andrew Callus and Kate Kelland
GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) - Over two million people will contract a form of tuberculosis (TB) resistant to standard drugs ...
Wed, March 23, 2011
FDA says high doses of ulcer drug pose bigger fracture
(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said on Wednesday that patients taking prescription ulcer drugs at high doses or for longer periods may have increased ...
Wed, March 23, 2011
Corrected: Gilead HIV drug as effective as Merck's in trial
(Corrects spelling of Atripla)
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc said on Wednesday that its experimental HIV drug elvitegravir proved as effective ...
Wed, March 23, 2011
Branded drug prices soar as generic pressure rises
By Deena Beasley
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. prices for brand-name drugs are rising faster than ever as patents expire on top-selling medicines and ...
Wed, March 23, 2011
Drug-resistant TB to affect 2 million by 2015: WHO
GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) - By 2015 more than two million people will contract a form of tuberculosis (TB) resistant to standard drugs and the fight ...
Wed, March 23, 2011
Gilead HIV drug meets main goal of trial
BOSTON (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc said on Wednesday that its experimental HIV drug elvitegravir met the main goal of a late-stage clinical trial.
The ...
Tue, March 22, 2011
Heart drug linked to higher breast cancer risk
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women taking the heart drug digoxin have an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a study ...
Mon, March 21, 2011
Bristol melanoma drug extends survival in study
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's eagerly anticipated experimental drug ipilimumab extended survival of previously untreated patients with advanced melanoma ...
Mon, March 21, 2011
Positive skin cancer drug data boosts Roche
ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche's new cancer drug vismodegib could help patients with a potentially fatal skin cancer type, positive mid-stage trial results showed, going ...
Mon, March 21, 2011
FDA revives Oxigene's thyroid cancer drug hopes, shares surge
(Reuters) - Oxigene Inc said U.S. health regulators indicated that its experimental thyroid cancer drug may warrant further development, cheering investors a month after ...
Sat, March 19, 2011
Synthetic drug, subject of proposed bans, kills teen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Amid efforts by authorities to stop the use of illegal synthetic drugs, revelers at a spring break party in a Minneapolis suburb ...
Fri, March 18, 2011
Drug resistance hampers fight against tuberculosis
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Rising rates of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) are hampering world health programs aimed at tackling TB and threaten to ...
Thu, March 17, 2011
NY drug ring accused of dealing from ice cream truck
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York man has been arrested for allegedly selling illegal prescription drugs from his ice cream truck, making more than ...
Wed, March 16, 2011
Pfizer recalls pain drug acquired in King deal
By Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Just weeks after completing its $3.6 billion purchase of King Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc has recalled an opioid ...
Wed, March 16, 2011
Human Genome picks up rights to cancer drug for $50
March 16 - Human Genome Sciences Inc said it will develop and commercialize a privately held biotech firm's drug for multiple cancers in the ...
Wed, March 16, 2011
For executions, Texas switches to drug used on animals
By Corrie MacLaggan
Austin, Tex (Reuters) - Texas, the state that executes more inmates than any other, said on Wednesday it will follow Oklahoma and ...
Wed, March 16, 2011
U.S. drones enter Mexico to scout for drug gangs
By Patrick Rucker
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - U.S. drones are conducting surveillance flights in Mexico as the two nations step up joint efforts to ...
Tue, March 15, 2011
USOC concerned about drug war ahead of Pan Am Games
ATLANTA (Reuters) - The United States Olympic Committee promised on Tuesday to have a security plan in place before sending athletes to the Pan American ...
Tue, March 15, 2011
U.S. agents seize Georgia execution drug supply
ATLANTA (Reuters) - U.S. authorities seized Georgia's supply of a drug used in executions on Tuesday because of concerns about how it was ...
Tue, March 15, 2011
U.S. to review drug supply after Japan reactor breach
By Ross Kerber
BOSTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration will study distribution policies for a drug to protect against the effects of radiation as part ...
Tue, March 15, 2011
Americans say drug use is top problem in sports: poll
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans rank the use of performance-enhancing drugs as the most serious problem facing sports today, according to a poll released by ...
Tue, March 15, 2011
$4 drug programs could save economy billions: study
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - U.S. consumers could save billions of dollars by filling prescriptions for inexpensive generic drugs at stores ...
Tue, March 15, 2011
Novartis sees blood cancer drug as blockbuster
By Katie Reid and Emma Thomasson
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG's blood cancer drug INC424 could rake in annual sales of $1 billion, the ...
Tue, March 15, 2011
Indiana State Police Holding "Drug Take Back Day"
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WIBQ) - There's another drug take back day coming up.
Indiana State Police Posts will be the sites of the event ...
Mon, March 14, 2011
Drug prices outstrip other medical costs: GAO
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prices for prescription drugs rose at a faster rate than costs for other medical goods and services over the last four ...
Mon, March 14, 2011
U.S. drug prices outstrip other medical costs: GAO
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. prices for brand-name prescription drugs rose at a faster rate than costs for other medical goods and services over ...
Mon, March 14, 2011
UPDATE: Darren Aronofsky NOT Producing New Drug Movie 'Intricate'
UPDATE: Psyche! Turns out, Darren Aronofsky actually has kicked heroin and will not be involved with another movie about the drug. According to an ...
Mon, March 14, 2011
Wire star held by drug cops
The actress, who played narcotics dealer Snoop in the hit TV series, was held on a state warrant by officials in Baltimore, Maryland along ...
Fri, March 11, 2011
Alzheimer's drug hits two forms of toxic protein
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Early studies suggest an experimental Alzheimer's drug attacks free-floating bits of a protein called beta amyloid, a sign ...
Thu, March 10, 2011
"The Wire" actress arrested in Baltimore drug sweep
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Felicia Pearson, an ex-con who played a drug gangster named Snoop on the HBO television drama "The Wire," was one of dozens ...
Thu, March 10, 2011
Ohio execution to use animal euthanasia drug
By Mary Wisniewski
COLUMBUS (Reuters) - An execution scheduled for Thursday in Ohio will be the first in that state to use the drug pentobarbital ...
Thu, March 10, 2011
Drug Dealer Gets 15 Year Sentence With Plea Agreement
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WIBQ) - A Terre Haute man facing up to 50 years in prison for dealing drugs instead received a 15-year sentence through ...
Thu, March 10, 2011
New lupus drug may end treatment nightmare for some
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Aiden Gallagher started developing symptoms of lupus at age 11 after a spider bite that left her hand swollen ...
Thu, March 10, 2011
No proof of drug industry sway on WHO in pandemic: report
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - Independent experts who examined the World Health Organisation's handling of the H1N1 pandemic said on Thursday they had ...
Thu, March 10, 2011
Ohio executes man using animal euthanasia drug
COLUMBUS (Reuters) - Johnnie Baston, a man convicted of killing a Toledo store owner, became the first person executed in Ohio with a drug that ...
Wed, March 09, 2011
FDA clears new lupus drug, blockbuster sales seen
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first new treatment for lupus in a half-century won U.S. approval on Wednesday, a milestone for patients ...
Wed, March 09, 2011
Hospira generic of Sanofi cancer drug approved
By Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hospira Inc won approval for the first U.S. generic version of Sanofi-Aventis SA's big-selling Taxotere cancer ...
Tue, March 08, 2011
U.S. panel rejects higher dose of Novartis lung drug
By Lisa Richwine
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - Novartis AG failed to win support from a U.S. advisers for the highest proposed dose of ...
Mon, March 07, 2011
Big Human Genome lupus drug nears market
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Human Genome Sciences Inc's lupus drug is poised to win clearance this week, offering patients the first approved ...
Mon, March 07, 2011
Supreme Court won't review drug patent deal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court let stand a ruling that drug companies can pay rivals to delay production of generic drugs without violating federal ...
Mon, March 07, 2011
Sheen calls on estranged wife to match him drug test for drug test
Brooke Mueller obtained an emergency restraining order to keep the actor away from her and their kids late on Tuesday (01Mar11) - and the children ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
FDA: migraine drug ups risk for oral birth defects
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An epilepsy drug also used to help prevent migraines can increase the risk for oral birth defects in babies ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
TSA agent accused in drug operation at Buffalo Airport
By Neale Gulley
BUFFALO, New York (Reuters) - A Transportation Security Administration employee allegedly worked with an accused drug dealer to smuggle drug money through ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
FDA: migraine drug ups risk for oral birth defects
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An epilepsy drug also used to help prevent migraines can increase the risk for oral birth defects in babies ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
Drug use linked to airplane accidents
By Kerry Grens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drug tests of airline personnel are three times more likely to come back positive after a crash ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
Biogen to build blood disorder drug franchise
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Biogen Idec Inc, which makes the multiple sclerosis drugs Tysabri and Avonex, plans to build a portfolio of products ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
FDA: migraine drug ups risk for oral birth defects
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An epilepsy drug also used to help prevent migraines can increase the risk for oral birth defects in babies ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
Ista raises concerns over labeling of eye drug copy
(Reuters) - Ista Pharmaceuticals Inc said it filed a petition with the U.S. health regulator, requesting it to refrain from approving a generic form ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
FDA removes liver warning from Gilead drug, shares up
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Health regulators removed warnings about potential liver damage from Gilead Sciences Inc's drug for pulmonary hypertension, giving it an advantage ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
FDA staff question dosing for Novartis lung drug
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators will ask outside experts if the higher of two proposed doses of a Novartis AG drug is needed ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
Pfizer arthritis drug meets main goals of trial
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Friday that its experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug met the main goals of a late-stage clinical ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
Sheen: 'Devil's drug Ambien to blame for hotel meltdown'
The Two and a Half Men star hit headlines back in October (10) when police were called to his suite at Manhattan's luxurious ...
Thu, March 03, 2011
Police link Arizona beheading to Mexican drug cartel
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Police have tied the October beheading of a man in a Phoenix suburb to Mexican drug cartels, saying it was rare for ...
Thu, March 03, 2011
Allos, FDA agree on cancer drug trial design
MARCH 3 - Allos Therapeutics Inc said it agreed with the U.S. health regulator on the trial design for a late-stage study of the ...
Thu, March 03, 2011
Operation nets more than 30 people on drug, gun charges
By Teresa Carson
PORTLAND, Ore (Reuters) - A Pacific Northwest undercover operation arrested more than 30 people on weapons and drug charges and nabbed 77 ...
Thu, March 03, 2011
Amylin, Lilly diabetes drug falls short of Novo's
By Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A long-awaited experimental diabetes medicine from Eli Lilly & Co and Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc that patients need to inject ...
Wed, March 02, 2011
Designer drug abuse out of control: U.N. drugs board
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - The problem of so-called "designer drugs" is running out of control in many regions of the world, the U ...
Tue, March 01, 2011
Nearly 700 arrested in anti-drug gang operation: ICE
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Law enforcement agencies arrested nearly 700 gang members and associates from December through February during an anti-drug trafficking operation dubbed Project Southern ...
Tue, March 01, 2011
FDA finds no heart attack risk with HIV drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An analysis of 26 clinical trials found no higher risk of heart attacks with AIDS drug abacavir compared with other HIV medicines ...
Mon, February 28, 2011
Cameron Douglas' alleged drug supplier rejects plea deal
Cameron Douglas is serving a five year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...
Mon, February 28, 2011
Davis charged over drug arrest
The grandson of billionaire businessman Marvin Davis, who was part of the last series of U.S. reality show Celebrity Rehab, was picked up ...
Sun, February 27, 2011
Local Mexico drug boss tied to U.S. agent death caught
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The Mexican Navy said on Sunday it arrested the alleged regional head of the feared "Zetas" drug gang in connection with ...
Fri, February 25, 2011
U.S. seeks more data on Protalix drug; shares sink
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health regulators want more data on Protalix Biotherapeutics Inc and Pfizer Inc's experimental drug for Gaucher disease before ...
Fri, February 25, 2011
Clooney: 'Sex and drug past will hinder any political career'
The Ocean's Eleven actor has become a leading celebrity advocate for an array of international issues in recent years, including drawing attention to ...
Wed, February 23, 2011
Takeda seeks U.S. approval of hypertension drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co said on Wednesday it submitted a new drug application in the United States for a hypertension drug ...
Wed, February 23, 2011
Vertex shares soar on cystic fibrosis drug data
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - An experimental drug made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc significantly improved lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis, sending the ...
Tue, February 22, 2011
FDA cites Sanofi over drug side effect reporting
Adds details on German unit's contamination issue, updates shares, adds byline)
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have warned Sanofi-Aventis ...
Mon, February 21, 2011
Hilton's boyfriend will face drug charges in August
The former nightclub boss and Hilton were pulled over by cops on the Las Vegas Strip and booked after officers smelled marijuana coming from ...
Thu, February 17, 2011
Boys 9 and 10 suspected as drug mules in Philadelphia
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Three women and two men in Philadelphia face likely conspiracy and drug charges for allegedly using two boys, ages ...
Wed, February 16, 2011
FDA cites misuse of Medtronic drug pumps
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Medtronic Inc said on Wednesday it alerted physicians last month of potential danger from misuse of its implantable infusion pumps that ...
Wed, February 16, 2011
Cancer drug could prevent blindness in preemies
By Gene Emery
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The cancer drug Avastin could help prevent blindness in a group of premature babies who were born ...
Wed, February 16, 2011
Stress-blocking drug restores hair in bald mice
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. researchers studying the effects of stress on the gut may have stumbled on a chemical compound that ...
Wed, February 16, 2011
No birth defect risk seen with malaria drug
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnant women who take the anti-malarial drug Malarone during their first trimester might not be increasing their ...
Wed, February 16, 2011
Sheen 'passes two drug tests'
The Two And A Half Men star is currently receiving treatment after wild partying landed him in hospital with a hernia last month (Jan11 ...
Tue, February 15, 2011
Mexico drug gang suspected in U.S. agents' shooting
By Alberto Fajardo
SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican drug gang hitmen were behind the shooting of two U.S. immigration and customs agents ...
Tue, February 15, 2011
Cassavetes to direct film about drug dealer Rick Ross
By Christine Kearney
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nick Cassavetes, who co-wrote the drug film "Blow" and directed romantic drama "The Notebook," has signed on to ...
Mon, February 14, 2011
U.S. charges 7 men in Taliban drug, missile sting
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Monday accused seven men of trying to sell weapons and smuggle drugs to people they believed were ...
Thu, February 10, 2011
Novartis moves to stop execution drug reaching U.S.
By Katie Reid
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis and its Sandoz unit, maker of a generic version of an anesthetic used in lethal injections in the ...
Thu, February 10, 2011
Malaria drug tariffs, taxes must go: campaigners
LONDON (Reuters) - Malaria campaigners have urged governments to drop all taxes and tariffs on medicines, mosquito nets and other anti-malaria tools to help reduce ...
Thu, February 10, 2011
Unemployment Could be Tied to Drug Testing
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WIBQ) - Unemployed Hoosiers could have to be drug tested.
Two state reps presented the bill to the House Employment, Labor and Pensions ...
Thu, February 10, 2011
Gov. Walker Won't Cut Senior Care Prescription Drug Program
MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Governor Scott Walker says he will not cut benefits in Wisconsin’s popular Senior Care prescription drug program.
And he’s ...
Wed, February 09, 2011
Poor reporting mars 'gold standard' drug trials
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Skimpy reporting by medical journals has left German doctors trying to write psychiatric guidelines in a pickle ...
Tue, February 08, 2011
Cost of kids' lung drug may outweigh benefit
By Leigh Krietsch Boerner
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The $1,600 per dose price tag on a drug to prevent lung infection in premature ...
Fri, February 04, 2011
Chrysler workers arrested for alleged drug use
DETROIT (Reuters) - Three workers from a high-profile Chrysler plant that makes a crucial new Jeep model were arrested recently for alleged drug use during ...
Fri, February 04, 2011
Goldberg opens up about drug abuse
The Oscar winner, who skyrocketed to fame after her starring role in 1985 film The Color Purple, insists she was a ""fully functioning"" addict ...
Wed, February 02, 2011
Flu drug stockpiles save lives, too costly for many
LONDON (Reuters) - Stockpiling antiviral flu drugs and vaccines saves lives and reduces disease in a flu pandemic, but is too expensive for around two ...
Wed, February 02, 2011
Producer of 9/11 conspiracy film arrested on drug charges
Korey Rowe, 27, was arrested alongside a 19-year-old man last week (begs24Jan11) after they were busted allegedly selling heroin to an undercover police officer ...
Tue, February 01, 2011
FDA rejects Orexigen diet drug over heart risks
By Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators rejected Orexigen Therapeutics Inc's weight-loss drug and requested a clinical trial to resolve ...
Mon, January 31, 2011
New target, drug potential found for colon cancer
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists said they have found a new target for treating advanced bowel cancer which could also be used ...
Sun, January 30, 2011
Senator moves to ban drug sold under bath salts guise
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two drugs that produce a "meth-like" high and are being sold under the guise of "bath salts" would be banned as ...
Fri, January 28, 2011
Obama: drug abuse requires broader policy response
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday that fighting drug abuse demanded a broad public health effort to curb demand for narcotics, but ...
Thu, January 27, 2011
Grizzlies' Mayo banned 10 games after positive drug test
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo was suspended for 10 games after testing positive for a banned steroid, the NBA said ...
