Articles tagged with drug

Wed, May 23, 2012

Celldex breast cancer drug shrinks some tumors: study

(Reuters) - Interim results from a mid-stage trial of Celldex Therapeutics Inc's experimental drug showed trends toward reducing tumors in patients with advanced breast ...

Wed, May 23, 2012

MediciNova asthma drug fails trial; shares crash

(Reuters) - Biopharmaceutical company MediciNova Inc said its experimental asthma drug failed to meet the main goal of a second mid-stage trial, sending its shares ...

Wed, May 23, 2012

US advisers reject J&J/Bayer's Xarelto for acute coronary patients

By Anna Yukhananov

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. advisers recommended against expanding the use of Johnson & Johnson's blood thinner Xarelto as a way to reduce the risk of new heart attacks and strokes in people with heart problems.

A panel of outside experts to the Food and Drug Administration voted on Wednesday that the pill should not be approved for people with acute coronary syndrome.

J&J developed the drug in partnership with German drugmaker Bayer AG.

Xarelto is already approved for use to reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs of people who have had knee or hip replacement surgery. It is also approved to prevent strokes among people with a type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.

But the companies wanted to expand its use to treat acute coronary syndrome, which refers to people who have heart attacks or chest pain, usually because of a blocked coronary artery.

About 1 million people in the United States are hospitalized each year after having an ACS episode, often a heart attack, according to researchers.

The trial tested Xarelto as an addition to aspirin, and other clot preventers like Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi's Plavix, which are typically used to treat the condition.

By a vote of 6 to 4, with one abstention, the panel said Xarelto looked promising but missing data could skew results. They were also concerned about bleeding risks.

"I want to see better evidence that this strategy of adding (Xarelto) ...is robustly better for the patient," said Dr. Steven Nissen, panel member and chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. "And I just wasn't convinced."

The FDA usually follows panel recommendations, although it is not required to, and a final decision is expected by the end of June.

"We appreciate the thoroughness of the committee's review, and will ensure the questions raised today are addressed with the FDA," said Paul Burton, a vice president with Janssen Research & Development, the J&J unit that markets Xarelto.

THREE-WAY RACE

Xarelto is one of three new medicines that offer potential advantages over older drugs to prevent strokes and other dangerous conditions caused by blood clots, in a market worth up to $10 billion in annual sales, according to Wall Street forecasts.

Investors have tried to bet on which of the three will become the dominant player in a race between Xarelto, Eliquis from Pfizer Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa.

Pradaxa gained U.S. approval in 2010, while Eliquis is still under FDA review, with a decision expected by the end of June.

Xarelto's rivals failed in treating patients with ACS, giving Bayer and J&J a potentially distinct market -- although stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation is seen as the most lucrative use for the new drugs.

In a clinical trial of ACS, people who took a 2.5 milligram dose of Xarelto in addition to an aspirin and another anti-platelet medication had a 15 percent lower risk of having a stroke or dying from a heart attack than people just taking the other medicines, FDA reviewers said.

On the other hand, patients taking Xarelto had twice as much risk for a major fatal bleeding compared to the older drugs, while other kinds of bleeding were three times higher with Xarelto. But the overall rates were still low: only 0.1 percent of patients had fatal bleeding while taking the drug and 2 percent had some kind of bleeding.

The FDA advisers decided the balance between the heart benefits of Xarelto and its bleeding risks tilted against the drug because the company lost track of an average of 12 percent of patients during clinical trial. It was unclear how those patients fared while taking the medicine.

"Were there not questions about loss to follow-up and missing data, it would have been a yes," said Allan Coukell, a pharmacist and the panel's consumer representative, when explaining his 'no' vote on Xarelto.

J&J has said it expected some people to drop out of the final clinical trial since it enrolled about 15,500 patients and studied them for about 2 1/2 years, and the dropout rates were similar between people taking Xarelto and those on the older drugs, meaning the missing data should not impact the results.

(Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; Editing by Gary Hill, Tim Dobbyn, Leslie ...

Tue, May 22, 2012

Paul Michael Glaser 'arrested for drug possession'

From WENN.com

The actor, 69, was taken into custody in Bowling Green, Kentucky after cops were called to his Hilton Garden Inn hotel ...

