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 →