Thu, January 27, 2011
Only some men should use AIDS drug for prevention
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Only high-risk gay and bisexual men should use Gilead's HIV drug Truvada to protect ...
Thu, January 27, 2011
U.S. border cop fired over drug war views files lawsuit
By Tim Gaynor
PHOENIX (Reuters) - A former U.S. Border Patrol agent who said he was fired because of his views on drug legalization ...
Wed, January 26, 2011
Abbott beats forecasts as drug sales shine
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories <ABT.N> reported fourth-quarter sales and earnings that slightly topped forecasts, fueled by strong demand for its prescription medicines ...
Wed, January 26, 2011
Aussie actress Goldsmith speaks about drug stop
The former Neighbours star was reportedly stopped by police with sniffer dogs on suspicion of cocaine possession as she entered the Hot Barbeque event ...
Mon, January 24, 2011
Clinton backs Calderon's drug fight on Mexico trip
By Arshad Mohammed and Cyntia Barrera Diaz
GUANAJUATO, Mexico (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered strong support for Mexican President Felipe ...
Mon, January 24, 2011
World's top blood pressure drug gets failing mark
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The world's most popular blood pressure medicine is much less effective than comparable drugs and gives ...
Mon, January 24, 2011
Neiers pleads not guilty to drug charges
The Pretty Wild star was ordered to rehab in early December (10) for a probation violation, stemming from her involvement in a raid on ...
Mon, January 24, 2011
Hilton's boyfriend faces four years for DUI and drug possession
Club boss Cy Waits and Hilton were pulled over by cops on the Las Vegas Strip after they smelled marijuana coming from their car ...
Mon, January 24, 2011
Clinton to focus on drug-related violence in Mexico
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Mexico on Monday for talks expected to focus on the country's accelerating drug-related violence.
Clinton ...
Fri, January 21, 2011
U.S. company to stop making drug used in executions
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An anesthetic used in lethal injections will no longer be made by its only U.S. manufacturer because the ...
Fri, January 21, 2011
U.S. FDA panel backs Bayer imaging drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. advisers on Friday recommended approval of a Bayer AG imaging drug for use with magnetic resonance imaging scans of the ...
Fri, January 21, 2011
AstraZeneca responds to FDA on heart drug Brilinta
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has replied to the Food and Drug Administration queries about its key new heart drug Brilinta and remains ...
Thu, January 20, 2011
Sarkozy vows health system fix after drug furor
By Brian Love
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged on Thursday to shake up the healthcare system and root out fraud after a ...
Thu, January 20, 2011
Daily Shuffle: Lindsay Passed All Her Drug Tests
•Lilo is good to go, guys. She's made it. She's in the clear. Right? Well, for now anyway. Lohan's proud papa ...
Wed, January 19, 2011
Roche melanoma drug helps patients live longer
By Katie Reid
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche's new treatment for advanced skin cancer helps patients live longer and also extends the period ...
Wed, January 19, 2011
Blood drug could many save lives in combat, trauma
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - A cheap generic drug used to stem bleeding from heavy menstrual periods could save the lives of tens of ...
Wed, January 19, 2011
FDA weighs skin risks of Bayer imaging drug
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. advisers will be asked to focus on the potential for overdoses and a serious skin disorder when ...
Wed, January 19, 2011
GSK tests intravenous flu drug vs Roche's Tamiflu
LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline has started a pivotal study testing intravenous zanamivir against Roche's best-selling pill Tamiflu as a treatment for patients hospitalised with ...
Wed, January 19, 2011
Roche melanoma drug helps patients live longer
By Katie Reid
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche's new treatment for advanced skin cancer helps patients live longer and also extends the period ...
Tue, January 18, 2011
Blood drug could save many lives in combat and trauma
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - A cheap generic drug used to stem bleeding from heavy menstrual periods could save the lives of tens of ...
Tue, January 18, 2011
FDA staff question Lilly drug for Alzheimer's test
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health reviewers are concerned that clinicians may not be able to properly interpret brain scans using Eli ...
Fri, January 14, 2011
Health lobby groups mum on drug company grants
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Health advocacy groups that push for more research and funding for specific diseases often fail to disclose the financial ...
Thu, January 13, 2011
Bristol-Myers recalls blood pressure drug
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said it has recalled 64 million tablets of the blood pressure medicine Avalide in the ...
Thu, January 13, 2011
Common sleep drug can leave people groggy, clumsy
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The popular sleep drug Ambien can leave even the healthiest older people groggy and prone ...
Wed, January 12, 2011
Drug-resistant malaria could spread fast, expert warns
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - Drug-resistant malaria could spread from southeast Asia to Africa within months, putting millions of children's lives at risk ...
Wed, January 12, 2011
WHO global plan to contain drug-resistant malaria
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization launched a plan on Wednesday to stop a form of drug-resistant malaria from spreading from ...
Mon, January 10, 2011
Middle School Students Arrested On Drug Charges
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WIBQ) - Four Honey Creek Middle School students were arrested on drug-related charges last week.
A substance looking like marijuana was reportedsly ...
Fri, January 07, 2011
Supreme Court to decide state drug data mining law
By James Vicini
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would decide whether a state law restricting commercial access to information ...
Tue, January 04, 2011
Alabama court to hear lawsuit against Pfizer drug
By Peggy Gargis
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - A federal court in Alabama will centralize at least 1,200 civil lawsuits against Pfizer Inc over its ...
Tue, December 28, 2010
FDA places J&J anti-NGF pain drug on clinical hold
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson has halted studies of an experimental pain drug at the request of regulators who are concerned the ...
Mon, December 27, 2010
Regeneron pain drug put on clinical hold by FDA
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Monday that U.S. regulators placed the company's experimental pain drug for osteoarthritis ...
Fri, December 24, 2010
Drug overdoses on the rise in most age groups
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- More and more people are dying from abusing or misusing drugs, including both prescription and illegal drugs ...
Thu, December 23, 2010
GSK offers UK rebate if Pfizer cancer drug better
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's state-run health service will get a partial rebate from GlaxoSmithKline if the company's new kidney cancer ...
Wed, December 22, 2010
Arena eyes obesity drug refiling by end of 2011
By Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc plans to resubmit its application for its experimental weight-loss drug by the end of next ...
Wed, December 22, 2010
New kind of HIV drug stalls infection in trial
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - A new kind of experimental HIV medicine can halt one of the earliest stages of HIV infection and may ...
Tue, December 21, 2010
U.S. executions fall due to cost and lack of lethal drug
By Chris Michaud
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States executed fewer people this year, in part because there is a shortage of the drug ...
Thu, December 16, 2010
Oklahoma uses animal euthanasia drug in execution
By Ben Fenwick
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Oklahoma put to death a man on Thursday convicted of strangling his prison cellmate, using for the first ...
Tue, December 14, 2010
Sullivan County Jailers Catch Drug Smuggler
SULLIVAN, Ind. (WIBQ) - She had been visiting inmates at the jail, but now a Sullivan County woman is one of them. Sullivan County Jail ...
Sun, December 12, 2010
Cytokinetics drug helps ALS patients in small trial
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A small trial of Cytokinetics Inc's experimental drug for patients suffering from amyotropic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig ...
Sat, December 11, 2010
Drug shootout mars religious festival in Mexico
GUADALAJARA Mexico (Reuters) - Suspected drug cartel gunmen attacked each other during annual religious celebrations in a small Mexican town, killing 11 people and wounding ...
Sat, December 11, 2010
Supreme Court to decide generic drug labeling issue
By James Vicini
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would decide whether generic drug companies could be sued under state ...
Fri, December 10, 2010
19 Indicted On Drug Charges
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WIBQ) - A federal grand jury in Terre Haute has indicted 19 people as part of a methamphetamine trafficking investigation in Indiana ...
Thu, December 09, 2010
Corrected: Businesses seek refuge from drug war in Mexico City
(Corrects number of years in penultimate paragraph) By Mica Rosenberg and Anahi Rama
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico City, known for its high crime rates ...
Wed, December 08, 2010
Businesses flee to Mexico City as drug war grows
By Mica Rosenberg and Anahi Rama
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico City, known for its high crime rates and kidnappings, is becoming a safe haven ...
Tue, December 07, 2010
U.S. takes step to government drug development center
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government took a big step toward getting more involved in developing drugs ...
Mon, December 06, 2010
Harms often surface years after cancer drug approval
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects often go unreported until years after cancer drugs have been approved ...
Sun, December 05, 2010
Remission rate 34 pct for Seattle Genetics drug
By Deena Beasley
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A pivotal trial of Seattle Genetics' experimental cancer-targeting antibody for patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma found that more ...
Sat, December 04, 2010
Cyclacel drug promising in myelodysplastic syndrome
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly a third of patients with the blood cancer myelodysplastic syndrome who were not helped by prior treatment ...
Fri, December 03, 2010
Army captures U.S. teen drug hitman in central Mexico
CUERNAVACA, Mexico (Reuters) - Soldiers captured a 14-year-old U.S. citizen suspected of being a drug gang hitman as he attempted to travel to the ...
Fri, December 03, 2010
Bling ring member Neiers arrested for drug possession
Neiers, who starred in U.S. series Pretty Wild, is on probation after pleading no contest to a single count of first-degree residential burglary ...
Fri, December 03, 2010
Stern fights Smith drug conviction
Earlier this year (10), Stern was found guilty on two charges of conspiracy, for giving false names and acting by fraud to obtain prescriptions ...
Wed, December 01, 2010
Study says Huntington's tests to aid drug search
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have developed a new range of tests that allow them to track the progression of Huntington's disease ...
Wed, December 01, 2010
FDA declines to OK Glaxo epilepsy drug for now
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve an experimental epilepsy drug from GlaxoSmithKline and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, the ...
Wed, December 01, 2010
Glaxo drops version of resveratrol "red wine" drug
LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline has discontinued work on one version of a drug that mimics a health-boosting compound found in red wine, following disappointing clinical ...
Tue, November 30, 2010
FDA staff note risks of AstraZeneca cancer drug
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An experimental AstraZeneca pill to treat inoperable thyroid cancer carries "substantial toxicity" for patients, U.S. drug reviewers said ...
Mon, November 29, 2010
Diet drug faces U.S. test after rivals fall short
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The last of a trio of diet drug hopefuls faces scrutiny next week, after two rivals failed to convince ...
Mon, November 29, 2010
Four years on, drug war bleeds Mexican heartland
By Michael O'Boyle and Miguel Angel Gutierrez
MORELIA, Michoacan (Reuters) - A four-year army crackdown in Mexico's methamphetamine-producing heartland has provoked a dizzying ...
Mon, November 29, 2010
J&J must pay Basilea $130 million for drug license breach
By Katie Reid
ZURICH (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson <JNJ.N> must pay former Swiss partner Basilea <BSLN.S> about $130 million for breaching a license ...
Fri, November 26, 2010
Rio police give ultimatum to slum drug traffickers
By Pedro Fonseca
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Police in Rio de Janeiro gave drug traffickers holed up in a hillside slum an ultimatum on ...
Fri, November 26, 2010
New drug tunnel found at U.S.-Mexico border
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - U.S. border agents said on Friday they had found a multimillion dollar drug-smuggling tunnel under the U ...
Fri, November 26, 2010
Bad blood grows between Swiss drug CEOs
By Katie Reid
ZURICH (Reuters) - Relations have turned icy between the CEOs of Roche and Novartis as Switzerland's top two drug executives defend ...
Fri, November 26, 2010
Routine Traffic Stops Turns Into Drug Bust
SULLIVAN, Ind. (WIBQ) - Police made a pot bust during a traffic stop Thursday. According to a news release issued by the Indiana State Police ...
Wed, November 24, 2010
New drug shows promise against Asian liver fluke
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental drug called tribendimidine could help cure millions of people infected with a parasitic worm known as the ...
Wed, November 24, 2010
Studies show how skin cancer evades promising drug
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. researchers have uncovered several ways in which melanoma can outsmart a promising experimental cancer pill called PLX4032 ...
Fri, November 19, 2010
Helix says FDA puts its cancer drug on clinical hold
Bangalore (Reuters) - Canadian biopharmaceutical company Helix BioPharma Corp said its experimental cancer treatment was placed on clinical hold by U.S. regulators, seeking additional ...
Fri, November 19, 2010
J&J, Takeda recall batches of cancer drug Velcade
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson and Millennium Pharmaceuticals are recalling thousands of vials of the cancer drug Velcade sold in Europe ...
Fri, November 19, 2010
Mexico begins extradition of drug lord to U.S.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico began the process of extraditing Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez, believed to be one of the country's top drug bosses ...
Fri, November 19, 2010
Stolen jacket sparked Patrick's drug and booze bender
The 57 year old, who played Eddie Munster on the hit 1960s TV series, has long battled problems with cocaine, marijuana and alcohol, but ...
Thu, November 18, 2010
FDA OKs Amgen's bone drug in certain cancers
By Deena Beasley
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Amgen Inc's bone drug denosumab as a treatment ...
Thu, November 18, 2010
Study of Pfizer, Bristol drug halted by bleeding
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a clinical setback, Pfizer Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said a late stage study of their closely-watched ...
Thu, November 18, 2010
Arthritis drug less effective for obese patients
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese adults with rheumatoid arthritis may be less likely than thinner people to respond to some of ...
Thu, November 18, 2010
J&J, Takeda recall batches of cancer drug Velcade
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson and Millennium Pharmaceuticals are recalling thousands of vials of the cancer drug Velcade sold in Europe ...
Thu, November 18, 2010
Drug-resistant malaria feared in Southeast Asia
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - A form of malaria resistant to the most powerful drugs available may have emerged along the Thai-Myanmar border as ...
Thu, November 18, 2010
Exelixis prostate, ovarian cancer drug shows promise
BANGALORE (Reuters) - Cancer drug developer Exelixis Inc said interim data from two mid-stage trials of an experimental drug showed promise in patients with a ...
Thu, November 18, 2010
Lohan's mother making drug movie
The Mean Girls star's mum heads up production company Defiant Pictures and she is working on a new drama called Growing Defiant.
The ...
Tue, November 16, 2010
Drug fails to protect kidneys from X-ray dye
By Susan Kelly
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A drug used to protect the kidneys from contrast dye during X-rays of the heart's blood vessels does ...
Tue, November 16, 2010
Drug-coated stents safe for large heart arteries
By Debra Sherman and Ransdell Pierson
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Drug-coated heart stents are as safe as the old bare metal variety for patients with narrowed ...
Tue, November 16, 2010
Advisers recommend Human Genome lupus drug
By Lisa Richwine
ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - The first new lupus treatment in half a century moved closer to U.S. approval on Tuesday as ...
Mon, November 15, 2010
Studies show drug-resistant bug threats in Europe
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Drug-resistant infections with the "superbug" Clostridium difficile are rising in Europe and are widespread, scientists said on Tuesday, but ...
Mon, November 15, 2010
Doctors say blood-clot drug race too close to call
By Ransdell Pierson and Debra Sherman
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A half dozen experimental stroke-prevention drugs, and one already on the market, are racing for their ...
Mon, November 15, 2010
Bayer, J&J anti-clot drug shines in stroke trial
By Ransdell Pierson
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A once-daily pill being developed by Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson was better at preventing stroke than standard treatment ...
Sun, November 14, 2010
Pfizer heart-failure drug helps milder patients: study
By Ransdell Pierson and Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - People with mild heart failure lived longer and fared better by adding Pfizer's drug Inspra ...
Fri, November 12, 2010
Human Genome lupus drug draws questions; stock off
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers asked if the benefits of a long-awaited Human Genome Sciences Inc lupus drug outweighed concerns ...
Thu, November 11, 2010
Diabetes drug tied to less cancer, has docs excited
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The suspected cancer-fighting effects of the cheap diabetes drug metformin just got more backing from two new ...
Wed, November 10, 2010
Time for drug price rethink for chronic diseases
By Ben Hirschler
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The world's top drugmakers have slashed prices for medicines to fight AIDS and malaria. Now the debate ...
Tue, November 09, 2010
Ex-Glaxo lawyer indicted for role in U.S. drug probe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former lawyer for pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline Plc has been indicted for lying and obstructing an investigation into the company's promotion ...
Tue, November 09, 2010
Arena drug helps diabetics lose weight in trial
By Deena Beasley
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A new clinical trial of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc's diet pill, which was turned down last month by ...
Mon, November 08, 2010
Government breaks up Denver-based drug ring
DENVER (Reuters) - A retired Denver fire lieutenant was among 35 alleged traffickers indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury on suspicion of smuggling ...
Mon, November 08, 2010
U.S. doctors still too cozy with drug industry: survey
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Doctors in the United States are still too cozy with drug companies, although they have managed to break some ...
Mon, November 08, 2010
Growth rate of U.S. cancer drug sales slows
By Deena Beasley
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New cancer drugs are a top priority for most pharmaceutical companies these days, but the sector's sales ...
Sun, November 07, 2010
Pfizer arthritis drug succeeds in late stage trial
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK, Nov 7 Reuters) - A closely watched experimental drug for rheumatoid arthritis being developed by Pfizer Inc significantly reduced symptoms ...
Sat, November 06, 2010
Gunmen block roads after Mexican drug lord killed
By Robin Emmott
MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Rival gunmen blocked roads near the U.S. border and strung up threatening banners on Saturday after marines ...
