News Archives
New Chantix study shows no direct link to suicide
Despite recent FDA warnings and adverse event reportings about Chantix (varenicline), a new study reported online in the British Medical Journal has found no direct link between Chantix and increased suicide risks. The researchers conducted a cohort study between 2006-2008 of over 80,000 patients aged 16 to 95 who were prescribed a new course of...
The FDA announced a new plan this week to better improve communication with the public about drug risks and other products regulated by the agency. This new plan identifies more than 70 specific actions the FDA will take over the next five years to help improve communications with the public. The announcement comes three years after the FDA...
Cell Phone Distraction Cited in 16% of All Fatal Crashes in 2008
This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation began the Distracted Driving Summit which brought government officials, safety advocates, researchers, and lawmakers together to focus on the growing hazard of drivers using cell phones to talk or text behind the wheel. The Obama Administration reported that in 2008 nearly 6,000 people were...
Toyota Recalls 3.8 Million Vehicles for Faulty gas pedals
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Toyota/Lexus announced a recall of 3.8 million vehicles following reports of driver-side floor mats causing gas pedals to stick in the full open position resulting in very high speeds. Owners of any of the following model vehicles are advised to immediately remove all driver-side...
Flavored Cigarettes banned by FDA
With its new regulatory powers under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act signed into law in June, the FDA yesterday announced a ban on cigarette flavorings such as clove, fruit, or candy. The measure is part of an effort to make smoking less appealing and less available to children, whereby reducing the number of children who...
Study Supports Nonprofit Nursing Homes Provide Better Care
A new statistical review study published in August of 2009 revealed that nonprofit nursing homes provide better care than for-profit nursing homes. The authors' reviewed the results of 82 studies from 1965 to 2003 involving tens of thousands of nursing homes. Forty studies found that non-profit nursing homes provided significantly better quality...
According to a news release from Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, the State of Florida will recover $58.2 million from Pfizer as part of the global settlement announced yesterday to resolve civil and criminal claims relating to Pfizer's pattern of illegal marketing and payment of illegal kickbacks over several of...
Pfizer Pays Record $2.3 billion penalty over illegal drug promotions
The U.S. Department of Justice announced yesterday that drug giant Pfizer agreed to pay a $2.3 billion penalty to settle claims over illegal drug marketing and promotion that violated federal drug laws over an extensive period of time. The $2.3 billion settlement is the largest health care fine in U.S. history. Pfizer was charged with promoting...
MDL Petition Filed for Yaz/Yasmin Consolidation
Many lawsuits have been filed across the country against drug giant Bayer over the popular oral contraceptives Yasmin and Yaz. Some suspect the drugs could actually be recalled, especially due to recent media attention over the serious and fatal risks associated with taking these drugs which include stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, deep...
Report: Florida Health Insurance Premiums Increase 3.7 Times Faster Than the Level of Income
Health insurance costs for the last decade in Florida grow at triple the rate of personal incomes for most citizens according to study data reported by Families USA, a non-profit organization. The report was released last week as support for various health care reform bills currently pending in Congress. According to...
