Drug Abuse

US reviewer says depression drugs, suicide linked

A U.S. government medical reviewer told an advisory panel Monday that new findings confirmed his conclusion months ago that certain antidepressants increase the chances…    

Drug Abuse Holds Steady In U.S.

Nearly 20 million Americans over the age of 12 regularly used illegal drugs in 2003, showing little change from the year before, according…    

FDA Nod Won’t Guarantee Drug Safety

A 60-year-old woman with degenerative disk disease recently came into Dr. Allen Lebovits’ Manhattan office with a complaint. This time, the grievance wasn’t about…    

Vioxx study finds arthritis drug increases heart attack risk

An FDA financed study presented at an epidemiologists conference in Bordeaux, France on August 25, 2004 suggested Vioxx patients have a 50 percent greater…    

Baby aspirin plus Vioxx raises ulcer risk

By themselves, low-dose aspirin and the painkiller Vioxx are usually safe for the stomach, but together they can spell trouble, a new study…    

Long-term acetaminophen use may harm kidneys

Long-term, habitual use of the painkiller acetaminophen—known as paracetamol in many parts of the world—may cause a decline in kidney function in some people,…    

FDA finds fake, subpotent drugs online

A Web site advertising “Canadian generic” drugs shipped fake, contaminated or substandard versions of three commonly prescribed medicines, U.S. regulators said on Tuesday.

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Cilexa safely curbs depression in the young

Treatment with the antidepressant Cilexa significantly reduces symptoms of major depression in children and adolescents, researchers report.

Dr. Karen Dineen Wagner of…    

Pfizer, FDA warn about fake Viagra in California

U.S. regulators warned on Wednesday that fake versions of Pfizer Inc.’s impotence pill Viagra had been found in two retail pharmacies in California.

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Antioxidant diminishes birth defects, in mice

Pregnant mice given alcohol produce offspring with limb malformations, but giving the animals an antioxidant with the alcohol reduces the number and severity of…    

Drug prices rise after Medicare law

Prices for medicines most used by older Americans rose steadily after the Bush administration enacted the new Medicare law late last year, the nation’s…    

Generic Drug Firms Brace for More M&A

Generic drug makers can expect further consolidation in the sector following a wave of deals this year and last in the still fragmented industry,…    

Morning-after pill sparks controversy in Peru

GlaxoSmithKline Plc, responding to a lawsuit claiming it suppressed negative data about its antidepressant Paxil, published results of trials showing the drug is broadly…    

Abbott AIDS drug price claims were misleading

U.S. regulators told Abbott Laboratories Inc. on Thursday to stop using misleading price claims that were circulated about its AIDS pill Norvir as the…    

Boozy Britain wary of ‘anti-hangover pill’

A controversial U.S. anti-hangover drug hit the shelves in Britain Wednesday, as experts warned it could help fuel the national passion for binge drinking.…    

New drugs often give patients problems

A considerable number of people who are prescribed drugs for a newly diagnosed condition such as heart disease, asthma, diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis, soon…    

Wisconsin’s governor urges making drug imports safe

Lower drug prices in Canada and other countries will keep luring Americans, and the government needs to make sure the medicines people buy are…    

Spending grows to treat youth behavior

Spending on stimulants and other psychiatric drugs to treat young people with conditions ranging from hyperactivity to depression is increasing strongly, a new U.S.…    

Drug abuse effects linger

Cocaine and amphetamine drug users struggle with the residual effects for up to a year after going cold turkey, research suggests.

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Human tests of anthrax vaccine planned

A San Diego biotechnology firm said it hopes to begin human testing of its experimental anthrax vaccine by the year’s end.

Several…    

Lawmakers protest morning-after pill ruling

Anger over the U.S. rejection of over-the-counter sales of a “morning-after” pill simmered in Congress on Wednesday as 41 lawmakers urged regulators to immediately…