Fri, November 05, 2010
Human Genome pins blockbuster hopes on lupus drug
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Biotech company Human Genome Sciences Inc <HGSI.O> stands on the verge of blockbuster success with a new drug ...
Thu, November 04, 2010
Six Americans killed in Mexico's drug war city
By Julian Cardona
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Gunmen have killed six U.S. citizens in separate attacks since Saturday in the violent border city ...
Wed, November 03, 2010
Hemophilia drug can damage heart, study finds
By Gene Emery
BOSTON (Reuters) - Using high doses of Novo Nordisk's anti-clotting medicine to treat dangerous bleeding in non-hemophiliacs may raise the risk ...
Wed, November 03, 2010
U.S. border cops find massive Mexico drug tunnel
SAN DIEGO, California (Reuters) - U.S. border police have found a sophisticated drug smugglers' tunnel the length of six football fields linking Southern California ...
Tue, November 02, 2010
Medco sees generic drug gains to 2020, shares jump
By Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Medco Health Solutions Inc <MHS.N> projected earnings would rise as much as 17 percent next year despite ...
Sun, October 31, 2010
Drug experts say alcohol worse than crack or heroin
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Alcohol is a more dangerous drug than both crack and heroin when the combined harms to the user and ...
Sat, October 30, 2010
Black patients fare well on Vertex hepatitis C drug
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A closer look at data from a late stage trial of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc's eagerly anticipated hepatitis ...
Sat, October 30, 2010
Anna Nicole Smith drug trial jury decision imminent
The tragic actress/model's physicians Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich and Smith's lawyer and companion Howard K. Stern stand accused of conspiring ...
Thu, October 28, 2010
Anna Nicole Smith boyfriend convicted in drug trial
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Anna Nicole Smith's former boyfriend and a doctor were convicted on Thursday of helping to keep the former Playboy model ...
Wed, October 27, 2010
Some tumors may resist promising lung cancer drug
By Gene Emery
BOSTON (Reuters) - A promising cancer pill that could help as many as 5 percent of people with the most common type ...
Wed, October 27, 2010
Teens lie about drug use, and so do their parents
By Alison McCook
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - There is a huge discrepancy between the number of at-risk teens who admit to using drugs and ...
Tue, October 26, 2010
Trio Arrested On Drug Charges
WEST TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WIBQ) - A police raid Sunday night resulted in the arrest of three people on meth-related charges. The Vigo County Drug ...
Tue, October 26, 2010
Australian golfer's drug bust has damaged Japan tour: director
By Alastair Himmer
TOKYO (Reuters) - An Australian golfer's arrest for suspected cocaine possession has seriously damaged the integrity of Japan's professional tour ...
Mon, October 25, 2010
Swiss drug policy should serve as model: experts
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - Switzerland's innovative policy of providing drug addicts with free methadone and clean needles has greatly reduced deaths while ...
Mon, October 25, 2010
Mexicans mourn slain party-goers in drug war city
By Julian Cardona
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Families mourned on Sunday the victims of one of Mexico's worst shootings, weeping over the open ...
Sat, October 23, 2010
FDA rejects weight-loss drug
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Saturday U.S. health officials have rejected its experimental obesity pill, citing cancer risks.
The ...
Fri, October 22, 2010
Mexican agents trained in U.S. to fight drug gangs
By Harriet McLeod
NORTH CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Twenty-four Mexican customs agents completed a 10-week training course in South Carolina on Friday, the first ...
Fri, October 22, 2010
Jailed dads tied to greater risk of kids' drug use
By Lynne Peeples
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids whose dads have put in time behind bars may be at a greater risk for using ...
Thu, October 21, 2010
Authorities Bust Up Drug Distribution Ring
WASHINGTON, Ind. (WIBQ) - After and eight month investigation, five people are in jail on drug charges. According to the US Attorney's office those ...
Wed, October 20, 2010
FDA warns of prostate cancer drug risks
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hormone treatments for prostate cancer need new warnings about a small increased risk of diabetes and heart problems including sudden death, U ...
Wed, October 20, 2010
Drug companies influence prescribing, study finds
By Tan Ee Lyn
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Doctors tend to prescribe drugs that pharmaceutical companies promote to them and patients end up paying more but ...
Wed, October 20, 2010
Baldness drug works, but some have sexual problems
By Alison McCook
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The widely used baldness drug finasteride (Propecia) indeed boosts hair growth in men, but some may develop ...
Tue, October 19, 2010
FDA seeks more data on Amylin, Lilly diabetes drug
By Deena Beasley
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators declined on Tuesday to approve a diabetes drug being developed by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc ...
Tue, October 19, 2010
Drug companies influence prescribing, study finds
By Tan Ee Lyn
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Doctors tend to prescribe drugs that pharmaceutical companies promote to them and patients end up paying more but ...
Tue, October 19, 2010
Drug companies pay 17,000 U.S. doctors, report finds
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 17,000 doctors and other healthcare providers have taken money from seven major drug companies to talk to other doctors ...
Mon, October 18, 2010
Osteoporosis drug regrows jaw bone: study
By Gene Emery
BOSTON (Reuters) - The osteoporosis drug Forteo can regrow bone in jaws damaged by severe bone-destroying conditions called osteonecrosis and periodontitis, doctors ...
Sat, October 16, 2010
Lilly osteoporosis drug regrows jaw bone: study
By Gene Emery
BOSTON (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co's osteoporosis drug Forteo can regrow bone in jaws damaged by severe bone-destroying conditions called ...
Fri, October 15, 2010
Roc-a-Fella Records founder charged in drug case
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A hip-hop mogul who founded Roc-a-Fella Records with rapper Jay-Z was among 50 people charged on Friday with trafficking tons of ...
Fri, October 15, 2010
Margera was detained in New Zealand after fan slipped drug in his drink
The stuntman reveals someone slipped a powerful drug into his drink at the New Zealand after-show party, and by the time he got to ...
Thu, October 14, 2010
Drug gangs threaten Mexican mining industry
By Mica Rosenberg
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mining firms have shuttered a handful of exploration projects in remote areas of Mexico as the industry grapples ...
Thu, October 14, 2010
Genzyme MS drug data remains strong after 5 years
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Genzyme Corp presented new data from a trial of its experimental multiple sclerosis drug alemtuzumab on Thursday that continued ...
Thu, October 14, 2010
GSK to raise de-worming drug donations to Africa
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline is to donate up to an extra 400 million doses of its de-worming drug albendazole to the World ...
Wed, October 13, 2010
UK's NICE to reassess Glaxo's Tyverb cancer drug
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's drug funding watchdog NICE said on Thursday patients taking GlaxoSmithKline's breast cancer pill Tyverb can continue with the drug ...
Wed, October 13, 2010
Drug war bloodshed tarnishes Mexico's richest city
By Robin Emmott
MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Once an oasis of calm, Mexico's richest city has become a central battleground in the country's ...
Wed, October 13, 2010
Otha Scott Agrees To Plea Deal In Drug Case
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WIBQ) - A former youth coach in Terre Haute has apparently accepted a plea agreement for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to ...
Tue, October 12, 2010
Pfizer depression drug ineffective, may be harmful: study
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Pfizer's antidepressant reboxetine is an "ineffective and potentially harmful" drug and published data on it overestimates the benefits ...
Mon, October 11, 2010
FDA gives thumbs down to Jazz drug; market feels no pain
By Krishnakali Sengupta
BANGALORE (Reuters) - Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc said the U.S. health regulator did not approve its experimental drug to treat fibromyalgia, but ...
Mon, October 11, 2010
FDA holds up approval of Alexza's anti-psychotic drug
By Shravya Jain
BANGALORE (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators declined to approve Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc's drug to treat agitation in patients with schizophrenia ...
Mon, October 11, 2010
Abbott psoriasis drug succeeds in pivotal trial
NEW York (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories' experimental psoriasis treatment briakinumab, which is awaiting U.S. and European approval decisions, demonstrated superior skin clearance rates compared ...
Mon, October 11, 2010
J&J drug offers hope in advanced prostate cancer
By Ben Hirschler
MILAN (Reuters) - Men with advanced prostate cancer lived nearly four months longer on a new pill from Johnson & Johnson, according to ...
Mon, October 11, 2010
Abbott psoriasis drug succeeds in pivotal trial
NEW York (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories' experimental psoriasis treatment briakinumab, which is awaiting U.S. and European approval decisions, demonstrated superior skin clearance rates compared ...
Mon, October 11, 2010
Allos reports cancer drug results, shares fall
By Deena Beasley
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A mid-stage trial found that advanced lung cancer patients treated with Allos Therapeutics Inc's Folotyn lived for ...
Mon, October 11, 2010
BrainStorm to begin ALS drug trials in Israel
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics will begin clinical trials of its stem cell treatment for the neurological disease ALS after receiving clearance ...
Mon, October 11, 2010
J&J drug offers hope in advanced prostate cancer
By Ben Hirschler
MILAN (Reuters) - Men with advanced prostate cancer lived nearly four months longer on a new pill from Johnson & Johnson, according to ...
Mon, October 11, 2010
Novartis drug helps rare tumors, filing this year
By Ben Hirschler
MILAN (Reuters) - Patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors, a rare type of cancer, lived 5.1 months longer without their disease worsening ...
Sun, October 10, 2010
New melanoma drug may shrink brain tumors
MILAN (Reuters) - An experimental melanoma drug from GlaxoSmithKline managed to shrink secondary tumors in the brains of nine patients with advanced disease, according to ...
Fri, October 08, 2010
Jury gets case in Anna Nicole Smith drug trial
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The trial of three people charged with keeping former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith loaded up on painkillers went to the ...
Fri, October 08, 2010
U.S. pulls Abbott's Meridia diet drug off market
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories' has pulled its controversial diet drug, Meridia, off the U.S. market after regulators said it was ...
Thu, October 07, 2010
Anna Nicole Smith drug trial nears its end
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A lawyer for the ex-boyfriend of Anna Nicole Smith lashed out at prosecutors on Thursday for calling her "an out-of-control drug ...
Wed, October 06, 2010
Prostate drug finasteride helps urinary problems
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Long-term use of the drug Proscar cuts the need for surgery in men with enlarged prostates, according ...
Wed, October 06, 2010
Experimental Novartis drug helps range of diseases
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental new antibody drug from Novartis has proved safe and effective in treating three diseases involving inflammation -- scaly ...
Tue, October 05, 2010
Hilfiger's son escapes drug prosecution
Richard Hilfiger's car was pulled over in Hollywood earlier this summer (10) and taken into custody after officers allegedly found cannabis in his ...
Mon, October 04, 2010
FDA seeks more data on J&J pain drug
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have requested more data on Johnson & Johnson's chronic pain treatment before they will approved the product ...
Sun, October 03, 2010
Fresenius Kabi recalls India unit drug from U.S.: report
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Fresenius Kabi Oncology Ltd has seen two batches of a cancer drug shipped to the U.S. being recalled by ...
Fri, October 01, 2010
Humana, Wal-Mart unveil low-cost Medicare drug plan
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Health insurer Humana Inc <HUM.N> and Wal-Mart Stores Inc <WMT.N> will team up to offer a U.S. Medicare ...
Fri, October 01, 2010
LaBeouf's money saved his drug-dealing father
The Transformers actor was determined to succeed as a movie star so his dad Jeffrey would be able to stop selling cannabis to fund ...
Thu, September 30, 2010
Corrected: Rapper Kid Cudi drug charge may be dismissed
(Spokeswoman says no plea was entered, corrects headline, paragraphs 1,2, and 4) NEW YORK (Reuters) - A drug possession charge against U.S. rapper ...
Wed, September 29, 2010
Judge dismisses 2 charges in Anna Nicole drug trial
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A judge on Wednesday dismissed two charges against Howard K. Stern, the former lawyer and boyfriend of Anna Nicole Smith, in ...
Wed, September 29, 2010
Signs that Amgen bone drug may block breast tumors
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - The same mechanism that makes Amgen's new bone drug denosumab an effective treatment for osteoporosis may also mean ...
Wed, September 29, 2010
Bristol-Myers recalls blood pressure drug Avalide
By Debra Sherman
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co is recalling 60 million tablets of the blood pressure medication Avalide in the United States and ...
Wed, September 29, 2010
Smith drug conspiracy case handed to the jury
The actress/model's companion and lawyer Howard K. Stern and doctors Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich stand accused of providing excessive medication to ...
Tue, September 28, 2010
Rapper Kid Cudi guilty on drug charge, avoids jail
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. rapper Kid Cudi has pleaded guilty to drug possession, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney said on Tuesday ...
Tue, September 28, 2010
Automatic drug safety system can delay treatment
By Anne Harding
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Computerized systems intended to stop doctors from prescribing dangerous drug combinations can cause potentially harmful treatment delays ...
Mon, September 27, 2010
Media leading 'drug educator' for kids, doctors say
Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite severe restrictions on tobacco advertising, youths are still too often exposed to media depicting smoking and drinking ...
Mon, September 27, 2010
Valey Residents Help Fight Prescription Drug Fight
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WIBQ) - In an effort to fight the increasing problem of abused prescription drugs, the Drug Enforcement Administration held it's first ...
Mon, September 27, 2010
AstraZeneca drug fails in prostate cancer trial
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca's experimental prostate cancer pill zibotentan failed to improve survival in a late-stage clinical trial, dealing a fresh ...
Mon, September 27, 2010
Reynolds escapes random road-side drug test
The Proposal star was stunned when his car was pulled over by ""creepy"" cops one morning - and he was asked to go to a ...
Mon, September 27, 2010
Media leading "drug educator" for kids, doctors say
Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite severe restrictions on tobacco advertising, youths are still too often exposed to media depicting smoking and drinking ...
Fri, September 24, 2010
ADHD drug benefits child cancer survivors
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who develop problems with memory, attention and behavior after cancer treatment may gain some long-term benefit ...
Thu, September 23, 2010
Hilton questioned in Japan after drug conviction
The socialite was handed a one-year suspended sentence on Monday (20Sep10) and ordered to attend a substance abuse program after she was caught with ...
Wed, September 22, 2010
Lindsay Lohan Fails Second Drug Test, Arrest Warrant Issued
Lindsay Lohan failed a drug test on Friday that TMZ reports was for cocaine, and her sacrifice gave us nice weather for the weekend ...
Wed, September 22, 2010
Hilton given suspended sentence in Las Vegas drug case
The socialite was detained on 27 August (10) when a small bag of white powder fell out of her purse in front of a ...
Mon, September 20, 2010
Democrats unveil global drug safety bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. inspections of overseas pharmaceutical plants would increase and regulators would gain new recall power under proposals unveiled by Democrats in ...
Mon, September 20, 2010
U.S. panel backs Boehringer drug to reduce strokes
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. advisory panel on Monday backed Boehringer Ingelheim's proposed drug to prevent strokes in people with a ...
Mon, September 20, 2010
Djalili mimics Khan for drug dealer role
The Infidel actor plays real-life Pakistani drug baron Saleem Malik in the new movie, which chronicles the life of famed marijuana smuggler Howard Marks ...
Mon, September 20, 2010
Novartis lung drug better than salmeterol in COPD
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis' lung drug Onbrez Breezhaler allows patients with a deadly lung disease to breathe more easily than a current mainstay treatment, adding ...
Fri, September 17, 2010
Lindsay Lohan ordered to court over failed drug test
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lindsay Lohan was ordered on Monday to appear in court after admitting that she failed a court-ordered drug test a few ...
Fri, September 17, 2010
Glaxo kidney cancer drug shrinks thyroid tumors: study
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - In a small study, GlaxoSmithKline's cancer drug Votrient helped shrink tumors in nearly half of patients with an ...
Fri, September 17, 2010
FDA reviewing safety of Actos diabetes drug
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it was reviewing if Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd's blockbuster diabetes drug Actos ...
Fri, September 17, 2010
U.S. invests in drug to protect against radiation
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Tiny biotech Cleveland BioLabs Inc has won a $45 million contract from the Department of Defense to conduct clinical ...
Fri, September 17, 2010
FDA reviewing safety of Actos diabetes drug
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday its has begun a safety review of diabetes drug Actos after ...
Fri, September 17, 2010
Company-funded drug studies find harm less often
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When drugmakers fund studies, scientists are much less likely to find potentially harmful drug effects in the ...
Fri, September 17, 2010
Arena plunges, blames FDA panel over obesity drug
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Shares of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc<ARNA.O> plunged anew on Friday as the company blamed a lack of understanding ...
Fri, September 17, 2010
Study Shows Drug Use Continues To Climb
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WIBQ) - Drug use in America is up and the Wabash Valley is not immune to the trend. But, police say they ...
Fri, September 17, 2010
Dozens killed in Mexican drug shootouts: reports
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican soldiers killed 22 suspected drug gunmen in a two-hour firefight on Wednesday night, local media reported on Thursday.
The gun ...
Thu, September 16, 2010
Arena defends diet drug safety to U.S. panel
By Lisa Richwine
ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers criticized Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc's defense of a proposed weight-loss pill on Thursday, as ...
Wed, September 15, 2010
U.S. panel splits on Abbott diet drug ban
ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. advisory panel was divided over whether to recommend banning Abbott Laboratories' controversial weight-loss drug on Wednesday, although most ...
