Novo Nordisk pays fine for off-label promotion of hemostasis drug
June 14th 2011The battle against illegal drug promotion continues. The latest culprit is Novo Nordisk, which agreed to pay $25 million to settle civil liabilities over off-label promotion for its hemostasis drug NovoSeven (recombinant factor VIIa ) on June 10.
Study finds unexpectedly high risk of hypertension for young adults
June 7th 2011Nearly 20% of young adults in the United States may have high blood pressure, according to the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, an analysis sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and published online in Epidemiology.
TV-based patient education improves engagement, quality of care
May 26th 2011Integrated television-based technology can help hospitals meet the patient-centeredness requirements of federal reform initiatives, stated a recent white paper released by LodgeNet Healthcare, a provider of media and connectivity solutions for hospitals.
HIV infection risk for uninfected sex partners reduced by early ART
May 26th 2011Early commencement of oral antiretroviral therapy by men and women infected with HIV substantially reduced the risk that they would transmit the virus to their uninfected sexual partners, according to findings from a large multinational clinical study conducted by the HIV Prevention Trials Network.
Community pharmacists rally on Capitol Hill
May 24th 2011The National Community Pharmacists Association Conference taking place May 23 to May 25 in Washington, D.C., at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill is focusing on how the expert medication counseling and new, nontraditional services provided by local pharmacists can help reduce costs and improve patient outcomes.
Proton pump inhibitors linked to fracture risk
May 24th 2011Proton pump inhibitors are associated with a 29% increased risk of fracture, including a 31% increased risk of hip fracture and a 54% increased risk of vertebral fracture, according to a study published in the May/June 2011 issue of Annals of Family Medicine.
Most NSAIDs unsafe for patients with prior MI
May 24th 2011There is no safe therapeutic window of time for using NSAIDs in patients with prior myocardial infarction. Even short-term treatment with most NSAIDs appears associated with increased risk of death and recurrent MI, reported a study published in Circulation.
Late-breaking news: FDA approves Sutent for advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
May 23rd 2011FDA has approved sunitinib malate (Sutent, Pfizer) as the first anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy to treat progressive, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease.
Late-breaking news: FDA approves rilpivirine for HIV-1 infection in treatment-naïve adults
May 20th 2011FDA has approved rilpivirine (Edurant, Tibotec Therapeutics, a division of Centocor Ortho Biotech) in combination with other antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults who have never taken HIV therapy.