The HIV drug Intelence, produced by Johnson & Johnson, has potentially deadly side effects including severe skin reactions and liver damage, according to the Associated Press. The skin reactions include cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a life-threatening skin disorder which starts with fever, sore throat and fatigue. It’s extremely debilitating and causes the skin to burn…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it “is reviewing adverse event reports of liver injury in patients taking the weight loss drug orlistat, marketed as the prescription drug Xenical and the over-the-counter medication Alli.” Thus, the poor safety record of weight-loss drugs seems unblemished. Or, more accurately, as filled with blemishes as…
The FDA relaxed regulations to provide access to experimental drugs for patients who are seriously ill and have exhausted all other commercially available resources, according to the Wall Street Journal. In theory, I believe expanding access to medication for people who are extremely ill is a good thing. However, broader access to experimental drugs could…
During 2007, more than 16 percent of randomly tested U.S. drivers had detectable levels of stimulants, sedatives, antidepressants, marijuana or narcotic painkillers in their systems, according to a report just released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. This shocking statistic overwhelms the little bit of good news from Results of the 2007 National Roadside…
My law partner Jim Lewis wrote about Matrixx Corp., the makers of Zicam nasal spray, refusing to admit the product can cause a permanent loss of smell for consumers. The company states there has not been an official study directly correlating Zicam nasal spray with a loss of smell. However, that’s not exactly the case….