Wed, September 15, 2010
Swine flu can become drug-resistant quickly: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A swine flu virus infecting a woman in Singapore mutated into a drug-resistant form virtually overnight, doctors reported in a study that ...
Wed, September 15, 2010
Abbott defends diet drug in fight for U.S. market
By Susan Heavey and Lisa Richwine
ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories, in the thick of a battle to reshape the struggling obesity drug sector ...
Wed, September 15, 2010
FDA approves new drug for tough-to-treat gout
BANGALORE (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc's gout drug in adults who do not ...
Tue, September 14, 2010
FDA cites concerns with Alkermes addiction drug
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alkermes Inc's drug to help wean alcoholics from drinking appears to also help treat people addicted to certain ...
Tue, September 14, 2010
FDA staff question Arena diet drug, shares plunge
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc's proposed diet pill worked only "by a slim margin" and raised concerns about memory loss ...
Tue, September 14, 2010
George Michael jailed for drug-drive offence
LONDON (Reuters) - British singer George Michael was sentenced to eight weeks in jail on Tuesday for driving under the influence of cannabis when he ...
Mon, September 13, 2010
Asthma drug may help multiple sclerosis: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The common asthma drug albuterol can help patients with multiple sclerosis, perhaps by tamping down an overactive immune system, U.S. researchers ...
Mon, September 13, 2010
U.S. to ask panel whether to ban Abbott diet drug
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials plan to ask expert advisers whether to pull Abbott Laboratories' controversial weight-loss drug Meridia off ...
Mon, September 13, 2010
Mexican marines capture top drug lieutenant
By Adriana Barrera
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican marines captured a top lieutenant of a leading drug cartel on Sunday, officials said, as authorities intensified ...
Sun, September 12, 2010
UK charity to test experimental Astra cancer drug
LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has agreed a deal with the commercial arm of a British charity to take an experimental cancer drug into early clinical ...
Fri, September 10, 2010
Roche suspends dosing in diabetes drug trials
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Roche Holding has stopped giving patients its experimental diabetes treatment taspoglutide in late stage clinical trials due to a high rate ...
Fri, September 10, 2010
UK's NICE wants more data on schizophrenia drug
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's healthcare cost watchdog said it was unable to recommend use of Bristol-Myers Squibb's schizophrenia drug Abilify in children aged ...
Fri, September 10, 2010
State Gets $500K After Drug Maker Settles Lawsuit
MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Wisconsin will get over a half-million dollars after a drug company agreed to settle a lawsuit.
Ortho-McNeil-Janssen was accused of marketing ...
Fri, September 10, 2010
Winstone laments youth drug use
The Sexy Beast star admits his greatest fear for his three daughters is substance abuse after witnessing how drugs have wrecked the potential of ...
Thu, September 09, 2010
J&J widens access as cancer drug helps survival
NEW YORK (Reuters) - All patients in a study of a Johnson & Johnson drug for advanced prostate cancer will be offered the medicine after an ...
Thu, September 09, 2010
UK's NICE wants more data on BMS schizophrenia drug
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's healthcare cost watchdog said it was unable to recommend use of Bristol-Myers Squibb's schizophrenia drug Abilify in children aged ...
Thu, September 09, 2010
Penn's rep hits back at Jean's drug allegations
The former Fugees star's recent bid to become president of his native Haiti was heavily criticised by Penn, who has been at the ...
Wed, September 08, 2010
Clinton sees drug "insurgency" in Mexico and Central America
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug gangs in Mexico and Central America are morphing into an insurgency like that which gripped Colombia 20 years ago, Secretary of ...
Wed, September 08, 2010
Drug co. paid writers to promote hormone therapy
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Drugmaker Wyeth used ghostwriters to play up the benefits and downplay the harm of hormone replacement therapy in articles ...
Tue, September 07, 2010
U.S. court declines a review of drug patent deals
By Grant McCool
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. Appeals Court on Tuesday declined to consider a deeper legal review of patent settlements by ...
Tue, September 07, 2010
Rapper T.I. Arrested For Drug Possession
Rapper and Takers star T.I. and his wife went on their merry ways this morning once they posted $10,000 bail after being ...
Sat, September 04, 2010
Mexican judge orders drug lord held 40 more days
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Mexican judge ordered Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez, believed to be one of the country's top drug bosses, held for ...
Fri, September 03, 2010
Special Report: Outgunned FDA tries to get tough with drug ads
Corrects spelling of Gleevec in 12th paragraph
By Susan Heavey and Lisa Richwine
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - It wasn't what you would call ...
Fri, September 03, 2010
Hilton banned from Vegas resorts after drug arrest
The socialite and her boyfriend Cy Waits were driving along Sin City's famous Strip when their car was pulled over by cops, who ...
Thu, September 02, 2010
Drug shootout with army kills 25 in Mexico
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least 25 suspected drug gang members were killed in an army raid in rural northeastern Mexico on Thursday, the army ...
Thu, September 02, 2010
Experimental Novartis drug shows malaria promise
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental Novartis drug can clear malaria infection in mice with a single dose and scientists say it shows ...
Thu, September 02, 2010
Rapper T.I. arrested for drug possession in LA
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper T.I. has been released from jail after being arrested on suspicion of possessing ecstasy, police said on Thursday.
T ...
Wed, September 01, 2010
Abbott's diet drug study renews calls for U.S. ban
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A study funded by Abbott Laboratories offered more detailed evidence that its weight-loss drug Meridia increases heart risks, prompting ...
Wed, September 01, 2010
Diabetes drug may keep lung cancer at bay
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The common diabetes drug metformin may hold promise as a way to keep smokers from developing lung cancer, U.S. researchers said ...
Wed, September 01, 2010
Cancer drug points way to new Alzheimer's approach
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An altered version of the cancer drug Gleevec could form the basis of a new class of drugs that ...
Wed, September 01, 2010
Hilton to face felony drug charge - report
The socialite and her boyfriend Cy Waits were driving along the Las Vegas strip when their car was pulled over by cops.
Waits was ...
Wed, September 01, 2010
Birkhead opens up about Smith's drug abuse
The photographer gave a candid interview on U.S. breakfast programme Good Morning America on Monday (30Aug10), opening up about being a single parent ...
Tue, August 31, 2010
Drug costs would push millions more into poverty: study
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Tens of millions of people in low and middle income countries would be pushed below the poverty line by ...
Sun, August 29, 2010
Hitmen kill Mexican mayor in drug war state
MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Suspected drug hitmen killed the mayor of a small town in northern Mexico on Sunday in a region where two car ...
Sun, August 29, 2010
Gene testing war looms for AstraZeneca heart drug
By Ben Hirschler, European Pharmaceuticals Correspondent
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Gene testing is shaping up to be a marketing battleground for new blood thinners like AstraZeneca ...
Sat, August 28, 2010
Heart expert says cost cuts may undermine drug R&D
By Ben Hirschler, European Pharmaceuticals Correspondent
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Cutting medicine prices and promoting cheap generics in the way European governments are now doing could ...
Fri, August 27, 2010
FDA gets tougher with certain drug trials
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on use of certain clinical trials that show a ...
Wed, August 25, 2010
Drug hitmen dump 72 bodies at Mexican ranch
By Robin Emmott
MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican marines found 72 corpses at a remote ranch near the U.S. border, the Mexican navy said ...
Wed, August 25, 2010
Study links severe drug reaction to herpes virus
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - A rare and dangerous reaction to a range of common medicines including antibiotics and anticonvulsants may be caused by ...
Tue, August 24, 2010
Diabetes drug Avandia just as safe as Actos: study
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia was no riskier to the heart than a rival, U.S. researchers said on ...
Tue, August 24, 2010
Drug combination helped kill deadly cancer in mice
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Adding an experimental drug to chemotherapy helped wipe out brain cancer cells in mice, offering a promising new treatment ...
Tue, August 24, 2010
Singer George Michael admits drug-drive charge
LONDON (Reuters) - Singer George Michael admitted on Tuesday that he had been under the influence of cannabis when he crashed his car into a ...
Mon, August 23, 2010
Body clock mouse study suggests new drug potential
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have used experimental drugs being developed by Pfizer to reset and restart the body clock of mice in ...
Mon, August 23, 2010
Our Five Favorite On-Screen Drug Dealers
Most people (except for Internet journalists!) have known or crossed paths with a drug dealer -- at least enough to understand just why and how ...
Fri, August 20, 2010
FDA to review heart risks of Parkinson's drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it will examine the potential heart risks of Novartis AG's Parkinson ...
Wed, August 18, 2010
FDA staff: Jazz drug works, risk plan an issue
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers said a Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc medicine helped patients with the pain disorder fibromyalgia, sending shares ...
Tue, August 17, 2010
Lilly halts Alzheimer's drug as symptoms worsen
By Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co halted development of an Alzheimer's drug after it worsened patients' symptoms in late-stage ...
Mon, August 16, 2010
Drug hitmen kidnap Mexican mayor near U.S. border
By Robin Emmott
MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Suspected drug hitmen have abducted the mayor of a tourist town near Mexico's northern city of Monterrey ...
Mon, August 16, 2010
U.S. proposes withdrawal of Shire hypotension drug
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials for the first time have proposed withdrawing approval of a prescription drug for the manufacturer ...
Mon, August 16, 2010
Drug information from pharmacies found lacking
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The information leaflets pharmacies give to customers along with their prescriptions vary widely in their content, and ...
Fri, August 13, 2010
Can cancer patients benefit from new drug trials?
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with advanced head and neck cancer survived just as well on experimental drugs as they did ...
Fri, August 13, 2010
Court Records: Green Bay Biz Owner "Boss" of Drug Grow Operation
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WTAQ) - Four more people arrested in a series of drug raids in northeast Wisconsin have been charged in federal court.
It ...
Thu, August 12, 2010
Gene testing could have saved weight-loss drug
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Genetic testing might have helped identify people who would become depressed or suicidal while taking Sanofi-Aventis' weight loss drug ...
Thu, August 12, 2010
Drug purity dips with distance from U.S.-Mexico border
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study finds that the purity of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines sold illegally in the U ...
Thu, August 12, 2010
HIV meds don't up IV drug abusers' risk-taking
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite some concerns to the contrary, IV drug abusers who get drug treatment for HIV do not ...
Thu, August 12, 2010
Glaxo's anti-seizure drug may cause meningitis: FDA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc's anti-seizure drug Lamictal can cause a brain inflammation known as aseptic meningitis, U.S. health regulators said on Thursday ...
Wed, August 11, 2010
EU agency allows access to drug side effects data
LONDON (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency has agreed to provide access to studies about drug side effects, following criticism over data secrecy from the ...
Tue, August 10, 2010
Prenatal smoke tied to poorer asthma-drug response
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Studies have shown that children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy may have an increased risk of developing ...
Tue, August 10, 2010
Seymour's estranged husband must undergo drug testing too
The retired runway beauty's messy split from publishing mogul Peter Brant is set to go to trial next month (Sep10), but the pair ...
Mon, August 09, 2010
Osbourne denies mum's drug fears
Reality TV star Kelly called off her 16-month engagement to Worrall last month (Jul10) after allegedly discovering he had cheated on her.
Following their ...
Fri, August 06, 2010
Tyson took Hangover role to fund drug habit
The former boxing champion appears as himself in 2009 movie, in which he sings along to Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight and punches ...
Wed, August 04, 2010
Mexico drug cartels use gory videos to spread fear
By Mica Rosenberg
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Powerful drug cartels are increasingly using gruesome videos of executions and interrogations to intimidate their rivals, police and ...
Wed, August 04, 2010
Sheen to testify in trial against drug manufacturers
Marshall, who played U.S. Marine Louden Downey in Tom Cruise's hit 1992 film A Few Good Men, is suing Roche executives over ...
Mon, August 02, 2010
Industry-paid studies likely to favor company drug
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When drugmakers fund studies of their own products, the results are much more likely to be positive ...
Mon, August 02, 2010
Birkhead to testify about Smith's drug use?
Birkhead is helping lawyers for the State of California in their case against the former Playboy beauty's doctors, who are accused of illegally ...
Fri, July 30, 2010
Test designed to screen resistance to cancer drug
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Researchers in Japan have designed a test to identify patients who are likely to be resistant to imatinib, the standard drug ...
Thu, July 29, 2010
Mexican army kills kingpin in drug war coup
By Alberto Fajardo
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican soldiers killed drug boss Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel on Thursday, the first major triumph this year for President ...
Thu, July 29, 2010
California pot sweep linked to Mexican drug cartels
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California authorities said on Thursday they have made dozens of arrests and destroyed marijuana plants worth billions of dollars on farms ...
Thu, July 29, 2010
Obese patients lose weight on new Orexigen drug
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Overweight volunteers who took Orexigen's experimental drug Contrave, designed to reduce cravings, lost about ...
Thu, July 29, 2010
Sanofi seeks Genzyme fix, Astra gets new drug lift
By Ben Hirschler, European Pharmaceuticals Correspondent
LONDON (Reuters) - Hopes for a smart acquisition and a new heart drug overshadowed forecast-beating results from Sanofi-Aventis and ...
Thu, July 29, 2010
Test designed to screen resistance to cancer drug
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Researchers in Japan have designed a test to identify patients who are likely to be resistant to imatinib, the standard drug ...
Wed, July 28, 2010
Drug hitmen kidnap four Mexican journalists: report
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Suspected drug hitmen have kidnapped four Mexican journalists who were reporting on organized crime in northern Mexico, the latest attempt by ...
Tue, July 27, 2010
Drug Company To Pay Michigan $584K
(Lansing, MI) -- Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has announced a settlement with drugmaker Ortho-McNeil-Jannsen, which will give the state 584-thousand dollars. The settlement came ...
Mon, July 26, 2010
Targeting doctors won't reduce ulcer drug overuse
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Education efforts directed at doctors won't prevent overuse of popular ulcer drugs, a new study from the Netherlands shows ...
Mon, July 26, 2010
Pharma seeks FDA clarity on risky drug safeguards
By Jon Lentz
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should better explain its reasons whenever it requires additional safeguards for risky ...
Fri, July 23, 2010
Gilead AIDS drug safe for HIV prevention in study
By Kate Kelland
VIENNA (Reuters) - Gilead's HIV drug tenofovir is safe to be given to men at high risk of contracting the virus ...
Thu, July 22, 2010
J&J AIDS drug shows promise
VIENNA (Reuters) - Two pivotal trials of a Johnson & Johnson experimental HIV drug found it worked as well as an existing drug, with fewer side ...
Wed, July 21, 2010
Some drug firms keen, others reluctant on AIDS pool
By Kate Kelland
VIENNA (Reuters) - Drugmakers Merck, Tibotec and Gilead are in advanced talks with UNITAID about a patent pool to make AIDS drugs ...
Wed, July 21, 2010
Three Arrested on Drug Charges
Seelyville (WIBQ)-A fight among family members lead to 3 arrests and cops finding dozens of pot plants yesterday. An Indiana State Trooper was ...
Wed, July 21, 2010
Glaxo takes new AIDS drug into final-stage tests
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline and its partner Shionogi are progressing a new drug against HIV into final-stage clinical testing, ramping up competition ...
Tue, July 20, 2010
Medicare drug benefit boosts use of heart failure meds
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The Medicare drug benefit may be helping more older Americans with heart failure get the medications recommended for controlling the ...
Mon, July 19, 2010
Pfizer stops pain drug trials at FDA request
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Monday it has suspended chronic pain studies of its experimental drug tanezumab at the request of the ...
Mon, July 19, 2010
AIDS gel with Gilead drug protects women in study
VIENNA (Reuters) - A gel containing a prescription drug can sharply reduce HIV infections in women, a study described as groundbreaking by the World Health ...
Mon, July 19, 2010
Baidu promotes fake drug sites-Chinese TV station
By Melanie Lee and Alexei Oreskovic
SHANGHAI/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A report by China's state-run television station accusing Baidu Inc of promoting counterfeit ...
Sun, July 18, 2010
AIDS drug cocktails halve new HIV cases in study
By Kate Kelland
VIENNA (Reuters) - Treating HIV patients with cocktails of AIDS drugs helps to stop them spreading the infection further and more than ...
Sat, July 17, 2010
Mexico blames drug cartel for deadly car bomb
By Julian Cardona
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - A Mexican drug cartel is responsible for a cell phone-detonated car bomb that killed four people in ...
Fri, July 16, 2010
FDA staff question Roche drug breast cancer data
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The benefits of Roche AG's Avastin may not outweigh the risks for patients with advanced breast cancer, U ...
Thu, July 15, 2010
Dramatic rise in painkiller drug abuse: report
By Emma Ashburn
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials reported a 400 percent increase over 10 years in the proportion of Americans treated for prescription ...
Wed, July 14, 2010
Judge slams FTC in pay-for-delay generic drug case
By Diane Bartz
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A judge hearing a dispute between the Federal Trade Commission and a generic drug company slammed the U.S ...
Wed, July 14, 2010
Gout drug colchicine safe in pregnancy: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The gout drug colchicine is safe for women to take during pregnancy, report researchers from Israel.
In addition to the ...
Tue, July 13, 2010
Drug plus counseling boosts weight loss: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An experimental obesity drug, taken along with formal counseling on lifestyle changes, may spur greater weight loss than counseling alone ...
Tue, July 13, 2010
New obesity drug works, but FDA has safety worries
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first potential new prescription weight-loss pill in more than a decade works, according to FDA staff who also ...
