Category Archives: Drugs

25 February 2012 Last updated at 09:48 ET Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Sir Andrew Witty from GSK said drugs were being "systematically delayed" from introduction and reimbursement Ministers have rejected claims by the UK's biggest drug firm GlaxoSmithKline that new cancer treatments are being delayed to save money. "Strategic thoughtfulness" was being lost in the "stampede" to cut costs, GSK chief Sir Andrew Witty said. It was a Europe-wide problem as governments coped with austerity and got more anxious about debts, he added. But the Department of Health said the approval process was getting faster and it had increased spending on new drugs. Mr Witty, the head of the pharmaceutical giant, told the BBC: "We're seeing oncology drugs being systematically delayed from introduction and reimbursement. "We're seeing a variety of the more innovative, and yes more expensive medicines, being delayed in a whole series of different diseases across Europe." "Ultimately it's one of those situations where the drift will be imperceptibly happening, but when you look back in five or 10 years, a huge gap will have opened up." He also said the government had cut prices by 5% a year as it got more … Continue reading →

"Cancer in the UK is a good example where we're seeing oncology drugs being systematically delayed from introduction and reimbursement. "We are seeing a variety of the more innovative and more expensive medicines being delayed in a whole series of different diseases across Europe." Sir Andrew accused governments of treating the pharmaceuticals industry as a "simple procurement business" without understanding the wider implications of their decisions. "As governments have got more and more anxious about their debt positions and austerity agendas, what happened is quite predictable," he said. "If you are a minister and you need to cut costs, it is a lot easier to cut drug prices than it is to close a hospital or reduce the size of the Civil Service. I understand that. "The issue here is, of course, if you don't buy the new drug it is going to save you money in the drug bill. But the drug bill is only 8 per cent to 10 per cent of the total health care bill and what is being lost in this stampede for cost cut is any kind of strategic thoughtfulness." Professor Jonathan Waxman, of Imperial College London, said a number of new cancer drugs … Continue reading →

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drugmaker-funded science isn't always more likely to favor new medicines than studies paid for by non-profits, according to a new report on past research in rheumatoid arthritis. The finding flies in the face of a large body of evidence showing industry studies tend to promote new drugs and downplay potential side effects. That potential bias has fueled concerns that medical care could be guided by warped science, not least because more and more research is being done or paid for by companies with money riding on the results. The new report, published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, shows 37 of 49 drug trials funded exclusively by manufacturers had positive results. When non-profits such as the government or a foundation picked up the tab, 11 of 16 trials found the studied drug to be effective. That difference -- seven percent -- is too small to be statistically reliable, meaning that a trial's outcome didn't depend on who sponsored it. Still, Dr. Nasim Khan, who led the new work, was quick to add a caveat. "A single study limited to (clinical trials in a single disease) is insufficient to completely dispel worries about potential for bias … Continue reading →

The head of Britain biggest drugs company has accused the Government of systematically delaying the introduction of new cancer drugs in order to save money. GlaxoSmithKline chief executive Sir Andrew Witty warned that ministers were making false economies as they tried to grapple with the deficit in the public finances. In an interview with the BBC, he said that governments across Europe had already cut drug prices by 5% a year - costing GSK around £300 million per annum. However, he said governments were now seeking to go further in an effort to achieve even bigger savings - and he highlighted Britain's decision to delay new cancer treatments. "The bit I'm much more frightened about is that what's now beginning to become clear is that, in addition to price reductions, governments are delaying the approval of innovative new drugs," he said. "So a second way they can save money, they think, is 'Let's just not buy the next round of innovation'. "Cancer in the UK is a good example where we're seeing oncology drugs being systematically delayed from introduction and reimbursement. "We are seeing a variety of the more innovative and more expensive medicines being delayed in a whole series … Continue reading →

Zach Nielson at age 11 couldn't quite put his finger on the two words his doctors were avoiding using around him. But his mother certainly could. Deb Nielson knew people in wheelchairs, knew what it meant that Zach was waking up numb, knew how scary it was when he staggered stiffly down the hallway like a young drunk. But just over two years later, a new generation of powerful drugs has drained the power of the words "multiple sclerosis" for Zach and thousands of patients like him. The drugs have erased symptoms and reversed nerve scarring in the largest subgroup of MS sufferers, transforming for the first time victims' experience with the disease. Far from a life sentenced to relentless disability, Zach Nielson is among a growing group who feel as if their MS never happened. "When they first told me, I was worried it would get worse and worse, and I wouldn't be able to have my dream job," said Zach, who just turned 14. "Now I know I can be a pilot." The new class of drugs "gave me my active son back," Deb Nielson said. "I'm convinced of that now." Eight hundred MS patients are on Zach's … Continue reading →