Tue, May 22, 2012

U.S. says drug abuse needs treatment, not just jail

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - The United States sees drug abuse as a public health problem as much as a crime issue and is ...

Tue, May 22, 2012

Takeda drug impresses in ulcerative colitis study

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - More than 40 percent of patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis achieved clinical remission from the debilitating condition after ...

Tue, May 22, 2012

Eli Lilly's diabetes drug meets mid-stage trial goal

(Reuters) - Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co's experimental drug to treat type 2 diabetes met the main goal of a mid-stage trial to test ...

Tue, May 22, 2012

FDA staff shoots down Pfizer rare disease drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug reviewers on Tuesday recommended rejecting a Pfizer Inc drug because the data did not prove it worked well in treating a ...

Mon, May 21, 2012

U.S. states urge return of drug used in executions

By David Ingram

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fifteen states asked the U.S. Justice Department on Monday for help in obtaining an anesthesia drug they use ...

Mon, May 21, 2012

Peregrine soars as cancer drug meets trial goal

(Reuters) - Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc said results from a mid-stage trial showed that its key experimental drug performed better than standard chemotherapy in lung cancer ...

Mon, May 21, 2012

FDA staff sends mixed message on J&J drug Xarelto

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers had mixed opinions about whether Johnson & Johnson blood thinner Xarelto reduced the risk of new heart attacks and strokes in people with heart problems, setting the stage for heated debate by outside experts later this week.

Some U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff members raised doubts about how well the drug worked, given the high number of people who dropped out of studies on the pill. But the FDA's clinical reviewer recommended approval.

The staff appeared united in the view that the data did not prove Xarelto reduced the risk of death in patients with acute coronary syndrome, which analysts had seen as the drug's most important advantage for treating this heart condition.

An FDA advisory panel of outside experts will vote Wednesday on whether to recommend the drug, which J&J developed in partnership with German drugmaker Bayer AG.

The FDA usually follows panel recommendations, although it is not required to. The agency is due to make a final decision on Xarelto by the end of June.

The FDA's medical team leader, Dr. Thomas Marciniak, questioned whether Xarelto truly helped people with heart problems, since J&J lost track of an average of 12 percent of people taking the pill in clinical trials.

He also said the company did not count three people who died after taking the drug, which could skew results.

"These three uncounted deaths may be the tip of the iceberg regarding problems with missing data," he said in FDA briefing documents posted online on Monday.

But the FDA's clinical reviewer, Dr. Karen Hicks, said J&J had recognized the problem of missing data and tried to fix it.

Many other heart trials have the same problem, she said, recommending approval.

However, Hicks said Xarelto did not reduce the risk of death and that minor bleeding issues with the pill might be a concern if it is approved for acute coronary syndrome patients.

Xarelto is already approved to reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs of people who have had knee or hip replacement surgery. It is also approved to prevent strokes among people with irregular heartbeats, called atrial fibrillation.

Acute coronary syndrome refers to people who have heart attacks or chest pain, usually because of a blocked coronary artery. About 1 million people in the United States are hospitalized each year after having an ACS episode, usually a heart attack, according to researchers.

Janssen, the J&J unit that markets Xarelto, had expected some people to drop out of the final clinical trial since it enrolled about 15,500 patients and studied them for about 2 1/2 years, spokesman Ernie Knewitz said. The dropout rates were similar between people taking Xarelto and those on placebo, he said.

"Our analyses show that (the discontinuation rate) did not impact the robustness of the study's results," he said.

Wells Fargo analyst Larry Biegelsen said he still believed the FDA advisory panel would recommend Xarelto for ACS patients because of the FDA reviewer's recommendation.

"We expect a very heated debate on (Wednesday)," he said in a research note. "However, we continue to expect a positive outcome."

Biegelsen said the increased risk of bleeding meant Xarelto would have modest sales for people with acute coronary syndrome, reaching $342 million in 2016. The drug's use in such patients should be about 22 percent of Xarelto's overall U.S. sales of $1.6 billion in 2016, he said.

Xarelto is one of three new medicines that offer potential advantages over older drugs to prevent strokes and other dangerous conditions caused by blood clots, in a market worth up to $10 billion in annual sales, according to Wall Street forecasts.

Investors have tried to bet on which of the three will become the dominant player in a race between Xarelto, Eliquis from Pfizer Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, and Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa.