Mon, July 12, 2010
Johnson & Johnson sued over drug recall
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson , the U.S. drugmaker forced to recall children's Tylenol and other over-the-counter pediatric medicines, has been sued in federal ...
Sat, July 10, 2010
Johnson & Johnson sued over pediatric drug recall
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson, the U.S. drugmaker forced to recall children's Tylenol and other over-the-counter pediatric medicines, has been sued in federal ...
Fri, July 09, 2010
J&J says latest drug recalls involved 3 million bottles
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson provided additional details on Friday about its two most recent recalls of Tylenol and other over-the-counter drugs, saying the ...
Fri, July 09, 2010
U.S. experts urge limits for some drug safety trials
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Clinical trials aimed at pinpointing emerging safety problems with drugs already on the market should only be conducted when ...
Fri, July 09, 2010
Britain approves Allergan's Botox drug for migraine
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has become the first country to approve Allergan Inc's anti-wrinkle injection Botox as a treatment for migraine, opening up a ...
Thu, July 08, 2010
A pill to make you smarter? Drug grows brain cells
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have found a drug that can help the brain grow new cells and said ...
Wed, July 07, 2010
Roche submits breast cancer drug for FDA approval
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG has submitted a new breast cancer drug for approval with U.S. health regulators, the group said ...
Tue, July 06, 2010
Drug firms to help WADA identify new doping compounds
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - Major drug companies have agreed to help the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) identify medicinal compounds that have the potential ...
Fri, July 02, 2010
House votes to ban some drug patent settlements
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a ban on some patent agreements between brand name and generic drug companies, deals ...
Thu, July 01, 2010
UK health body rejects Novartis kidney cancer drug
LONDON (Reuters) - Novartis AG's cancer drug Afinitor has been rejected for patients with kidney cancer by Britain's health costs watchdog, which says ...
Thu, July 01, 2010
Cutting drug prices hampers new development: study
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Cutting pharmaceutical prices in the way European governments are doing now will severely reduce the number of new drugs ...
Thu, July 01, 2010
AstraZeneca loses generic drug case versus EU
By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A European Union court backed an EU antitrust decision against Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca Thursday, lending weight to a ...
Wed, June 30, 2010
Cutting drug prices hampers new development: study
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Cutting pharmaceutical prices in the way European governments are doing now will severely reduce the number of new drugs ...
Wed, June 30, 2010
Rapper Lil Wayne gets probation on drug charge
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Rapper Lil Wayne, already serving one year in a New York jail for a gun-related crime, was sentenced on Wednesday to three ...
Wed, June 30, 2010
Man To Face Drug Charges Following Accident
Terre Haute (WIBQ)-An area man is scheduled to be in court Friday, after being arrested on drug charges following an accident on Monday ...
Tue, June 29, 2010
Cubist says urinary infection drug meets study goals
(Reuters) - Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc said its antibiotic drug for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, CXA-101, has met the goals in a mid-stage ...
Mon, June 28, 2010
U.S. studies conflict on Glaxo diabetes drug risk
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two studies reported serious heart risks with GlaxoSmithKline Plc's diabetes pill Avandia while a third contradicted those findings ...
Sun, June 27, 2010
Data shows declining productivity in drug R&D
LONDON (Reuters) - Drugmakers still rely heavily on sales from an aging portfolio of products and the proportion of sales from newer medicines actually fell ...
Fri, June 25, 2010
Accused Jamaican drug lord Coke pleads not guilty
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Accused drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke pleaded not guilty to narcotics and gun trafficking charges at his first New York court ...
Thu, June 24, 2010
UK body rejects Novartis drug Glivec after surgery
LONDON (Reuters) - Glivec, from Novartis, should not be used in patients who have had a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) removed by surgery, Britain's ...
Thu, June 24, 2010
Jamaica turns over alleged drug lord to U.S.
By Horace Helps
KINGSTON (Reuters) - Alleged drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke was extradited to the United States on Thursday, after waiving his right to ...
Thu, June 24, 2010
More Drug Arrests to Come
Brazil (WIBQ)-You may remember the drug sweep in Clay County we told you about last week. The arrests are still coming, say authorities ...
Wed, June 23, 2010
UK's NICE rejects Glaxo, Genmab leukemia drug
LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline leukemia drug Arzerra, licensed from Denmark's Genmab, has been rejected by Britain's cost watchdog NICE in preliminary draft guidance ...
Wed, June 23, 2010
Connecticut subpoenas CVS Caremark over drug program
By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Connecticut's attorney general subpoenaed CVS Caremark Corp <CVS.N> on Wednesday after the company threatened to shut ...
Wed, June 23, 2010
Mexico drug gang threatens Arizona police
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Police in an Arizona border city are on heightened alert after receiving a warning from a Mexican drug cartel that officers may ...
Tue, June 22, 2010
Alleged drug lord "Dudus" Coke captured in Jamaica
By Horace Helps
KINGSTON (Reuters) - Alleged drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke was arrested by police on the outskirts of Kingston on Tuesday, peacefully ending ...
Tue, June 22, 2010
Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Arrest
Greencastle (WIBQ)-A traffic stop in Putnam County leads to the discovery of more than 600 pounds of marijuana. Police haven't said why ...
Mon, June 21, 2010
Pfizer pulls leukemia drug from U.S. market
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drugmaker Pfizer Inc is pulling a decade-old leukemia medicine off the U.S. market after a study found a ...
Mon, June 21, 2010
GTx says muscle-loss drug trial results positive
(Reuters) - GTx Inc said its experimental drug to treat muscle loss was effective in increasing lean body mass and leg muscle strength in post-menopausal ...
Sun, June 20, 2010
Bristol returns cancer drug XL184 to Exelixis
By Deena Beasley
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co will pay another $17 million to end its development collaboration for Exelixis Inc's experimental ...
Fri, June 18, 2010
Clay County Drug Busts
Brazil (WIBQ)-Yesterday Clay County authorities conducted a sweep of suspected drug makers, serving warrants on at least a dozen people charged mostly with ...
Fri, June 18, 2010
Walgreen and CVS settle drug plan fight
By Phil Wahba
NEW YORK (Reuters) - CVS Caremark Corp <CVS.N> and Walgreen Co <WAG.N> ended an 11-day standoff over reimbursements for drug ...
Thu, June 17, 2010
Novartis cancer drug wins wider U.S. approval
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG won wider U.S. approval for its leukemia drug Tasigna to treat a rare form of the ...
Tue, June 15, 2010
Drug-resistant bugs on rise globally: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Health Organization, governments and nonprofit groups are saving lives by distributing drugs to developing countries, but they are not paying ...
Mon, June 14, 2010
CORRECTED: Cheap blood drug "could save 100,000 lives a year"
(Corrects figure in paragraph 12 to 20,000)
By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent
LONDON (Reuters) - A cheap and easily administered medicine that ...
Fri, June 11, 2010
Panel probes marketing of Wyeth transplant drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A House of Representatives committee is investigating reports that drugmaker Wyeth, now a unit of Pfizer Inc, promoted a transplant drug to ...
Fri, June 11, 2010
U.S.-born "Barbie" drug lord takes on Mexican army
By Anahi Rama
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A U.S.-born drug lord nicknamed "La Barbie" for his blond hair and blue eyes is battling ...
Fri, June 11, 2010
Gunmen kill 19 people at Mexico drug rehab clinic
CIUDAD JUAREZ (Reuters) - Armed gunmen burst into a drug recovery clinic in the northern Mexican city of Chihuahua and killed 19 young addicts, the ...
Thu, June 10, 2010
Customs group to fight $200 bln bogus drug industry
By John Irish
PARIS (Reuters) - Counterfeit drugs have become a $200-billion-a-year industry and the 176-nation World Customs Organization (WCO) will sign a declaration later ...
Thu, June 10, 2010
Cheap gout drug shows promise in kidney disease
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - A drug commonly used to treat gout may help patients with chronic kidney disease keep their condition in check ...
Thu, June 10, 2010
Clinton promises U.S. help in Caribbean drug fight
By Andrew Quinn
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday promised Caribbean nations more help in their battle against drug cartels ...
Thu, June 10, 2010
U.S. arrests over 400 in Mexican drug cartel sweep
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 400 people accused of having ties to trafficking for Mexican drug cartels were arrested in 16 U.S. states on ...
Wed, June 09, 2010
Major birth defects tied to common epilepsy drug
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The safety of a popular drug for seizures took another hit Wednesday when researchers pinned a handful ...
Wed, June 09, 2010
Merck drug improves sleep in insomnia study
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - An insomnia drug being developed by Merck & Co was significantly better at improving sleep than a placebo in ...
Tue, June 08, 2010
FDA staff eyes safety of Novartis' MS drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators expressed concern about potential side effects of Novartis AG's multiple sclerosis pill in patients most at risk for ...
Tue, June 08, 2010
Domestic Dispute Leads to Drug Arrest
Terre Haute (WIBQ)-A Terre Haute couple got themselves arrested Monday after police were called to break up an argument between the pair. They ...
Mon, June 07, 2010
Cheap gout drug proves useful for heart pain: study
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - A drug used for more than 40 years to treat gout could also offer a cheap alternative to more ...
Mon, June 07, 2010
Group urges Bristol to protect HIV-drug for babies
By Ransdell Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Board members of an international group that helps ensure patient get access to HIV drugs has warned that ...
Mon, June 07, 2010
Skin cancer drug news boosts Bristol shares
By Lewis Krauskopf and Ben Hirschler
NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's <BMY.N> shares rose more than 8 percent on Monday ...
Mon, June 07, 2010
Walgreen to shun new CVS Caremark drug plans
By Nivedita Bhattacharjee
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Walgreen Co <WAG.N> said it will not be a provider for any new or renewed drug plans ...
Sun, June 06, 2010
Nektar ovarian cancer drug benefits women in study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - About 48 percent of women with advanced ovarian cancer saw sustained benefits from treatment with Nektar Therapeutics' experimental drug NKTR-102 in a ...
Sun, June 06, 2010
Eisai's breast cancer drug extends lives: study
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An experimental breast cancer drug made from sea sponges added months to the lives of ...
Sat, June 05, 2010
Pharmacyclics lymphoma drug shows continued promise
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The latest results from a small, early stage trial of Pharmacyclics Inc's experimental drug for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma showed about 49 ...
Sat, June 05, 2010
Delcath cancer drug delivery system aids survival
By Deena Beasley
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A drug delivery system developed by Delcath Systems Inc helped melanoma patients whose cancer had spread to their liver ...
Sat, June 05, 2010
ArQule drug works best in certain lung cancers
By Deena Beasley
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A mid-stage trial of ArQule Inc's experimental drug ARQ197 showed that it was most effective in certain types ...
Sat, June 05, 2010
Corrected: Amgen drug cuts prostate cancer bone problems
(Adds Zometa data)
By Deena Beasley
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A third pivotal trial of Amgen Inc's denosumab found that it significantly delayed the likelihood ...
Sat, June 05, 2010
Bristol drug extends survival in deadly skin cancer
By Bill Berkrot and Julie Steenhuysen
NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's experimental skin cancer drug ipilimumab added an average of four ...
Sat, June 05, 2010
Drug fights tumors in advanced lung cancer
By Julie Steenhuysen and Bill Berkrot
CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A drug being developed by Pfizer Inc shrank lung cancer tumors in more than ...
Sat, June 05, 2010
Roche drug combats children's brain tumors
By Deena Beasley
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental drug being developed by Roche Holding AG showed promising results in a small, early stage trial involving ...
Sat, June 05, 2010
Amgen drug cuts prostate cancer bone problem risk
By Deena Beasley
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A third pivotal trial of Amgen Inc's denosumab found that it delayed by 21 percent the risk of ...
Thu, June 03, 2010
Extra mutations help flu evade drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two extra mutations set the stage for the seasonal influenza virus to evolve into a form that now resists three of the ...
Wed, June 02, 2010
FDA orders new asthma drug warnings to take effect
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have finalized new warnings for controversial inhaled asthma drugs, but exercised new powers to order ...
Wed, June 02, 2010
Italy joins Europe-wide move to cut drug costs
ROME (Reuters) - Italy is taking new steps to rein in healthcare spending and reduce the country's drugs bill by imposing a cut in ...
Tue, June 01, 2010
FDA approves Amgen osteoporosis drug
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved on Tuesday the sale of Amgen Inc's osteoporosis drug ...
Fri, May 28, 2010
Girl tests experimental drug after virus kills horse
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 12-year-old Australian girl and her mother are the first people to try an experimental treatment for a deadly virus after the ...
Thu, May 27, 2010
Peregrine drug shows promise against breast cancer
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A small, mid-stage trial of an experimental breast cancer drug developed by Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc showed that 74 percent of patients ...
Thu, May 27, 2010
Women Arrested on Drug Charges Again
Clinton (WIBQ)-Two women, already on probation for previous drug arrests, were busted again this week. The women were arrested after a meth lab ...
Thu, May 27, 2010
Sanofi prostate cancer drug shows 28 percent survival
PARIS (Reuters) - Sanofi-Aventis' cabazitaxel candidate prostate cancer drug combined with prednisone reduced the risk of death by 28 percent compared with another treatment, the ...
Wed, May 26, 2010
Drug cocktails cut couples' HIV transmission risk
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - In a study that supports the widespread use of drugs to help control the AIDS pandemic, researchers said on ...
Wed, May 26, 2010
Storm over J&J's child drug recall only grows
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson <JNJ.N was blasted by lawmakers on Thursday for its massive recall of children's medicines, as ...
Wed, May 26, 2010
Germany get surprise visit from drug testers
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany, preparing in Italy for the World Cup starting next month, were taken by surprise when six doping testers showed up unannounced ...
Wed, May 26, 2010
Police Chase Leads to drug Charges
Terre Haute (WIBQ)-A second person has been arrested in connection with last Friday's wild police chase in Vigo County. Jeremy Montgomery, 30 ...
Tue, May 25, 2010
Dennis Quaid sues again over twins drug overdose
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Dennis Quaid has launched another lawsuit against a drug maker over an accidental overdose of the blood-thinner Heparin that threatened ...
Tue, May 25, 2010
Hep C drug achieves 75 percent cure rate: study
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A hepatitis C treatment being developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc led to a 75 percent cure rate in ...
Sun, May 23, 2010
Four killed as Jamaicans clash over drug lord
By Horace Helps
KINGSTON (Reuters) - Soldiers and police stormed a Kingston slum on Monday and traded gunfire with supporters of an alleged Jamaican drug ...
Fri, May 21, 2010
Sea sponge-derived drug treats several cancers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An experimental new breast cancer drug made from sea sponges helped in a range of cancers, from breast cancer to sarcoma, researchers ...
Fri, May 21, 2010
Drug may work in melanoma tumors in brain
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental cancer drug showed early promise at helping patients with advanced melanoma that had spread to the brain ...
Thu, May 20, 2010
Partial response seen with Lilly melanoma drug
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Some patients in a small mid-stage clinical trial had a partial response to treatment with an experimental drug ...
Thu, May 20, 2010
Common diabetes drug linked to vitamin deficiency
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Patients treated over long periods with metformin, a common drug for diabetes, are at risk of developing vitamin B12 ...
Thu, May 20, 2010
Cholesterol drug side effects need watching: study
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - People using cholesterol-lowering statins have a higher risks of liver dysfunction, kidney failure, muscle weakness and cataracts and such ...
Wed, May 19, 2010
Prescription drug use by U.S. children on the rise
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Children were the leading growth demographic for the pharmaceutical industry in 2009, with the increase of prescription drug ...
Wed, May 19, 2010
U.S. tennis player Odesnik gets two-year drug ban
LONDON (Reuters) - American tennis player Wayne Odesnik was handed a two-year ban from competition by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Wednesday for a ...
Tue, May 18, 2010
Drug-resistant TB risk demands push for new drugs
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Multi-drug resistant strains of tuberculosis (TB) could become dominant forms of the disease in the next few decades, adding ...
Tue, May 18, 2010
Drug may prevent lung cancer, study finds
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A drug approved to treat a range of conditions may also work to prevent lung ...
Tue, May 18, 2010
Black babies more often screened for drug exposure
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - African-American newborns may be more likely than their white counterparts to be screened for prenatal drug exposure ...
Sun, May 16, 2010
Halozyme: Baxter made manufacturing errors on drug
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Biopharmaceutical company Halozyme Therapeutics Inc on Sunday said Baxter International Inc has had "manufacturing failures" in making Hylenex, a fluid absorption ...
Fri, May 14, 2010
Illinois Man Facing Drug Charges
Marshall, Illinois (WIBQ)-A Marshall, IL man faces charges of dealing heroin after being arrested in Indiana. Nathan Allen Irvine, 31, was arrested by ...
Fri, May 14, 2010
Drug Ring Kingpins Sentenced
Terre Haute (WIBQ)-Two people, alleged to be the leaders of a massive drug ring operating out of Terre Haute, have been sentenced in ...
Thu, May 13, 2010
Police detain wife of top Mexican drug lord: report
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican police have detained a woman said to be the wife of drug trafficker Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, in the government's ...
Wed, May 12, 2010
EU agency prepares to assess first stem cell drug
By Ben Hirschler, European Pharmaceuticals Correspondent
LONDON (Reuters) - The first regenerative medicine based on stem cells could be filed for approval in Europe later ...
