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Investigations Continue into Psychiatrists-Big Pharm Ties
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:23:24 +0000
Dr. Martin Keller, head of psychiatry at Brown University, is likely to be the next target in ongoing congressional investigations into the often too-friendly relationship between some doctors and pharmaceutical companies. Senator Charles E. Grassley—Republican-Iowa—the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee is looking at consulting fees Keller received from drug companies for his research [...]
Federal Authorities Seize SEI’s Xiadafil VIP Tablets
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:50:53 +0000
We have long been reporting on the issue or erectile dysfunction supplements containing undeclared ingredient. Now, in a move made at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Marshals seized nearly $74,000 worth of Xiadafil VIP tablets from lots 6K029 and 6K209-SEI. The supplements were distributed by SEI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SEI) [...]
Serious Reactions in Some to Ziagen, Abacavir, FDA Warns
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:35:09 +0000
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just issued an alert regarding serious, sometimes fatal, reactions—called hypersensitivity reactions or HSRs—caused by the drug Abacavir in some patients. Abacavir—sold under brand name Ziagen—therapy can result in HSRs in those patients who test positive for a particular human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele called HLA-B*5701. An allele is [...]
Report Says US Fentanyl Deaths Exceed 1,000 in Two Years, but Report Incomplete-
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:26:12 +0000
The first cluster of Fentanyl overdoses appeared in 2005 in Chicago; by 2006, “clusters were identified in Philadelphia, Detroit, and other cities.” Over time, hundreds of Fentanyl-related deaths were reported; this week’s tally from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 1,013 deaths from early April 2005 through late March 2007. “This was [...]
Dems Push for Tougher Rules Following Crane Collapse Deaths
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:39:22 +0000
Six people have died in crane collapses this week alone, prompting lawmakers in Congress to push for tougher rules for construction crane work. On Tuesday, nine Senate Democrats sent a letter to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, urging the adoption of tougher standards. On Thursday, an elderly man was killed in Oklahoma City when the boom of [...]
Lawmaker Seeks Compensation for Tomato Growers Hit by Salmonella Scare
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:34:02 +0000
Legislation to compensate tomato growers for the losses they sustained because of this summer’s Salmonella scare has been introduced in the US Congress. The bill, introduced by Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL), would give the nation’s tomato growers and shippers $100 million to compensate for losses they incurred in the outbreak. In June, the Food & Drug [...]
Mississippi River Oil Spill Almost 100 Miles Long, Barge Still Leaking
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:16:37 +0000
The slick from the oil spill that occurred Wednesday on the Mississippi River in New Orleans now spans nearly 100 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The barge involved in the spill is still leaking heavy fuel oil into the river, and officials in New Orleans have characterized the incident as the city’s worst oil [...]
Beef Packers Recalls Beef Products Over Possible E. Coli Contamination
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:09:59 +0000
Fresno, California’s Beef Packers, Inc., is recalling approximately 1,560 pounds of beef cheek products over concerns that the meat may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (UDSA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The problem was discovered during company microbiological testing and the recall is identified as a [...]
Durom Cup Hip Device Sales Halted Over Questionable Design
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:54:11 +0000
The nation’s biggest producer of orthopedic devices says it is suspending sales of an artificial hip component that some say is failing at high rates. Zimmer Holdings, based in Warsaw, is also lowering its earnings outlook due to the suspension; shares fell sharply yesterday. The Durom cup has been implanted in over 12,000 [...]
Ranbaxy Allegations Put FDA in Spotlight
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:44:58 +0000
Lawmakers probing allegations that generic drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories Inc. imported defective drugs to the US have sent a letter to Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, demanding information on each drug Ranbaxy has approval to market here. Rep. John Dingell and Rep. Bart Stupak, both Michigan Democrats who head up the [...]