Xarelto's rivals failed in treating patients with ACS, giving Bayer and J&J a potentially distinct market -- although stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation is seen as the most lucrative use for the new drugs.

Shares of J&J rose 0.2 percent to $63.46 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange, in line with the broader Arca Pharmaceuticals Index. Bayer shares were 2.3 percent higher on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, John Wallace and Lisa ...

Thu, May 17, 2012

GSK melanoma drug shows promise in early trial

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental cancer drug developed by Britain's GlaxoSmithKline may add vital months to the lives of melanoma patients ...

Thu, May 17, 2012

Canada OKs Osiris drug; first stem cell therapy

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Osiris Therapeutics Inc said on Thursday that Canadian health regulators have approved its treatment for acute graft-versus host disease ...

Thu, May 17, 2012

Specialty drug costs a major employer worry: survey

By Lewis Krauskopf

(Reuters) - Employers want to step up programs to encourage healthier behavior among their workers and to control spending on expensive injected ...

Thu, May 17, 2012

Patients should consult before stopping Pfizer drug-FDA

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said patients should not stop taking Pfizer Inc's Zithromax antibiotic without consulting a doctor, after a study showed ...

Thu, May 17, 2012

Glaxo melanoma drug combo shows promise in small trial

By Deena Beasley

(Reuters) - Two drugs being developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc - each designed to block different pathways used by cancer cells - have been shown ...

Thu, May 17, 2012

Novartis lung drug superior to placebo over 1 year

ZURICH (Reuters) - A Novartis experimental lung drug to treat smokers' cough was superior to a placebo in improving lung function over a one-year period ...

Wed, May 16, 2012

Data suggests drug treatment can lower U.S. crime

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. crime statistics show illegal drugs play a central role in criminal acts, providing new evidence that tackling ...

Wed, May 16, 2012

Oklahoma welfare applicants to face drug screening

By Steve Olafson

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Oklahoma will require welfare applicants to submit to screening for illegal drug use under a bill signed into ...

Wed, May 16, 2012

Murder of Honduran reporter blamed on drug gangs

By Gustavo Palencia

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A prominent Honduran radio journalist was killed by drug gangs in retaliation for a government crackdown on cartels, the ...

Wed, May 16, 2012

Glaxo melanoma drug combo shows promise in small trial

By Deena Beasley

(Reuters) - Two drugs being developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc - each designed to block different pathways used by cancer cells - have been shown ...

Wed, May 16, 2012

Aveo kidney cancer drug more tolerated than Nexavar

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - Patients taking a kidney cancer drug being developed by Aveo Pharmaceuticals Inc were half as likely to need a break ...

Wed, May 16, 2012

J&J drug shows promise in high-risk prostate cancer

By Deena Beasley

(Reuters) - Adding Johnson & Johnson's advanced prostate cancer drug, Zytiga, to hormone therapy before surgery has been shown for the first time to eradicate tumors in some men with high-risk forms of the disease.

The mid-stage trial found that six months of treatment with the combination therapy completely or nearly eliminated the cancer in a third of patients, all of whom had localized, aggressive cancer.

"These results are very impressive, especially given these high-risk patients," Dr Mary-Ellen Taplin, associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the study's lead author, said at a news conference.

Zytiga is already approved to treat advanced prostate cancer in patients who previously received chemotherapy. J&J expects to file in the second half of this year for U.S. regulatory approval of the drug as a treatment for men with metastatic prostate cancer who have not yet received chemotherapy.

Zytiga, also known as abiraterone, costs about $5,000 a month. It is a member of a new drug class designed to work inside cancer cells to block production of testosterone, the male hormone that fuels prostate cancer cell growth.

Localized high-risk disease is defined as prostate cancer in men with high levels of prostate-specific antigen and aggressive disease that has spread throughout the prostate.

Men with this stage of disease tend to have a poor prognosis, and the cancer often spreads to other parts of the body despite aggressive treatment with available therapies, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which featured the Zytiga data ahead of its annual meeting in Chicago, June 1-5.

"Theoretically ... when you get a complete disappearance of the primary cancer, patient outcomes are much better," said oncologist Dr. Nicholas Vogelzang, chair of ASCO's cancer communications committee, who was not involved in the research. He noted that such pre-surgery treatment has become standard care for other types of cancer.