Wed, May 12, 2010
New theory of Alzheimer's explains drug failures
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Brain plaques, long considered the chief killer of brain cells and the cause of Alzheimer's disease, may actually ...
Mon, May 10, 2010
Companies, regulators team up for drug testing
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators, scientists at 17 companies and academic researchers have teamed up in a new international ...
Sat, May 08, 2010
Mexico sends ex-governor to U.S. to face drug charges
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico extradited a former state governor to the United States on Saturday to face charges he helped move hundreds of metric ...
Fri, May 07, 2010
Houston linebacker suspended for violating drug policy
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brian Cushing, the defensive rookie of the year, was suspended four games for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances, dealing ...
Tue, May 04, 2010
Small study of Glaxo "red wine" drug suspended
LONDON (Reuters) - A clinical trial testing an experimental GlaxoSmithKline drug that mimics a health-boosting compound found in red wine has been suspended due to ...
Tue, May 04, 2010
Qnexa weight loss drug lowers blood pressure: study
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An experimental weight loss drug that pairs a stimulant with an epilepsy drug helped patients ...
Tue, May 04, 2010
Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Bust
Terre Haute (WIBQ)-A local woman is being held on 50-thousand dollars cash bail after she was found holding almost 2 grams of methamphetamine ...
Fri, April 30, 2010
Doyle Signs Mental Health, Drug Abuse "Parity" Bill
MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - The mentally-ill and drug addicts will have more access to insurance coverage, under a bill Governor Jim Doyle signed into law ...
Fri, April 30, 2010
Teen to Face Charges in Drug Death
Brazil (WIBQ/WTWO)-A Clay County, Indiana teen will be charged as an adult in the death of another teen earlier this year.
According ...
Thu, April 29, 2010
Study sharpens focus on Glaxo's heart drug hope
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - A scientific study provided support on Friday for a way of fighting heart disease being pioneered by GlaxoSmithKline, likely ...
Thu, April 29, 2010
J&J to pay over $81 million in drug case
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Johnson and Johnson <JNJ.N> subsidiaries agreed to pay more than $81 million to resolve allegations of illegal promotion of the ...
Thu, April 29, 2010
Iraqi doctors use acupuncture during drug shortage
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Iraqi doctors faced with a shortage of drugs in a capital city hit by years of conflict have successfully ...
Wed, April 28, 2010
Iraqi doctors use acupuncture during drug shortage
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Iraqi doctors faced with a shortage of drugs in a capital city hit by years of conflict have successfully ...
Tue, April 27, 2010
U.S. breaks up Mexican drug ring, arrests 34
PHOENIX (Reuters) - U.S. police arrested 34 people and broke up a drug smuggling network that hauled at least 20 tons of marijuana over ...
Tue, April 27, 2010
AstraZeneca, U.S. settle anti-psychotic drug case
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca PLC <AZN.L> has agreed to pay $520 million to settle charges that it illegally marketed and promoted its schizophrenia drug ...
Tue, April 27, 2010
U.S. sledder gets two-year ban for refusing drug test
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Olympic bobsleigh medalist Randal Jones has been given a two-year ban for refusing an out-of-competition doping test.
Jones, who won silver ...
Tue, April 27, 2010
Treasury sanctions Guatemalan drug family
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions against Guatemala's Lorenzana family, accusing them of running one of the country's biggest ...
Mon, April 26, 2010
U.S. sledder gets two-year ban for refusing drug test
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Olympic bobsleigh medalist Randal Jones has been given a two-year ban for refusing an out-of-competition doping test.
Jones, who won silver ...
Sun, April 25, 2010
"Harm reduction" needed to cut drug-user AIDS risk
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Barely a twentieth of the estimated $3.2 billion needed is put into preventing drug users spreading the AIDS ...
Fri, April 23, 2010
U.S. border police train Mexicans for drug fight
By Tim Gaynor
NOGALES, Arizona (Reuters) - In a warehouse in this Arizona border city, a U.S. Border Patrol trainer teaches a Mexican federal ...
Fri, April 23, 2010
After 710 deaths, drug pumps under greater scrutiny
By Ivan Oransky
CHICAGO (Reuters Health) - After more than 50,000 reports of problems with pumps used to deliver drugs, including 710 deaths, the ...
Fri, April 23, 2010
Drug users must be helped to halt AIDS spread: U.N.
By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent
LONDON (Reuters) - Countries in eastern Europe and central Asia face spiralling AIDS epidemics if they fail to ...
Thu, April 22, 2010
Novo's Victoza beats Merck drug in diabetes study
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk's new diabetes drug Victoza proved more effective than Merck & Co's Januvia in a head-to-head study ...
Thu, April 22, 2010
New malaria pill matches Novartis drug in study
LONDON (Reuters) - A new drug for malaria proved as effective as Novartis's leading treatment Coartem in a clinical trial, researchers said on Friday ...
Thu, April 22, 2010
Valero buried amid questions over drug and alcohol abuse
By Javier Faria
EL VIGIA, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan boxer Edwin Valero, who committed suicide Monday in a jail where he was held for killing ...
Wed, April 21, 2010
No drug role in suicide of Marie Osmond's son: officials
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Drugs or alcohol played no role in the suicide of singer Marie Osmond's 18 year-old son, Los Angeles authorities said ...
Wed, April 21, 2010
Drug could stop spinal injuries, researchers say
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Shutting off a single gene can help stop the cascade of damage that can paralyze ...
Wed, April 21, 2010
Diabetes drug tied to reduced breast cancer risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who have used the diabetes drug metformin for more than five years may have a lower risk of breast ...
Tue, April 20, 2010
State Gets Another $7.75M in Drug Company Settlements
MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Wisconsin is getting another $7.75 million from 4 drug companies which allegedly defrauded the state’s Medicaid program. Attorney General ...
Tue, April 20, 2010
Global drug sales to top $1 trillion in 2014: IMS
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global pharmaceutical sales are expected to reach $1.1 trillion in 2014 as growth in emerging markets helps ...
Tue, April 20, 2010
Drug Ring Suspects Face Judge
TERRE HAUTE (WIBQ/WTWO)-Nineteen people who face drug conspiracy charges appeared before a federal judge.
Police arrested them last week.
The government believes ...
Tue, April 20, 2010
Changing old habits could save big on drug costs
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Making simple changes like getting people to take their medicines exactly as directed or to refill their prescriptions on ...
Mon, April 19, 2010
AstraZeneca drug shows promise in ovarian cancer
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental drug from AstraZeneca that blocks a cell repair enzyme known as PARP has shown promise as a ...
Mon, April 19, 2010
New Prescription Drug Drop-Off Box in Green Bay
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WTAQ) - Green Bay residents have a new place to drop off their old or unused medications. A drop-off box is available ...
Mon, April 19, 2010
U.S. aims to bar drug-making lab in polo horse deaths
By Jeremy Pelofsky
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Monday said they were seeking an injunction against a Florida pharmacy that incorrectly mixed medicine ...
Mon, April 19, 2010
T.H. Drug Ring Suspects Appear in Court Today
TERRE HAUTE (WIBQ)-The nineteen people arrested by valley police as part of a huge federal drug bust will appear in court today.
The ...
Sun, April 18, 2010
Test predicts effects of Amgen cancer drug
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers at Amgen found more mutations that show who will not be helped by its ...
Fri, April 16, 2010
Oracle to buy drug software company Phase Forward
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Software maker Oracle Corp <ORCL.O> is set to buy drug data management software company Phase Forward <PFWD.O> for about ...
Thu, April 15, 2010
Zac Efron to play drug smuggler in thriller
By Borys Kit and Matthew Belloni
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Get ready for Zac Efron, cocaine smuggler.
The "High School Musical" graduate is attached ...
Tue, April 13, 2010
Drug Trial Underway in Vigo Co.
TERRE HAUTE (WIBQ)-The opening arguments and testimony for the trial of Eugene Reynolds starts today.
According to the Terre Haute Tribune Star, Reynolds ...
Mon, April 12, 2010
Cheap antifungal drug may fight cancer: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A common antifungal drug can slow tumors growing in mice and should be investigated as a potentially cheap and easy way to ...
Fri, April 09, 2010
Drug gang hangs two from bridge near Mexico City
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Suspected drug hitmen hung the bodies of two men off a major bridge on Friday in a weekend get-away near Mexico ...
Fri, April 09, 2010
Drug label accuracy getting lost in translation
By Anne Harding
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Computer programs pharmacists rely on to translate prescription labels for non-English speaking customers often produce potentially harmful ...
Fri, April 09, 2010
Breast cancer drug often given for infertility
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Three in 10 women take the common breast cancer drug Femara to treat infertility, even though it could increase ...
Thu, April 08, 2010
U.S. names Bissau military bosses as drug kingpins
By Doug Palmer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States named two of Guinea-Bissau's top military officers as international drug kingpins on Thursday, underscoring fears ...
Wed, April 07, 2010
Record number of drug tests planned at London Games
LONDON (Reuters) - A record 5,000 drugs tests will be carried out at the 2012 London Olympics, Games organizers said on Wednesday.
The London ...
Wed, April 07, 2010
Whitney Houston says drug use reports "ridiculous"
LONDON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Whitney Houston was released from a Paris hospital on Wednesday after suffering a respiratory infection and she called media ...
Tue, April 06, 2010
Merck drug shows promise in pelvic cancer patients
LONDON (Reuters) - An anti-cancer pill from Merck & Co can fight tumors and is safe in combination with palliative radiotherapy for patients with advanced pelvic ...
Tue, April 06, 2010
More evidence ties acne drug to bowel disease
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adding to evidence that the acne drug isotretinoin may lead to bowel disease in some users, a new study finds ...
Tue, April 06, 2010
Prescription drug overdoses on the rise in U.S.
By Megan Brooks
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More and more Americans are landing in the hospital due to poisoning by powerful prescription painkillers, sedatives ...
Mon, April 05, 2010
Off Duty Officer Witnesses Drug Deal
CLAY CITY, Ind. (WIBQ/WTWO)-An off duty Clay City police officer, stopped for gas and witnessed a drug deal.
The officer called for ...
Sun, April 04, 2010
Mexican cartels cannot be defeated, drug lord says
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's war on the drug trade is futile even if cartel bosses are caught or killed as millions of people ...
Sun, April 04, 2010
Thalidomide drug may fight blood vessel disorder
LONDON (Reuters) - Thalidomide, a drug that caused birth defects when it was launched as a morning sickness pill half a century ago, may be ...
Thu, April 01, 2010
U.S. prescription drug sales hit $300 bln in 2009
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prescription drug sales climbed by 5.1 percent to $300.3 billion in 2009, easily outpacing ...
Wed, March 31, 2010
New data persuades UK cost body to back Lilly drug
LONDON (Reuters) - Eli Lilly's lung cancer drug Alimta has been recommended for use on Britain's state health service as a maintenance treatment ...
Wed, March 31, 2010
FDA evaluating cancer link in Parkinson's drug
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is evaluating clinical data that may suggest Novartis AG's Parkinson's disease treatment ...
Wed, March 31, 2010
Scientists open way for new sleeping sickness drug
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists have discovered a new way of tackling the fatal parasitic disease African sleeping sickness which they say ...
Tue, March 30, 2010
Pfizer, Onyx drug offers hope against brain cancer
LONDON (Reuters) - A drug being developed by Pfizer and Onyx and already in clinical trials against a range of cancers has shown in laboratory ...
Mon, March 29, 2010
Hitmen kill 10 youths in Mexico's drug-hit north
By Anahi Rama
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Suspected drug hitmen killed a carload of children and teenagers in northern Mexico in the latest of a ...
Mon, March 29, 2010
Antisoma, Novartis lung cancer drug fails in study
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - British cancer specialist Antisoma <ASM.L> suffered a body blow on Monday as a lung cancer drug being developed ...
Sun, March 28, 2010
U.S. lobbies a hurdle in Mexico drug war: Calderon
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Powerful groups in the United States appear to be blocking efforts to stem the flow of assault weapons fueling Mexico's drug ...
Fri, March 26, 2010
Tennis player Wayne Odesnik faces ban over drug charge
By Larry Fine
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The World Anti-Doping Agency praised Australian authorities after American tennis player Wayne Odesnik pleaded guilty in an Australian ...
Thu, March 25, 2010
Packers DT Jolly Has Drug Trial Set
HOUSTON, Tex. (WTAQ) - Trial has been set for the Packers defensive end accused of drug possession in Houston. 26-year-old Johnny Jolly will appear in ...
Thu, March 25, 2010
Mexico drug hitmen terrorize towns on U.S. border
By Julian Cardona
EL PORVENIR, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican drug hitmen are shooting up houses and terrorizing remote farming towns on the U.S. border ...
Thu, March 25, 2010
Healthcare plan sets up new drug research agency
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumer advocates are especially pleased with one provision of the newly enacted U.S. healthcare ...
Wed, March 24, 2010
U.S. panel sees anemia drug risks in kidney patients
By Susan Heavey
BALTIMORE, Maryland (Reuters) - Use of controversial anemia drugs made by Amgen Inc and Johnson & Johnson at high levels likely worsen heart ...
Wed, March 24, 2010
Treasury sanctions 54 Mexico drug gang members
By David Lawder
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 54 members of two powerful Mexican drug gangs it blames for ...
Tue, March 23, 2010
U.S., Mexico eye new phase in drug war
By Andrew Quinn
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised on Tuesday to help Mexico broaden a drug war that has failed ...
Tue, March 23, 2010
Details Released in Weekend Drug Bust
TERRE HAUTE (WIBQ)-More details have surfaced on a meth lab clean up in Terre Haute.
Police found the lab at 817 Lafayette, near ...
Tue, March 23, 2010
Linton Woman Arrested on Drug Charges
BLOOMFIELD, Ind. (WIBQ)-A Linton woman who was acquitted in a high profile case last year is back in jail, this time facing drug ...
Mon, March 22, 2010
Obama pledges to help Mexico fight drug cartels
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On the eve of a high-level meeting to discuss the fight against Mexico's powerful drug cartels, President Barack Obama called Mexican ...
Mon, March 22, 2010
Weight counseling plus drug may help female smokers
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For female smokers worried about gaining weight if they quit, a combination of specialized counseling and the ...
Mon, March 22, 2010
CORRECTED: European drug stocks unfazed by U.S. health reform
(Corrects paragraph 8 to remove extraneous reference to $3 billion. The error also occurred Updates 1 and 2)
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - European ...
Fri, March 19, 2010
Gunmen block roads in Mexico's drug-plagued north
By Robin Emmott
MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Armed men likely linked to drug gangs blocked highways with trucks and buses in the northern Mexican city ...
Fri, March 19, 2010
Gunmen block roads in Mexico's drug-plagued north
By Robin Emmott
MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Armed men likely linked to drug gangs blocked highways with trucks and buses in the northern Mexican city ...
Fri, March 19, 2010
Will a fresh look at pain overcome drug barriers?
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Barriers to understanding pain are starting to fall and scientists and drug firms say a fresh approach is producing ...
Thu, March 18, 2010
Mayweather, Mosley agree to Olympic-style drug testing
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley have agreed to begin an Olympic-style drug testing program from Monday ahead of their May 1 ...
Thu, March 18, 2010
Many Avandia defenders have drug co. ties: study
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Virtually all of the experts who wrote favorably about GlaxoSmithKline Plc's troubled diabetes drug Avandia had financial ties ...
Thu, March 18, 2010
Drug-resistant TB killed 150,000 in 2008
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis killed 150,000 people in 2008 and infects between 400,000 and ...
Thu, March 18, 2010
Pfizer drug filings on track despite setbacks
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - It's been a bad month for Pfizer's <PFE.N> research labs but its head of R&D ...
Thu, March 18, 2010
UK, Spain close to approving GW's cannabis drug
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - A pioneering -- but much delayed -- cannabis-based medicine for multiple sclerosis is now on track to win regulatory approval in ...
Wed, March 17, 2010
Wachovia pays $160 million to settle drug money probe
MIAMI (Reuters) - The Wachovia Bank unit of Wells Fargo & Co has agreed to pay $160 million to settle U.S. allegations that it laundered ...
Wed, March 17, 2010
Two Arrested in Drug Bust
VINCENNES, IND. (WIBQ)-A drug bust in the valley uncovers more than nine pounds of pot.
Police arrested David Schlomer and Earlinea Ruggles of ...
Tue, March 16, 2010
Long-term safety of drug-coated stents questioned
By Debra Sherman and Bill Berkrot
ATLANTA (Reuters) - New research shows more patients who got drug-coated stents right after suffering a severe heart attack ...
Tue, March 16, 2010
Novartis drug fails to help after heart attack: study
ATLANTA (Reuters) - The addition of the Novartis blood pressure medicine Tekturna to current standard drugs in patients who had a heart attack failed to ...
Mon, March 15, 2010
Killing of Americans pressures Mexico in drug war
By Julian Cardona
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - The killing of three people linked to the U.S. consulate in Mexico's bloodiest drug war ...
Mon, March 15, 2010
Adding fat-lowering drug no help for diabetic hearts
By Bill Berkrot and Debra Sherman
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Adding a drug that lowers blood fats known as triglycerides to cholesterol-fighting statins provided no additional ...
