Amgen Inc. (AMGN), the worlds largest biotechnology company, said its experimental heart drug lowered cholesterol levels in patients unable to take standard medicines such as Pfizer Inc.s Lipitor because of side effects. The drug, AMG-145, which targets cholesterol-regulating gene PCSK9 in the liver, reduced LDL, or bad cholesterol, 51 percent in patients intolerant to medicines like Lipitor, called statins, after 12 weeks, and 63 percent among those taking it in combination with Merck & Co.s (MRK) cholesterol treatment Zetia, according to a study presented today at the American Heart Association meeting in Los Angeles. Amgen is focusing on the drugs potential to help offset declining sales of its anemia drugs Aranesp and Epogen, which together will generate $4 billion in estimated sales this year and face increased competition by 2015. The Thousand Oaks, California-based company is competing with some of the worlds biggest drugmakers, such as Pfizer, Roche Holding AG (ROG) and Sanofi (SAN), to be first to market with the new cholesterol medicine. Close to a million people in the U.S. alone who are treated with statins cannot tolerate them or the doses needed for effective cholesterol control, said Evan Stein, director of the Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center … Continue reading →

The Rottenstein Law Group, which represents clients with claims stemming from the severe side effects of the drug Fosamax, has learned that Merck & Co., Inc. believes it has in odanacatib a replacement for the embattled osteoporosis drug almost ready for release. New York, NY (PRWEB) November 06, 2012 The results show that odanacatib works much better than the placebo. In nearly every bone area measured (three places in the hip and femur and in the lumbar vertebrae) taking the drug corresponded to an increase in bone mineral density (BMD) while the placebo users registered declines in bone strength. Only the BMD in the forearm did not show statistical signs of improvement for those taking odanacatib. Because Fosamax causes several unusual and dangerous side effects, RLG notes that side effects forced nine percent of the odanacatib users to leave the trials, as opposed to three percent of those on the placebo. The side effects include urinary tract infection, back pain, arthralgia (joint pain), bronchitis, and upper respiratory tract infection. Merck is clearly optimistic that it can replace Fosamax with a new patented prescription drug, but for those who took Fosamax and suffered an unusual bone break, a new drug will … Continue reading →

Toronto, Canada (PRWEB) November 05, 2012 RxISK.org, the first free independent website for researching and reporting drug side effects, is now live. RxISK.org layers an easy-to-use interface over data from FDAs MedWatch system, allowing users to search the 4.1 million drug side effect reports from 2004 to June 30, 2012 and see information unavailable anywhere else, including warnings and interactions, tag clouds, heat maps, and interactive graphs. Users can search more than 35,000 prescription drug names from 103 countries. The website has a unique reporting feature that provides users with a personalized RxISK Report linking their side effects and their meds. This report can be taken to a doctor or pharmacist to facilitate a better treatment conversation. RxISK will also show whats happening with other people taking the same drug around the world and in the users community. As more reports are filed, the RxISK database will become the most comprehensive source of independent information on what drugs do. Many people think that if the FDA or their countrys drug regulator has approved a drug then its safe. Not always. All drugs have effects. Some good, some bad, and some deadly. But fewer than 5% of serious drug side effects … Continue reading →

Roche Holding AG (ROG)s abandoned heart drug dalcetrapib, designed to raise levels of good cholesterol, also boosted blood pressure and inflammation, researchers said. Dalcetrapib marks the second failure in what was expected to be a new blockbuster class of heart medicines known as CETP inhibitors. The Basel, Switzerland-based drugmaker halted development of the drug in May, saying an early look at study results found the medicine wasnt helping patients. Pfizer Inc. (PFE) dropped its pill torcetrapib in December 2006 after studies showed it raised blood pressure and boosted death rates. The findings presented today at the American Heart Association meeting in Los Angeles showed dalcetrapib had unexpected side effects that may have contributed to its downfall. While it didnt increase hypertension in the same manner or amount as torcetrapib and there werent more deaths, its possible the medicines could have damaged blood vessels, the researchers said. That may have implications for Merck & Co. (MRK) and Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY), who are developing similar compounds. It was a surprise that the blood pressure effect was evident, since earlier studies didnt find any increase, said Gregory Schwartz, chief of cardiology at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in … Continue reading →