The Phase 2 trial looked at the effect of adding Zytiga to Lupron, a drug designed to trick the testicles into ceasing production of testosterone.

Of the 29 men who received the drugs for six months before having prostate surgery, the prostates of three had no evidence of cancer and seven had nearly complete elimination of the disease. In the group of men treated for three months before their surgery, 15 percent had little to no detectable cancer in the prostate.

Researchers said the therapy was well-tolerated by both groups. They reported five cases of elevated liver enzymes and three patients with lower-than-normal levels of potassium.

"Our findings suggest that this combination therapy approach could improve outcomes for a substantial number of men," Taplin said. "This is a 58-patient trial with a very, very expensive drug, so I don't think anybody is going to be encouraging this type of treatment without more data."

She said other trials are under way, including a similar trial combining Zytiga with experimental drug ARN-509, which is being developed by Aragon Pharmaceuticals.

(Reporting By Deena Beasley in Los Angeles; editing by Matthew Lewis)

Wed, May 16, 2012

Roche melanoma drug extends life more than a yr-study

(Reuters) - Roche Holding AG's new drug for advanced melanoma, Zelboraf, on average helped patients with the deadly disease live for more than a ...

Wed, May 16, 2012

Pfizer drug effective in rare children's cancers

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - A Pfizer Inc lung cancer drug appears to be a highly effective treatment for children with a rare but aggressive ...

Tue, May 15, 2012

U.S. targets South Asian drug gang

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States targeted on Tuesday two lieutenants in a South Asian drug gang, freezing their U.S. assets and barring Americans ...

Tue, May 15, 2012

Roche Alzheimer's drug picked for major test

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Roche Holding AG's Genentech unit has won the right to try its experimental Alzheimer's drug crenezumab on ...

Tue, May 15, 2012

Achillion's hepatitis C drug gets FDA fast track

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted a fast track designation to Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental hepatitis C drug ACH-3102, currently ...

Fri, May 11, 2012

India to probe alleged irregularities at drug regulator

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government announced an inquiry on Friday into the operations of the country's main drug regulator, just days after ...

Thu, May 10, 2012

Novartis to probe Indian drug approval allegations

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis said on Thursday it would investigate alleged drug approval irregularities in India after a parliamentary report found the country ...

Thu, May 10, 2012

Novartis eye drug efficient over longer term: studies

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis said on Thursday data from key studies showed treatment with its Lucentis drug could help certain sight-impaired patients see ...

Wed, May 09, 2012

U.S. FDA advisers back Pfizer arthritis drug

By Anna Yukhananov

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc won support from a U.S. advisory panel on Wednesday for its arthritis drug, which ...

Wed, May 09, 2012

Probe finds collusion between India's drug regulator, pharma firms

By Ross Colvin and Kaustubh Kulkarni

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - Officials of India's drug regulator have been colluding with pharmaceutical firms to speed ...

Wed, May 09, 2012

Probe uncovers serious problems with India's drug regulator

By Ross Colvin and Satarupa Bhattacharjya

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's main drug regulator has not been properly scrutinizing some drugs before approving them ...

Wed, May 09, 2012

Teva profit beats forecasts on U.S. drug sales

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries posted a 40 percent jump in quarterly profit that beat estimates, boosted by robust sales of its own-branded ...

Tue, May 08, 2012

FDA advisers rebuff Regeneron gout drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug advisers unanimously voted against Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental drug to prevent gout flares, based on studies that tested ...

Tue, May 08, 2012

Many drug labels missing dose, safety info for kids

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Half of drug labels don't have information on the medication's safety and proper dosing in ...

Mon, May 07, 2012

Key witness against Clemens says provided drugs to other players

By Lily Kuo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Brian McNamee, the key government witness in the perjury trial of former baseball star Roger Clemens over the use ...

Mon, May 07, 2012

Leading Colombian drug kingpin turns himself in

BOGOTA (Reuters) - A Colombian suspected of running a violent cocaine cartel, one of the country's most-wanted men, has surrendered to U.S. drug ...

Mon, May 07, 2012

FDA staff question Pfizer arthritis drug benefits

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers on Monday questioned whether the benefits of Pfizer Inc's experimental treatment for rheumatoid arthritis ...