Mon, March 15, 2010
China drug list seen boosting Western firms' sales
LONDON (Reuters) - Chinese plans to broaden the list of medicines eligible for a rebate from July will benefit Western drugmakers such as AstraZeneca and ...
Mon, March 15, 2010
Greene County Man Sentenced for Drug Charges
BLOOMFIELD, IND. (WIBQ)-A Greene County Man will spend 10 years in jail after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit dealing in meth.
Randy ...
Wed, March 10, 2010
Despite law, drug safety still a concern at FDA
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Recent new powers have helped the U.S. Food and Drug Administration combat contaminated medications, counterfeit pills and other ...
Tue, March 09, 2010
Few U.S. studies compare one drug to another: report
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Comparing medical treatments to find the best and the cheapest may be a pillar of ...
Tue, March 09, 2010
Home abortion drug use effective, safe for most
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Medication-induced home abortions are safe for women who are 50 to 63 days pregnant, a new study from Sweden shows ...
Mon, March 08, 2010
Roche, Biogen suspends arthritis drug after deaths
By Katie Reid
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG and U.S. biotechnology company Biogen Idec are suspending experimental rheumatoid arthritis and lupus ...
Sat, March 06, 2010
Cambodia drug-resistant malaria stirs health fears
By Thin Lei Win
PAILIN, Cambodia (Reuters) - In a dusty village near the Thai-Cambodia border, 24-year-old Oeur Samoeun sits on a dark green hammock ...
Fri, March 05, 2010
Clinton pledges Central America help on drug fight
By Sarah Grainger
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday pledged more U.S. help for Central America's fight against ...
Thu, March 04, 2010
Traffic Stop Leads To Drug Arrest
SULLIVAN, IND. (WIBQ)-Too much speed leads to an arrest on drug charges.
42-year-old Angela Elliot of Leavenworth, Indiana is held on 59-thousand dollars ...
Wed, March 03, 2010
Accused Mexican drug trafficker extradited to U.S.
DENVER (Reuters) - A Mexican accused of being a major supplier of cocaine to the United States has been extradited to Colorado to face narcotics ...
Wed, March 03, 2010
Child seizure study finds oldest drug works best
By Gene Emery
BOSTON (Reuters) - A large-scale comparative test of three anti-epilepsy drugs found the oldest was best for treating childhood absence epilepsy, in ...
Tue, March 02, 2010
U.S. Treasury acts against Colombia drug traffickers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some of Colombia's most-wanted drug traffickers were among 78 people the U.S. Treasury Department took action against on Tuesday because ...
Mon, March 01, 2010
FDA panel backs Bristol transplant drug
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's experimental kidney transplant drug belatacept should be approved to give doctors and patients more treatment ...
Mon, March 01, 2010
Failure to aid drug users drives HIV spread: study
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - More than 90 percent of the world's 16 million injecting drug users are offered no help to avoid ...
Mon, March 01, 2010
Area Man Facing Drug Charges
LINTON, In (WIBQ)-A traffic stop lands a Sandborn man in jail.
21-year-old Lee Johnson was pulled over Friday morning as part of an ...
Sun, February 28, 2010
Brain images suggest Alzheimer's drug is working
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - New imaging technology suggests an experimental drug for Alzheimer's reduces clumps of plaque in the brain by around ...
Sun, February 28, 2010
Gene links to celiac disease may help drug search
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have identified new genetic links to celiac disease and say their findings could speed the search for better ways to diagnose ...
Thu, February 25, 2010
New inhaled drug protects from flu in single dose
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A single dose of an experimental influenza drug saves more mice from H5N1 avian influenza ...
Thu, February 25, 2010
U.S. indicts Colombian drug kingpins' relatives
MIAMI (Reuters) - Authorities indicted six associates of Colombia's Cali drug cartel on Thursday on charges they failed to disclose the assets of two ...
Thu, February 25, 2010
U.S. agencies join in bid to speed drug development
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With an aim of getting experimental new drugs to people quicker, the U.S. Food ...
Thu, February 25, 2010
Lundbeck says stroke drug positive in phase-3 test
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish pharmaceutical group Lundbeck said on Thursday a new analysis of a clinical phase III trial with its candidate stroke drug Desmoteplase ...
Wed, February 24, 2010
Agencies join in bid to speed drug development
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With an aim of getting experimental new drugs to people quicker, the U.S. Food ...
Wed, February 24, 2010
Traffic Stop Yields Drug Bust
A pair of officers and their K-9 partners makes a huge bust on Interstate 70.
Officers Brent Long and Brian Worley busted a van ...
Wed, February 24, 2010
U.N. narcotics board warns of prescription drug abuse
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Abuse of prescription drugs is growing rapidly around the world, with more people abusing legal narcotics than heroin, cocaine ...
Tue, February 23, 2010
FDA warns of heart problem with HIV drug combo
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that HIV drugs Invirase and Norvir might lead to an abnormal ...
Mon, February 22, 2010
U.S. backs Novartis vaccine, MS drug wins priority
By Katie Reid
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis has won U.S. approval for its key Menveo meningococcal vaccine and got priority review for its oral ...
Thu, February 18, 2010
New drug class offers hope against "superbugs"
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Swiss scientists have found a new class of antibiotics, offering drug developers a fresh weapon in the fight against ...
Thu, February 18, 2010
FDA raises safety warning on Novartis iron drug
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A boxed warning highlighting serious safety concerns, including reported deaths, with the use of Novartis AG's Exjade drug to remove ...
Tue, February 16, 2010
J&J drug helps in last-ditch prostate cancer fight
LONDON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's experimental drug abiraterone can help men with advanced prostate cancer who have run out of standard treatments options, according ...
Tue, February 16, 2010
Astra pays up to $1.2 billion for Rigel arthritis drug
By Ben Hirschler and Vidya L Nathan
LONDON/BANGALORE (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc waded into the competitive rheumatoid arthritis market on Tuesday by buying rights ...
Fri, February 12, 2010
Top drug lobbyist resigns, clouds health reform
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The resignation of big pharma's top lobbyist could deal a setback to President Barack Obama's ability to ...
Thu, February 11, 2010
Head of U.S. drug trade group resigns: reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Representative Billy Tauzin, a major player in the healthcare reform debate, resigned as head of the Pharmaceutical Research and ...
Wed, February 10, 2010
Colombia says U.S. committed to anti-drug help
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. remains committed to helping Colombia fight drug trafficking and a planned $55 million cut in aid won't undermine ...
Wed, February 10, 2010
Single-shot of drug cures leishmaniasis: study
By Gene Emery
BOSTON (Reuters) - A single large infusion of the Gilead Sciences drug AmBisome cured nearly every case of the deadly parasitic infection ...
Wed, February 10, 2010
Scientists find clue to anxiety drug addiction
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Valium-like drugs use the same potentially addictive "reward pathways" in the brain as heroin and cannabis, scientists said on ...
Tue, February 09, 2010
Mother found guilty in 4-year-old's drug death
BOSTON (Reuters) - A Boston-area woman was convicted on Tuesday of second-degree murder in the 2006 death of her 4-year-old daughter from an overdose of ...
Tue, February 09, 2010
Luxury Mexican drug rehab clinic lures U.S. addicts
By Robin Emmott
MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - A Mexican entrepreneur is luring U.S. drug addicts to plush rehabilitation centers south of the border, even ...
Mon, February 08, 2010
Drug shows promise against river blindness: study
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Closantel, an older drug used to treat a parasitic liver disease in animals, may prove effective at combating river ...
Mon, February 08, 2010
Popular antidepressant interferes with cancer drug
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The popular antidepressant drug Paxil may interfere with breast cancer treatments, making patients more likely ...
Mon, February 08, 2010
Alzheimer's drug Dimebon helps Huntington's: study
By JoAnne Allen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dimebon, a pill being developed for Alzheimer's disease, helped people with Huntington's disease improve their thinking, learning ...
Mon, February 08, 2010
Few high-risk women in U.S. take breast cancer drug
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Only a small number of U.S. women at high risk of breast cancer have chosen to ...
Mon, February 08, 2010
FDA staff questions Cell Therapeutics drug data
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers questioned effectiveness data from Cell Therapeutics Inc for an experimental lymphoma drug and said the medicine carried substantial ...
Sat, February 06, 2010
Astra, UK charity hunt new kind of cancer drug
LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has struck a deal with the commercial arm of a British charity to try and develop a new class of a ...
Thu, February 04, 2010
Border inspectors to check for risky food, drug imports
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Border inspectors nationwide will soon start using a new computer system to identify risky food and medicine from abroad ...
Wed, February 03, 2010
Drug makers Pfizer, Roche disappoint with forecasts
By Ransdell Pierson and Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top global drugmakers Pfizer Inc <PFE.N> and Roche Holding AG <ROG.VX>, posted disappointing ...
Wed, February 03, 2010
Lackluster cancer drug sales hit Roche profit
By Katie Reid and Sam Cage
BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) - Roche Holding AG missed full-year profit forecasts due to disappointing sales of key cancer drugs ...
Mon, February 01, 2010
Cheap drug prevents kidney damage from injury
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The common painkiller acetaminophen can protect the kidneys from damage caused by crushing wounds such as those seen in earthquake victims or ...
Fri, January 29, 2010
"Club drug" ecstasy risky for healthy youth
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - The so-called "club drug" ecstasy is more likely than other stimulants like speed or crystal meth to kill young ...
Wed, January 27, 2010
Michael Douglas' son pleads guilty to drug dealing
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The son of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas admitted in a New York court on Wednesday to possessing heroin and dealing large ...
Mon, January 25, 2010
Fake forms of Glaxo diet drug can be dangerous: FDA
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fake versions of GlaxoSmithKline's over-the-counter diet pill were contaminated with dangerously high levels of a prescription weight loss ...
Sat, January 23, 2010
Fake forms of Glaxo diet drug can be dangerous: FDA
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fake versions of GlaxoSmithKline's over-the-counter diet pill were contaminated with dangerously high levels of a prescription weight loss ...
Fri, January 22, 2010
FDA objects to GE unit's imaging drug claims
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Electric Co's healthcare unit made misleading claims about an imaging drug on a company website, U.S. health officials said ...
Thu, January 21, 2010
EU agency urges ban on Meridia diet drug
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European authorities urged a halt to sales of an Abbott Laboratories Inc diet pill on Thursday after concluding heart-related ...
Thu, January 21, 2010
Former Baseball Star Sentenced on Drug Charges
Former Terre Haute South baseball standout Matt Samuels will soon be heading to prison.
He took a plea deal on Tuesday.
He admitted to ...
Thu, January 21, 2010
Accident Leads to Drug Bust
A hit and run accident in Vincennes Tuesday afternoon led police to a drug arrest.
The wreck happened at the Maple Park Apartments on ...
Thu, January 21, 2010
Roche drug keeps patients cancer-free longer
ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche's cancer drug Xeloda enabled elderly patients being treated for colorectal cancer to live free of the disease for longer, the ...
Wed, January 20, 2010
"Silent pandemic" will force drug price rethink
By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent
LONDON (Reuters) - A "silent pandemic" of chronic disease is creeping up on poor countries and will force ...
Mon, January 18, 2010
Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Arrest
A traffic stop in Terre Haute lands one man behind bars.
Travis Mize was arrested early Thursday for drug possession.
According to court documents ...
Mon, January 18, 2010
Drug Arrest Follows Traffic Stop
A traffic stop in Terre Haute lands one man behind bars.
Travis Mize was arrested early Thursday for drug possession.
According to court documents ...
Fri, January 15, 2010
Mexico army hands control to police in drug war city
By Julian Cardona
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexico's army, facing accusations of rights abuses, will give federal police control of security in the ...
Fri, January 15, 2010
Canadian drug-injection site allowed to stay open
By Allan Dowd
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - The Canadian government must allow Vancouver's Insite facility, North America's only sanctioned drug-injection site, to ...
Fri, January 15, 2010
Two Arrested on Drug Charges in Linton
TWO LINTON MEN ARE NOW BEHIND BARS... AFTER POLICE CAUGHT THEM WITH DRUGS.
POLICE SAY 24 YEAR OLD DERRICK HARPER AND 23 YEAR OLD ...
Fri, January 15, 2010
Putnam County Drug Bust
A PUTNAM COUNTY MAN IS IN JAIL... AFTER POLICE FIND DRUGS AND MORE THAN SEVENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS IN HIS HOME.
THE CLAY COUNTY SHERIFF ...
Thu, January 14, 2010
Suits allege harm from Pfizer quit-smoking drug
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three personal injury lawsuits were filed against Pfizer Inc on Thursday, claiming its smoking-cessation drug Chantix caused attempted suicides or death ...
Thu, January 14, 2010
U.S. imposes new sanctions on Colombian drug network
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury said on Thursday it imposed new sanctions against the network of an alleged Colombian drug trafficker and money launderer previously ...
Thu, January 14, 2010
IOC will weed out drug cheats: Rogge
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee will use a number of measures to weed out doping offenders at next month's Vancouver winter ...
Wed, January 13, 2010
U.S. panel urges approval of Recordati blood drug
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. medical advisory panel unanimously urged U.S. approval of Recordati SpA's proposed drug for a rare ...
Tue, January 12, 2010
US FDA warnings target four drug companies
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked Bayer AG, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, and Cephalon to stop ...
Tue, January 12, 2010
Mexico captures major Tijuana drug gang leader
By Lizbeth Diaz
TIJUANA, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican police captured a drug kingpin on Tuesday known for having the corpses of tortured rivals dissolved in ...
Tue, January 12, 2010
"Extraordinary" increases in drug prices: report
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prices for hundreds of brand-name drugs have soared since the beginning of the decade, especially those that treat depression ...
Mon, January 11, 2010
Proper drug-taking would greatly cut heart risks
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Encouraging more patients to continue taking their prescribed cholesterol drugs would stave off twice as many stroke and heart ...
Fri, January 08, 2010
U.S. dismisses drug case versus Broadcom's Nicholas
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Thursday moved to dismiss drug charges against former Broadcom Corp Chief Executive Henry Nicholas III but said ...
Thu, January 07, 2010
FDA staff against wider approval of Forest drug
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Forest Laboratories Inc hypertension drug should not be approved for people with heart failure, a U.S. drug ...
Wed, January 06, 2010
Three in al Qaeda drug case plead not guilty in NY
By Edith Honan
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three West African men accused by U.S. prosecutors of plotting to transport cocaine through Africa with the ...
Wed, January 06, 2010
Use of psychiatric drug combos growing in the U.S.
By Rachael Myers Lowe
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - US adults being treated for mental illness are more likely to be prescribed two or more ...
Mon, January 04, 2010
AIDS drug cocktails saving lives: study
By David Douglas
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Taking a cocktail of powerful AIDS drugs appears to have cut the average death rate by half ...
Sat, January 02, 2010
Mexico detains brother of slain drug boss
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican forces have detained the brother of a powerful drug boss killed two weeks ago in a movie-like raid that landed ...
Mon, December 28, 2009
Compugen discovers cancer drug target, shares rise
(Reuters) - Compugen Ltd <CGEN.O> announced the discovery and experimental validation of a new drug target for the treatment of a type of cancer ...
Tue, December 22, 2009
Drug gang revenge attack kills Mexico marine's family
By Luis Manuel Lopez
QUINTIN ARAUZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Drug gang hitmen shot dead the grieving mother, brother, sister and aunt of an elite Mexican ...
Tue, December 22, 2009
Packers DT Johnny Jolly Indicted On A Felony Drug Charge
HARRIS COUNTY, Tex. (WTAQ) - A Texas District Court judge has found enough probable cause to charge Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly. The 26-year-old was ...
Sun, December 20, 2009
Obama seeks drug imports outside of health bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House pledged on Sunday to move forward on allowing imports of safe prescription drugs from nations like Canada where they ...
Fri, December 18, 2009
U.S. charges 3 accused of al Qaeda link in drug case
By Edith Honan
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three West African men accused by U.S. law enforcement of having ties to al Qaeda were extradited ...
Fri, December 18, 2009
Celgene's cancer drug Revlimid succeeds in trial
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Celgene Corp said on Friday that initial results from a clinical trial showed multiple myeloma patients who took its ...
Thu, December 17, 2009
U.S. rolls back AIDS drug prevention trial in Botswana
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials said on Thursday they will give up on a trial in Botswana ...
Thu, December 17, 2009
U.S. panel narrowly backs Photocure cancer test drug
By Lisa Richwine
GAITHERSBURG, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. advisory panel on Thursday narrowly backed Photocure ASA's proposed imaging drug to help detect ...
Thu, December 17, 2009
Anadys says hep C drug shows positive results in trial
(Reuters) - Anadys Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental hepatitis C drug, ANA598, showed positive preliminary results in a mid-stage trial, sending its shares up as ...
Wed, December 16, 2009
Mexico drug war raids endanger residents
By Patrick Rucker
CUERNAVACA, Mexico (Reuters) - With its manicured gardens and outdoor pools, the trendy "Altitude" apartment complex in this colonial city is a ...
Wed, December 16, 2009
Afghan surge troops won't target drug crops
By Yara Bayoumy
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Thousands of extra Marines pouring into Afghanistan's opium-growing heartland will go after those who process drugs ...
Tue, December 15, 2009
Packers' Jolly Indicted for Drug Possession
HOUSTON, Tex. (Midwest Communications) - Packers defensive tackle Johnny Jolly was indicted today on drug possession charges for a second time by a Harris County ...