The Food and Drug Administration has rejected three prescription diet pills in the last three years, raising questions of whether any weight loss drug can win approval in the U.S. The agency has not approved a new prescription weight loss drug in 13 years. Historically, medications that attempt to burn fat or suppress appetite have been plagued by safety issues. Despite the latest rejections, all three drugmakers are resubmitting their products for a second review. Here's a look at the contenders and where they are in the review process: — Qnexa is a combination of two older drugs: the amphetamine phentermine, which is approved for short-term weight loss, and topiramate, an anti-convulsant drug sold by Johnson & Johnson as Topamax. Phentermine helps suppress appetite, while topiramate is believed to make patients feel more satiated Many experts view the combination pill as the most promising of the new weight loss drugs, due to studies showing most patients lost nearly 10 percent of their weight — the highest reduction reported with any recent diet pill. But the FDA rejected the drug in October 2010, raising a number of safety concerns, including higher heart rate and birth defects in women who become pregnant. … Continue reading →

Chandigarh, Feb 24 (IANS) A controversy over the usage of drugs by inmates in Punjab prisons has become the cause of an open fight between the top police officers. With the Director General of Police (DGP) for prisons, Shashi Kant, openly pointing to a nexus between the drug mafia and police officials, the fight within the police force has come out in the open. He pointed out that the drug mafia was freely operating inside Punjab jails with the "patronage" of police officials. The DGP did not stop there. He even said he was under "threat" from the drug mafia as he had initiated steps to control the use of drugs inside jail premises in Punjab. "I am being pressurised to let go the anti-drugs campaign in jails. But I will not be cowed down by these threats and will continue my crusade against drugs," Kant said recently in Patiala after inaugurating a gym at the central jail there. The statements by Kant brought him into confrontation with the Minister for Jails, Hira Singh Gabria, who asked the DGP to provide details of the threats to him. That was not all. DGP Anil Kaushik shot off a communication to Kant … Continue reading →

Among Drugs Used to Calm Agitated Dementia Patients, Newer Drugs Seem Safer Than Older Feb. 23, 2012 -- The FDA has warned that treatment with antipsychotic drugs increases the risk of death among elderly patients with dementia, and now a new study confirms that some drugs are riskier than others. Compared to patients treated with the newer second-generation antipsychotic drug Risperdal (risperidone), patients who took the older, first-generation drug Haldol (haloperidol) had twice the risk of death. The study is by far the largest ever to examine death risk associated with antipsychotic drug use in patients with dementia. The drugs are often used to calm down dementia patients who can become agitated, sometimes to the point of violence. Researchers from Harvard Medical School reviewed data on more than 75,400 elderly residents of nursing homes in 45 states across the U.S. They conclude that certain antipsychotic medications may differ in the risk of death among the elderly with dementia. The study appears today in the journal BMJ. “Haloperidol is not used as much as it once was in these patients, but it is still used,” says researcher and Harvard Medical School instructor Krista Huybrechts, PhD. “It is clear that this drug … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Monthly Prescribing Reference (MPR) is pleased to announce the launch of the Drugs & Bugs App, an essential resource for healthcare professionals. The app provides comprehensive information on antibiotic spectrum of efficacy against microorganisms. Clinicians may use the searchable alpha indices or search drugs and bugs by bacterial class or pharmacological class to begin their query. The Drugs & Bugs App features: A database of more than 100 antibiotics and nearly 200 bacterial pathogens Smart Search capability by pathogen, type of infection, brand and generic drug names Quick-to-read results on spectrum of activity Comprehensive drug monographs for anti-infective agents Useful comparative charts by drug class Clinical calculators Drugs & Bugs was developed by MPR and US Biomedical Information Systems (USBMIS), MPR's app development partner, in cooperation with Philip Chung, PharmD, BCPS; Clinical Pharmacy Manager in Infectious Diseases at Montefiore Medical Center, NY. The drug monographs are frequently updated and reviewed by MPR's team of pharmacists and physicians. "Choosing an empiric antibiotic regimen can be daunting," said Dr. Chung. "The Drugs & Bugs App is a useful tool for selecting empiric antibiotic regimens before susceptibility results become available. The app also aids clinicians in the … Continue reading →

guy dixon From Thursday's Globe and Mail Published Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 5:50PM EST Last updated Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 6:11PM EST Even in at the height of the drugs, sex and rock ’n’ roll era, when the heady 1960s slurred into the excessive 1970s, Burton Cummings had a limit. Sure, he had a reputation for partying on tour with the Guess Who. But he also knew he couldn’t stay up all night, every night, as some other musicians and hangers-on could. It’s the gospel that singers – if they want their careers to survive – try to abide by: The voice has to have rest, or it will be destroyed. More related to this story The vulnerabilities of musicians to substance abuse is a subject on the mind of the Canadian rock ’n’ roller after the sudden death of singer Whitney Houston, 48, on Feb. 11. While there has yet to be an official announcement of the cause of her death, it was widely known that Houston’s career had been largely destroyed by drug use despite her having sought treatment several times in the past decade. And just six months ago, superstar singer Amy Winehouse, only 27, died of … Continue reading →