Mon, May 07, 2012

Roche stops heart drug trial as data disappoints

By Martin de Sa'Pinto

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche has ended efforts to develop a heart disease drug that according to some industry ...

Sun, May 06, 2012

Ryan O'Neal: 'It was unfair of me to blame mums for kids' drug woes'

From WENN.com

O'Neal's sons Griffin and Redmond are currently incarcerated in jail and rehab for drug-related issues, while the actor's ...

Sat, May 05, 2012

Ryan O'Neal: 'It was unfair of me to blame mums for kids' drug woes'

From WENN.com

O'Neal's sons Griffin and Redmond are currently incarcerated in jail and rehab for drug-related issues, while the actor's ...

Fri, May 04, 2012

Ryan O'Neal: 'It was unfair of me to blame mums for kids' drug woes'

From WENN.com

O'Neal's sons Griffin and Redmond are currently incarcerated in jail and rehab for drug-related issues, while the actor's ...

Fri, May 04, 2012

FDA staff question side effects of Regeneron gout drug

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers said Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's drug to prevent gout flares worked, but questioned its side ...

Fri, May 04, 2012

Preview: U.S. panel seen backing Pfizer's arthritis drug hope

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc's experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug goes before an advisory panel next week, a potential blockbuster medicine that ...

Thu, May 03, 2012

Ryan O'Neal: 'It was unfair of me to blame mums for kids' drug woes'

From WENN.com

O'Neal's sons Griffin and Redmond are currently incarcerated in jail and rehab for drug-related issues, while the actor's ...

Thu, May 03, 2012

FDA says number of new drug shortages down

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health officials said the number of new shortages of crucial drugs used to treat cancer and other illnesses had been halved compared ...

Thu, May 03, 2012

Crackdown on drug thieves has trails to Florida

By Ransdell Pierson

(Reuters) - Prosecutors in a number of states have charged dozens of suspects with stealing prescription drugs from warehouses and tractor trailers ...

Thu, May 03, 2012

U.S. to partner with Big Pharma for drug discovery

By Julie Steenhuysen and Anna Yukhananov

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government will help drug companies find treatments for a host of diseases ...

Thu, May 03, 2012

India's Dr Reddy's gets U.S. nod for osteoporosis drug

(Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval for selling ibandronate sodium tablets used to ...

Wed, May 02, 2012

Oklahoma says running out of death penalty drug

By Steve Olafson

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Oklahoma, which executes more prisoners per capita than any other state, said on Wednesday it has only one ...

Wed, May 02, 2012

Aveo says cancer drug not better than existing therapy

(Reuters) - Aveo Pharmaceuticals Inc said a combination of its experimental drug to treat a type of lung cancer and the standard of care did ...

Tue, May 01, 2012

U.S. FDA approves Pfizer/Protalix drug for Gaucher

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators gave the nod on Tuesday to Protalix Biotherapeutics Inc and Pfizer Inc's experimental biotech drug for a ...

Tue, May 01, 2012

Pfizer says on lookout for mid-size drug deals

By Ransdell Pierson

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc, which last week agreed to sell its baby formula business for almost $12 billion, is on the hunt ...

Tue, May 01, 2012

Drug and device trials vary in size, quality: study

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In an analysis of over 40,000 clinical trials registered in a government database, researchers found that ...

Tue, May 01, 2012

U.S. needs better way to track drug safety - study

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should review drugs on a regular basis for as long as they ...

Tue, May 01, 2012

Yankees' Pettitte: 50-50 he misheard Clemens on drugs

By Ian Simpson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte testified on Wednesday in Roger Clemens' federal perjury trial that there was a ...

Mon, April 30, 2012

Double-drug diabetes treatment disappoints in kids

By Gene Emery and Nancy Lapid

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a large new trial looking at ways to slow the progression of type ...

Mon, April 30, 2012

FDA extends review for Salix diarrhea drug

(Reuters) - Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd said U.S. health regulators have extended the review date by three months for its experimental pill for HIV therapy-related ...

Mon, April 30, 2012

Actelion breathes easy on "best case" new drug data

By Catherine Bosley and Ben Hirschler

ZURICH/LONDON (Reuters) - A new lung and heart drug from Actelion beat expectations in a key clinical trial ...