Tue, December 15, 2009
Combo drug therapies best for helping smokers quit
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Nearly one in five smokers offered help in kicking the habit while visiting their doctor's office for a check-up ...
Tue, December 15, 2009
U.S. sanctions drug lords, to give Mexico more aid
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States blacklisted on Tuesday two Mexicans and one Colombian accused of working for the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel and said ...
Mon, December 14, 2009
Drug data mining ban unlikely in Senate bill
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Democratic proposal to ban the collection of doctors' prescription records for marketing purposes is unlikely to be included ...
Mon, December 14, 2009
Seizure drug limits aggression in kids with ADHD
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If your child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is having trouble controlling his aggressive behaviors, adding a drug commonly ...
Mon, December 14, 2009
Experimental drug kills breast cancer stem cells
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental drug was effective at killing breast cancer stem cells -- a kind of master cancer cell that resists ...
Fri, December 11, 2009
Senate Democrats seek compromise on drug imports
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats scrambled on Friday to resolve a stalemate over whether to permit imports of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada ...
Fri, December 11, 2009
Roche arthritis drug effective in late-stage study
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding said a late-stage study found its arthritis drug ocrelizumab helped ease symptoms of a type of rheumatoid arthritis ...
Wed, December 09, 2009
Safety data from kid drug trials often unpublished
By Megan Brooks
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When drugs approved for adults are studied in youngsters, the research yields important safety data that could ...
Tue, December 08, 2009
Drug mistakes common in U.S. kidney dialysis patients
CHICAGO (Reuters) - About 20 percent of kidney dialysis patients who undergo a procedure to open a blocked artery are given the wrong blood clot ...
Tue, December 08, 2009
New review questions benefit of Roche drug Tamiflu
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters) - There is no clear evidence that Roche's widely used drug Tamiflu prevents complications such as pneumonia in people ...
Thu, December 03, 2009
Hepatitis C drug fights virus in new way
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A drug that targets hepatitis C in an entirely new way was highly effective at suppressing the virus in ...
Thu, December 03, 2009
U.S. freezes assets linked to Mexican drug gang
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has frozen the U.S.-based assets of 22 individuals and 10 companies linked to one of Mexico's ...
Thu, December 03, 2009
U.S. consumer group asks FDA to ban Abbott diet drug
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories Inc's weight-loss drug Meridia should be banned immediately because of heart-related risks, a consumer group said ...
Wed, December 02, 2009
U.S. court jails Mexico drug kingpin for 27 years
PHOENIX (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge sentenced a kingpin of Mexico's powerful Juarez drug cartel to 27 years in prison for smuggling ...
Mon, November 30, 2009
New WHO guidelines urge phase-out of major HIV drug
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - Countries should phase out the use of Stavudine, the most widespread antiretroviral, because of "long-term, irreversible" side-effects in HIV ...
Mon, November 30, 2009
WI Seniors Have Help Finding Cheap Medicare Drug Plans
MADISON (WRN) - Many Wisconsin seniors say it’s too much work to compare the dozens of Part “D” prescription drug plans offered by Medicare ...
Sun, November 29, 2009
New WHO guidelines urge phase-out of major HIV drug
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - Countries should phase out the use of stavudine, the most common AIDS drug, because of "long-term, irreversible" side effects ...
Wed, November 25, 2009
Cancer drug preserves insulin cells in diabetes
By Gene Emery
BOSTON (Reuters) - Rituxan, a drug used to treat cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, may help slow the development of newly discovered type ...
Wed, November 25, 2009
Swine flu kids getting faster drug treatment: U.S
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 80 percent of U.S. children severely ill with H1N1 flu have been ...
Tue, November 24, 2009
Consumer ads pump up prescription drug costs
By Anne Harding
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Medicaid pharmacy costs for the blood-thinning drug Plavix jumped at around the same time the drug's ...
Tue, November 24, 2009
Rock-star wife details drug mayhem in new book
By Dean Goodman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It could have been a great rock 'n' roll love story.
Sixteen-year-old model meets penniless future rock star ...
Tue, November 24, 2009
Drug-resistant bacteria on increase in U.S.: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cases of a drug-resistant bacterial infection known as MRSA have risen by 90 percent since 1999, and they are increasingly being acquired ...
Mon, November 23, 2009
Consumer drug ads drive up health costs: study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - When consumer advertising began for the popular blood-thinner Plavix, Medicaid insurance programs for the poor and disabled spent millions more on the ...
Wed, November 18, 2009
Pain drug morphine may accelerate cancer growth
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Evidence is mounting that morphine, commonly used to manage pain, may accelerate cancer growth, but a newly-approved drug that ...
Wed, November 18, 2009
Democrats demand analysis of drug price hikes
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior Democrats in the House of Representatives are seeking a government investigation into recent price increases of brand-name prescription ...
Wed, November 18, 2009
Roche announces late-stage trial for heart drug
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG said on Wednesday it would conduct a new late-stage trial to evaluate the effect of one of ...
Tue, November 17, 2009
Chiefs wide receiver Bowe banned for violating drug policy
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing ...
Tue, November 17, 2009
Benefit of Merck heart drug remains after stopping
By Bill Berkrot and Ransdell Pierson
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - High doses of an experimental heart medicine being developed by Merck & Co MRK.N continued ...
Tue, November 17, 2009
Isis cholesterol drug meets all goals of key trial
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - An experimental drug for patients genetically disposed to extreme high cholesterol being developed by Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc and Genzyme Corp significantly ...
Mon, November 16, 2009
Boehringer drug shown to kindle female sex drive
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A once-daily pill developed by Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim increased female sex drive in late-stage trials, putting the group in the frame ...
Sun, November 15, 2009
AstraZeneca drug tops Plavix in sickest patients
By Bill Berkrot and Ransdell Pierson
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Heart attack patients in need of emergency procedures were less likely to suffer further serious ...
Thu, November 12, 2009
Allergy drug tackles nasal congestion: study
By Rachael Myers Lowe
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The "second generation" allergy drug desloratadine (brand name Clarinex) significantly reduces both the runny nose and ...
Thu, November 12, 2009
Justice Dept warns drug companies on corruption
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department plans to focus on prosecuting those in the pharmaceutical industry who try to bribe foreign officials for ...
Wed, November 11, 2009
Pablo Escobar's son apologizes in film about drug lord's crimes
By Luis Andres Henao
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The last phone call Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar made before he was gunned down on a ...
Thu, November 05, 2009
Agassi asks for compassion for drug use
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Andre Agassi, mired in controversy after admitting to using crystal meth, pleaded for compassion from his critics in a television interview ...
Wed, November 04, 2009
U.S. soldier dies in drug attack in Mexico strip bar
By Julian Cardona
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Gunmen with automatic weapons burst into a Mexican strip club on the U.S. border, opened fire ...
Mon, November 02, 2009
Millions die because of high malaria drug prices
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Nearly a million people die from malaria each year because they cannot afford the most effective treatment and instead ...
Fri, October 30, 2009
Amgen, Amerisource sued over drug kickback scheme
By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Biotechnology giant Amgen Inc and drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen Corp were sued on Friday by 14 U.S. states ...
Thu, October 29, 2009
Federer, Nadal upset at Agassi drug taking
By Simon Evans
MIAMI (Reuters) - Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both voiced their displeasure at Andre Agassi after the former world number one revealed ...
Tue, October 27, 2009
U.S. panel: More study on Human Genome anthrax drug
By Lisa Richwine
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - Animal data suggests a proposed Human Genome Sciences Inc drug may help people exposed to anthrax but ...
Sat, October 24, 2009
Orexigen obesity drug shows added benefits: studies
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly half of patients who completed 56 weeks of treatment with Orexigen Therapeutics Inc's experimental obesity treatment ...
Fri, October 23, 2009
Mexico drug lord pleads guilty to trafficking
DENVER (Reuters) - The kingpin of a violent Mexican drug smuggling clan has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and racketeering charges, authorities said on Friday ...
Fri, October 23, 2009
Health reform moves to close U.S. Medicare drug gap
By Donna Smith
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic leaders moved on Friday to build support among the elderly for a massive overhaul of the U.S ...
Fri, October 23, 2009
Diabetes drug helps obese adults loss weight
By Anthony J. Brown, MD
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese adults may shed more weight with the diabetes drug liraglutide than with the weight-loss ...
Thu, October 22, 2009
Key information missing from U.S. drug labels
By Gene Emery
BOSTON (Reuters) - Drug labels in the United States often omit information showing the severity of side effects or that a medicine ...
Thu, October 22, 2009
U.S. arrests 300 in raids on Mexican drug cartel
By Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement agencies arrested 303 people in 19 states over the past two days in the largest ...
Thu, October 22, 2009
U.S. sanctions six persons tied to Mexican drug gang
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday blacklisted six people and one company it said were tied to the Tijuana drug cartel ...
Wed, October 21, 2009
Colombian drug lord gets 45 years in U.S. prison
MIAMI (Reuters) - Cocaine kingpin Diego Montoya, the one-time head of Colombia's Norte del Valle cartel, apologized in a U.S. court to the ...
Wed, October 21, 2009
Madoff shared prison cell with drug dealer
By Grant McCool
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Epic swindler Bernard Madoff shared a prison cell with a 21-year-old drug dealer, and other fellow inmates included ...
Tue, October 20, 2009
U.S. backs vaccines for drug, nicotine addiction
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Hooked on cocaine or cigarettes? The U.S. government wants drug companies to make a vaccine for that.
Convinced ...
Mon, October 19, 2009
U.S. seeks more information on Novartis lung drug
By Emma Thomasson and Sam Cage
ZURICH (Reuters) - U.S. regulators have asked for more information on dosing proposed for a drug from Novartis ...
Sun, October 18, 2009
Cancer drug crosses key hurdle in brain: study
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental drug appears to cross a protective barrier in the brain that screens out most chemicals, offering potentially ...
Fri, October 16, 2009
U.S. clears Sanofi drug for cancer complication
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. officials approved a new Sanofi-Aventis drug to help fight a serious complication of cancer treatment, the company said on ...
Fri, October 16, 2009
Mexican drug hitmen behead 10, chop up bodies
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Drug hitmen beheaded 10 rivals, chopped up their bodies and left them in plastic bags on an isolated road in western ...
Thu, October 15, 2009
Senate panel votes to bar drug "pay for delay"
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate panel voted on Thursday to bar drug companies from paying generic drugmakers to delay bringing their cheaper medicines to market ...
Wed, October 07, 2009
IMS sees brighter outlook for global drug sales
By Bill Berkrot
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global pharmaceutical sales are proving more resistant than expected to the economic slowdown, helped by surprising strength in ...
Fri, October 02, 2009
Catalyst to continue development of addiction drug
(Reuters) - Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners Inc said it will continue to develop its lead drug candidate for the treatment of cocaine and methamphetamine addiction after ...
Fri, October 02, 2009
Doubts on suicide-anti-smoking drug Chantix link
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite earlier health agency warnings, there is no strong evidence that the anti-smoking drug Chantix raises the risk of suicidal ...
Fri, October 02, 2009
New diabetes drug hits target in late stage study
By Sam Cage
VIENNA (Reuters) - An experimental diabetes drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca met its main target in a late stage study, achieving ...
Fri, October 02, 2009
New diabetes drug hits target in late stage study
VIENNA (Reuters) - An experimental diabetes drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca met its main target in a late stage study, achieving significant reductions in ...
Thu, October 01, 2009
Cheap three-drug combination helps cut heart risks
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - High-risk patients who took a combination of three older heart drugs -- a generic statin, a generic blood pressure pill ...
Thu, October 01, 2009
Novo Nordisk drug does not increase risk of cancer
VIENNA (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk's Levemir was not associated in any increase in incidence of cancer when compared with human insulin in studies including ...
Thu, October 01, 2009
U.S. FDA staff questions Glaxo kidney cancer drug
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's review staff expressed doubts that GlaxoSmithKline Plc's experimental kidney cancer ...
Wed, September 30, 2009
Cancer patients want info on costly drug options
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New cancer treatments costing thousands of dollars, and not covered by health insurance, may be out of reach for many ...
Tue, September 29, 2009
Elan gets subpoena over Tysabri drug
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Elan Corp Plc said on Tuesday it received a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission subpoena over its disclosure of two ...
Mon, September 28, 2009
FDA eyes possible risk with iron drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials are looking into whether patients with a certain bone marrow disorder are more at risk for death and ...
Wed, September 23, 2009
Breast cancer drug cuts risk of second cancer
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In premenopausal women with breast cancer, taking the breast cancer drug tamoxifen significantly reduces the risk of developing a second ...
Wed, September 23, 2009
Malaria parasite's resistance to top drug grows: WHO
By Tan Ee Lyn
HONG KONG (Reuters) - The World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that the parasite which causes malaria is increasingly resistant to ...
Wed, September 23, 2009
New gene-targeted drug offers hope in skin cancer
By Ben Hirschler and Kate Kelland
BERLIN (Reuters) - Scientists offered new hope in the fight against the most deadly type of skin cancer on ...
Fri, September 18, 2009
Drug firms can make H1N1 vaccine for half planet: WHO
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - Drug makers can only produce enough H1N1 vaccine each year for half the planet and each country will have ...
Wed, September 16, 2009
Fertility drug may reduce hot flashes: study
By Gene Emery
BOSTON (Reuters) - A drug that prevents premature ovulation during fertility treatments helped reduce the number of hot flashes by up to ...
Tue, September 15, 2009
U.S. anti-drug swoop arrests American Airlines staff
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - U.S. agents arrested 21 people, nine of them American Airlines employees, accused of smuggling suitcases loaded with cocaine ...
Tue, September 15, 2009
Novartis lung drug beneficial in late stage study
By Sam Cage
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis said a respiratory medicine improved lung function and significantly reduced breathlessness in a late stage trial ...
Mon, September 14, 2009
Seizure drug helps women with hot flashes sleep
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Gabapentin, a drug used to treat seizures, improves the quality of sleep in menopausal women bothered by hot flashes, University ...
Mon, September 14, 2009
Whitney Houston says she is "drug-free"
By Alex Dobuzinskis
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Whitney Houston said in an interview aired on Tuesday that she is drug-free as she embarks on ...
Mon, September 14, 2009
Diabetes drug kept breast tumors away in mice
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Adding the common diabetes drug metformin to chemotherapy helped shrink breast cancer tumors faster in mice and keep them ...
Sun, September 13, 2009
New flu drug may resist mutations: researchers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new type of experimental flu drug that stops the virus from infecting cells appears to stop it from mutating into drug-resistant ...
Sun, September 13, 2009
Blagojevich fundraiser dies of possible drug overdose
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A former top fundraiser for ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has died of an apparent drug overdose just days before he was ...
Thu, September 10, 2009
U.S. campers developed drug-resistant flu: report
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two girls given antiviral drugs in an effort to protect children at a summer camp ...
Thu, September 10, 2009
Drug-resistant influenza becoming a trickier target
By David Douglas
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Viruses resistant to antiviral medications are a growing problem, according to a study in The Netherlands.
"After ...
Wed, September 09, 2009
Colombian drug trafficker pleads guilty in Florida
MIAMI (Reuters) - A major Colombian drug runner who once worked with the Medellin cartel pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiring to bring cocaine into ...
Wed, September 09, 2009
UK's NICE again rejects Bayer liver cancer drug
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's healthcare cost-effectiveness watchdog has again rejected Bayer's drug Nexavar for treating liver cancer on the state health service, despite ...
Tue, September 08, 2009
Osiris' stem cell drug fails in two late-stage trials
By Esha Dey
BANGALORE (Reuters) - Adult stem cell research firm Osiris Therapeutics Inc said two late-stage trials testing its lead product to treat a ...
Tue, September 08, 2009
Moths as good as mice for many drug tests: study
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Moths, caterpillars and fruit flies could soon take the place of millions of mice used every year by scientists ...
Tue, September 08, 2009
Osiris' stem cell drug fails in two late-stage trials
(Reuters) - Adult stem cell research firm Osiris Therapeutics Inc said two late-stage trials testing its lead product to treat a rare condition that affects ...
Mon, September 07, 2009
Mexico removes attorney general to revamp drug war
By Adriana Barrera and Michael O'Boyle
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon removed his attorney general on Monday to try to revamp ...
Thu, September 03, 2009
More drug firms doing follow-ups than thought--FDA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More pharmaceutical companies have completed studies required by U.S. health regulators after their products were allowed on the market than previously ...
Wed, September 02, 2009
Jurors weigh jaw risk of Merck osteoporosis drug
By Grant McCool
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jurors heard sharply different closing arguments on Wednesday in a trial over whether or not Merck & Co's ...
Wed, September 02, 2009
Medicare drug benefit gets good marks
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The Medicare drug benefit may have caused confusion when it was launched in 2006, but the program has since "exceeded ...
Tue, September 01, 2009
U.S. anti-drug aid to Mexico reaches $214 million
By Noel Randewich
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The United States has written checks for $214 million of the $1.4 billion promised to Mexico in ...
Tue, September 01, 2009
U.S. panel rejects Genzyme leukemia drug study
By Lisa Richwine
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - Genzyme Corp should run a new study before the company can win approval to promote a pediatric ...
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