› $4.85 Billion settlement in drug case
The blood thinner heparin may be an effective treatment for Interstitial Cystitis (IC) according to the Interstitial Cystitis Association. IC is defined as pelvic pain, pressure or discomfort related to the bladder. It is typically associated with urinary frequency and urgency without infection or other pathology. It also is referred to as chronic pain syndrome (CPPS), painful bladder syndrome (PBS), and bladder pain syndrome (BPS).
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Baxter Healthcare Corp., claiming the company began substituting ingredients in its anti-coagulant heparin with a dangerous counterfeit to “reap greater profits as a result of utilizing cheap component parts,” according to The Madison St. Clair (Illinois) The Record.
Enoxaparin, a low-molecular weight heparin, is getting praise from the Journal of Human Fertility for its safety and effectiveness for the prophylactic treatment of women with thrombophilia and recurrent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) failures, according to IVG News.Direct!
Read the rest of this entry »
Just weeks after the FDA requested revised labeling for the low molecular weight heparin, Innohep, the FDA announced that its maker Celgene Corporation has issued a “Dear Healthcare Professional” letter describing a controlled clinical study that suggests an increased risk of death in elderly patients who received Innohep. Innohep contains tinzaparin sodium that is given to patients in conjunction with warfarin sodium intravenously to treat blood clots that have occurred deep in the veins of hospitalized patients who may or may not have also experienced the occurrence of blood clots in their lungs (pulmonary embolism).
The tainted heparin scandal was listed as the No. 1 story in the Chicago Tribune’s “The Top 10 local business stories of 2008.”
Meet Allie Beaty. As a diabetic, her life depends on insulin. She wants to make a difference for others like her, make “the world safer for people with diabetes,” she says on her Web page, Alliesvoice.com. So Allie established a diabetes think group and shares ”Love Diabetes” videos on YouTube to push her mission.
The National Academies of Sciences Institute of Medicine, the Consumer Federation of America and the Center for Science in the Public Interest have joined together to urge the incoming Obama administration to address food safety issues that have plagued the FDA in the past few years. However, the Institute of Medicine and the consumer groups disagree on the legalities, according to Flesh and Stone.
Rhodia SA, a leading producer of paracentamol drugs Panadol and Tylenol, will close its factory in France this week, leaving Europe completely dependent on imports for that drug, according to Bloomberg. Rhodia says it is dropping out of the $800 million paracentamol business because of stiff competition from Asian producers who can export the same product at a fraction of the cost.