Fri, April 27, 2012

FDA approves Vivus's fast-acting Viagra rival

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Men with erectile dysfunction may not have to plan for sex as far in advance anymore after Vivus ...

Thu, April 26, 2012

Kentucky judge orders state to consider single-drug executions

By Steve Robrahn

LOUISVILLE, Ky (Reuters) - A Kentucky judge ordered state officials to consider using a single drug to carry out executions instead of ...

Thu, April 26, 2012

Florida judge blocks drug tests for state workers

MIAMI (Reuters) - A federal judge in Miami has tossed out an executive order from Florida Governor Rick Scott requiring drug testing of state employees ...

Thu, April 26, 2012

India's Strides buys U.S.-approved drug making plant

(Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Strides Arcolab said its unit acquired a U.S. compliant sterile drugs manufacturing plant for 1.25 billion rupees ($23.76 ...

Thu, April 26, 2012

AstraZeneca CEO quits as drug sales tumble

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca's chief executive David Brennan is to step down on June 1 in an abrupt exit after six ...

Wed, April 25, 2012

U.S. delays decision on Takeda diabetes drug

(Reuters) - Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd said U.S. regulators had extended their review of its diabetes drug alogliptin, requesting additional data on ...

Wed, April 25, 2012

Los Angeles airport screeners arrested on drug, corruption charges

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two security screeners at Los Angeles International Airport have been arrested on drug trafficking and corruption charges, accused ...

Wed, April 25, 2012

Feds weigh pulling drug licenses for two Florida CVS stores

By Ian Simpson

ARLINGTON, Va (Reuters) - A federal hearing began on Wednesday on whether to bar two CVS Caremark Corp drugstores in Florida from ...

Wed, April 25, 2012

Russell Brand calls for drug law change

The former alcoholic and heroin addict was invited to share his experiences at a House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee hearing into Britain ...

Wed, April 25, 2012

Los Angeles airport screeners arrested on drug, corruption charges

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two security screeners at Los Angeles International Airport have been arrested on drug trafficking and corruption charges, accused of taking bribes ...

Wed, April 25, 2012

Los Angeles airport screeners arrested on drug, corruption charges

(Reuters) - Two former and two current security screeners at Los Angeles International Airport have been arrested on drug trafficking and corruption charges, accused of ...

Wed, April 25, 2012

U.S. may lose chance to pass national drug trace plan

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A proposed law calling for healthcare companies to build a U.S. system for tracking medications to minimize the ...

Wed, April 25, 2012

FDA approves Glaxo cancer drug Votrient

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators gave the nod to GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Votrient for a type of sarcoma on Thursday, following a positive advisory ...

Wed, April 25, 2012

Novartis gets EU approval for Cushing's drug

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG said on Wednesday it has won European Union approval for its Signifor as the first medical therapy for ...

Tue, April 24, 2012

Prescription drug abuse abetted by family, friends: study

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 70 percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers obtain the drugs from friends or relatives, usually ...

Tue, April 24, 2012

Russell Brand calls for drug law change

The former alcoholic and heroin addict was invited to share his experiences at a House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee hearing into Britain ...

Tue, April 24, 2012

Alimera eye drug inches closer to launch with Austria approval

(Reuters) - Biopharmaceutical company Alimera Sciences Inc said the Austrian health regulator approved its experimental drug for retinal swelling, raising hopes for the company's ...

Tue, April 24, 2012

Comedian Russell Brand speaks to UK MPs on drug addiction

By Li-mei Hoang

LONDON (Reuters) - Comedian and actor Russell Brand told the British government on Tuesday that it needs to adopt a pragmatic approach ...

Mon, April 23, 2012

Australia's Biota to take over drug maker Nabi

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian flu drug maker Biota Holdings has agreed to take over U.S. firm Nabi Biopharmaceuticals to create a $258 million group ...

Sun, April 22, 2012

Brand to tell politicians about drug battle

The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star, a former heroin addict and alcoholic, will talk about his rehab experiences and recovery when he appears at an ...

Sat, April 21, 2012

Brand to tell politicians about drug battle

The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star, a former heroin addict and alcoholic, will talk about his rehab experiences and recovery when he appears at an ...

Fri, April 20, 2012

Brand to tell politicians about drug battle

The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star, a former heroin addict and alcoholic, will talk about his rehab experiences and recovery when he appears at an ...

