Researchers say they have made the first implantable chip that can deliver medicine for as long as a year and that several women tolerated it safely for up to four months. Not only did the subjects find the implant comfortable, but it appeared to deliver an osteoporosis drug effectively, the team told a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They think such a device could be programmed to deliver a precise dose daily, helping to avoid problems caused when people fail to take their drugs on time. It could also be controlled remotely, allowing doctors to change dosage. “We see this as a new future for how doctors will administer drugs and how patients will receive their treatments,” Robert Farra of Massachusetts-based MicroCHIPS told a news conference. “Patients will be freed from having to remember to take their medication and don’t have to experience the pain of multiple injections.” Patients often fail to take medicines correctly -- and the more complex and expensive the drug, the less likely they are to remember. It's a headache for doctors and insurers alike, who end up spending needless time and money to treat symptoms that could have been prevented … Continue reading →

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency has decided that the benefits of orlistat-containing weight loss drugs, including GlaxoSmithKline's Alli and Roche's Xenical, outweigh the risk of very rare liver-related side effects. The regulator launched a review of the drugs in September in light of some rare cases of severe liver injury among patients. It said on Thursday that the drugs were beneficial in the treatment of obese or overweight patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 28 or above. However, it recommended that labelling for the medicines, including nationally authorized orlistat-containing generics, was harmonized to ensure the warning about liver damage was consistent. It stressed that cases of severe liver disease linked to the drugs were very rare. There with 21 cases of severe liver toxicity reported where Xenical was considered a possible cause from 1997 to January 2011, it said, and nine reports of liver failure in people using Alli between May 2007, when it was first marketed, and January 2011. To put that in context, Xenical and Alli together were estimated to have been used by over 53 million people worldwide, with over 20 million in the European Union, it said. GlaxoSmithKline has put Alli up … Continue reading →

By Carol Cratty, CNN updated 8:39 PM EST, Thu February 16, 2012 STORY HIGHLIGHTS The Partnership at Drugfree.org unveils online info tools on synthetics The kits include a podcast and video, a slide cast and a printable guide Poison control centers see a huge jump in synthetic-drug-related calls Drug policy director: Spice, K2, other synthetics "can cause serious harm" Washington (CNN) -- For parents who are mystified by drugs with names like Spice and bath salts: There's now a kit to help you out. The Partnership at Drugfree.org on Thursday unveiled tools available online to help adults understand synthetic drugs and urged them to talk to kids about their dangers. "These are threats that were not around when they, themselves, were teenagers," said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the drug education organization. The kits include a podcast and video, a slide cast and a printable guide with information on street names for drugs, what kinds of medical problems they can cause, and tips on how to tell whether their children might be using synthetic marijuana or stimulants. Pasierb and Gil Kerlikowske, director of National Drug Control Policy, met with officials from government and anti-drug groups to discuss how to … Continue reading →