As I wrote recently, many of our most useful medications come from bizarre sources, ranging from mold from Adriatic castles to Gila monster spit and horse urine. Soon, cockroach brains may be added to this profoundly unappetizing list.
Pharmaceuticals
The Strange World of Drug Origins: Nuns’ Urine, Yew Trees and Rooster Combs
Some people go to infamous extremes to get high — smoking dried toad venom, for example, or in one Northern culture, drinking the urine of reindeer that are tripping on psychedelic mushrooms. And yet, stranger sources than …
Botox Manufacturer: $600 Million Poorer, But closer to New Uses
Allergan, the maker of Botox, will pay $600 million in fines and civil settlements after pleading guilty to marketing their product for uses for which it hasn’t been FDA approved. The Justice Department accused Allergan of …
The Secret to Fast-Acting Antidepressants
Scientists have uncovered the antidepressant mechanism behind ketamine — an anesthetic, a recreational dance-party drug, and, as it turns out, an unusually fast-acting mood booster. The scientists hope that their finding will lead to the development of other, new drugs that can help patients recover from depression faster.
Major …
FDA panel: Avastin ineffective against breast cancer
In light of clinical trials suggesting no benefit from the medication among breast cancer patients, U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted yesterday in favor of withdrawing approval of the cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) for treatment of breast cancer. Avastin, which is manufactured by Roche, was originally granted
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FDA panel in favor of keeping Avandia on the market
Despite concerns that the popular GlaxoSmithKline diabetes drug Avandia could raise the risk for heart attack, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel voted today in favor of keeping the medication on the market. As the Wall Street Journal reports, 20 members of the 33-person panel voted in favor of keeping Avandia on the
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FDA: obesity drug works, but safety concerns remain
A potential new obesity drug appears effective at helping patients lose weight, according to a report released today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but concerns remain about side effects — which could include depression, anxiety, impact on heart rate and risks for pregnant women. The document was released in advance of a
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WHO: Pharma ties didn’t impact swine flu decisions
In response to an investigation published last week in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) which pointed to affiliations between World Health Organization (WHO) advisers and pharmaceutical companies manufacturing H1N1 flu vaccines, WHO inspector general Margaret Chan said that industry ties had no impact on the global health agency’s
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BMJ: WHO swine flu advisers had drug company ties
Almost exactly one year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the swine flu outbreak had reached global pandemic proportions. The announcement, made on June 11, 2009, spurred governments to order huge stocks of vaccines and prompted broad public health initiatives around the globe. And while we can all be grateful that
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Possible criminal investigation for Tylenol maker
Things just seem to be getting worse for Johnson & Johnson and one of its branches, McNeil Consumer Healthcare. After a routine inspection by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a McNeil plant in Pennsylvania found serious lapses in quality control — including bacterial contamination and lack of proper evaluation of a …
A Pharma Company Role in Medical Literature
If you’ve ever worried that pharmaceutical companies have too much sway when it comes to determining your treatment, today’s news won’t help quell your fears.
The New York Times reports that a large pharmaceutical developer hired ghostwriters to “play a major role in producing” 26 scientific papers that support hormone replacement …