Fri, April 20, 2012

EU agency endorses Bristol, Astra diabetes drug

LONDON (Reuters) - European regulators on Friday backed approval of a new diabetes drug from AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb that was rejected last year in ...

Fri, April 20, 2012

Novo Nordisk rejects diabetes drug Victoza complaint

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk rejected a consumer advocacy group's complaint about its big-selling diabetes drug Victoza as groundless and said it ...

Thu, April 19, 2012

Group asks for withdrawal of Victoza diabetes drug

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Watchdog group Public Citizen urged U.S. regulators to withdraw approval of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Victoza, saying ...

Thu, April 19, 2012

Gilead hepatitis C drug proves itself in key study

(Reuters) - An experimental hepatitis C drug acquired by Gilead Sciences Inc when it paid nearly $11 billion to buy Pharmasset has produced encouraging results ...

Thu, April 19, 2012

Actelion sees data on big drug hope in coming weeks

By Caroline Copley

ZURICH (Reuters) - Europe's largest biotech company Actelion said it expects results of a key late-stage trial on heart and lung ...

Thu, April 19, 2012

Sanofi to test Parkinson's drug with Michael J. Fox Foundation

PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said on Thursday it would collaborate with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to test an early- stage experimental treatment ...

Thu, April 19, 2012

Sanofi to test Parkinson's drug with Michael J. Fox Foundation

PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said on Thursday it would collaborate with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to test an early- stage experimental treatment ...

Wed, April 18, 2012

SXC to buy Catalyst in $4.4 billion drug benefit deal

By Lewis Krauskopf

(Reuters) - SXC Health Solutions Corp said it will buy rival pharmacy benefit manager Catalyst Health Solutions Inc for $4.4 billion ...

Wed, April 18, 2012

Acne drug tied to a doubled risk of eye problems

By Kerry Grens

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Prescription pills used to treat severe acne were linked to a two-fold risk of developing eye problems ...

Tue, April 17, 2012

Georgia welfare law requires drug test to receive aid

By David Beasley

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Low-income adults seeking public assistance in Georgia will have to pass a drug test before receiving benefits under a ...

Mon, April 16, 2012

U.S. busts global online drug market, arrests eight

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Eight men charged with running an elaborate online narcotics market that sold drugs to 3,000 people in ...

Mon, April 16, 2012

Endocyte soars on cancer drug deal with Merck

(Reuters) - Endocyte Inc said Merck & Co Inc had acquired the development and marketing rights of its experimental cancer drug, the latest in the string of licensing deals by the No. 2 U.S. drugmaker to beef up its cancer drug pipeline.

Shares of Endocyte, which had a market capitalization of about $136.18 million before the deal, more than doubled in value to $8.20 in early Monday trade. The stock was the biggest percentage gainer on the Nasdaq.

Endocyte, which is responsible for a majority of the funding and completion of the ovarian cancer trial, will receive $120 million in cash and up to $880 million in milestone payments.

"We also believe that this transaction definitely cracks the door open for an eventual acquisition by Merck, if they like what they see in the next couple of years ...," Cowen and Co analyst Simos Simeonidis said in a note to clients.

The upfront payment will also give Endocyte the ability to invest in their early-stage pipeline and a couple of years of cash, he added.

Endocyte, which had $128.1 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at end-December, has three other drugs in early-stage development.

The company will receive an equal share of profits in the United States, if the drug is approved. It will also get a double digit percentage royalty on sales of the product in the rest of the world.

Merck, through a subsidiary, will gain worldwide rights to commercialize the drug vintafolide.

Merck has four cancer drug candidates in mid-stage trials and one that is under review for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In the last four months, it has acquired the rights to two cancer drugs from Threshold Pharmaceuticals and Exelixis Inc.

Vintafolide is currently being tested in a late-stage trial for ovarian cancer and a mid-stage trial for non-small cell lung cancer.

Endocyte had planned to file for marketing approval for Vintafolide in the third quarter of 2012. The drug received an orphan drug status in Europe last month.

Endocyte's shares were trading at $7.85 on Monday morning on the Nasdaq. Merck shares were slightly up at $38.03 on the New York Stock Exchange.

(The story was refiled to fix typo in paragraph 1)

(Reporting by Balaji Sridharan in Bangalore; Editing by Roshni Menon)

Sun, April 15, 2012

India's Piramal buys Bayer's potential Alzheimer drug

(Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Piramal Healthcare has agreed to buy a research and development portfolio from Bayer AG, the company said, in a deal that ...

Sun, April 15, 2012

Mexican cartels trick border crossers into being drug mules

By Marty Graham

SAN DIEGO, California (Reuters) - The Mexican help wanted ads offer a quick $500 for a simple job - drive a car into ...

Fri, April 13, 2012

Mexican drug cartel leader sent to prison in Colorado

By Robert Boczkiewicz

DENVER (Reuters) - The leader of a Mexican drug cartel was sentenced on Friday to more than 22 years in prison by ...

Thu, April 12, 2012

Sexual side effects added to Merck drug labels

(Reuters) - Prescribing labels for Merck & Co's drugs for baldness and enlarged prostate will add reports of sexual side effects that continued after use of the medicines was stopped, U.S. health regulators said.

Labels will be revised for Proscar, which treats symptoms of enlarged prostate, and hair-loss treatment Propecia, the Food and Drug Administration said. The active ingredient in both drugs is finasteride.

The Propecia label will now include notification of problems with libido, ejaculation and orgasms that continued after use of the drug was ended. Proscar's label will include notification of decreased libido.

The labels of both drugs will also include a description of reports of male infertility and poor semen quality that normalized or improved after use of the drugs was stopped.

In announcing the label changes, FDA cited events reported to the agency.

"The cases suggest a broader range of adverse effects than previously reported in patients taking these drugs," FDA said in a notification posted on its website. But it also said no clear causal links between finasteride and sexual adverse events had been established.

FDA said sexual side effects were included in the labels of both drugs when they were approved in the 1990s. But in subsequent clinical trials, the side effects were resolved in patients who stopped using the drugs as well as in most patients who continued therapy, the agency said.

Last year, the labels of both drugs were revised to include erectile dysfunction that continued after patients stopped using the drugs, the FDA said.

Only a small percentage of men who use the drugs have experienced sexual side effects, the agency added. For example, it said, an analysis of clinical trials showed 3.8 percent of men taking Propecia reported one or more of the sexual side effects, compared with 2.1 percent of those who received a placebo.

FDA said it believes that finasteride remains safe and effective for its approved uses and that patients on Proscar and Propecia should contact their doctors if they have concerns.

In a statement, Merck said it believes both drugs are generally well tolerated and effective for their intended uses and that it supports efforts to ensure patient safety through monitoring of reported side effects.

The drugs are relatively modest-sized products for the U.S. drugmaker. Merck reported $447 million in Propecia sales last year, and $223 million for Proscar.

Merck shares were down 0.5 percent to $38.27 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting By Lewis Krauskopf; editing by John Wallace)

Wed, April 11, 2012

Abbott wins EU approval for new use of Humira drug

(Reuters) - Humira, the best-selling arthritis drug that forms the cornerstone of Abbott Laboratories' pharmaceutical business, has been approved in Europe for ulcerative colitis, the ...

Fri, April 06, 2012

Novo Nordisk says diabetes drug Victoza superior to Merck rival

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish Novo Nordisk, the world's biggest insulin producer, said on Friday it had received a product label update for diabetes drug ...

Thu, April 05, 2012

U.S. panel backs Astellas drug for leaky bladder

By Anna Yukhananov

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. advisers backed a bladder drug from Astellas Pharma Inc on Thursday, boosting the company's ...

Thu, April 05, 2012

French health body favors reimbursement of InterMune lung drug

By Zeba Siddiqui

(Reuters) - InterMune Inc said French health authorities ruled in favor of reimbursing the company's lung scarring drug Esbriet, potentially covering ...

Thu, April 05, 2012

Drug-resistant malaria spreads along Thai-Myanmar border: study

By Tan Ee Lyn

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A malaria strain increasingly resistant to the most effective drug used to treat the disease has spread ...

Thu, April 05, 2012

Club drug "special K" tied to urinary problems: study

(Reuters) - Many people who use the club drug ketamine - known as "special K" - may risk abdominal pain, bladder control problems and other urinary tract ...

Thu, April 05, 2012

Sanofi unveils mixed news for Zaltrap cancer drug

PARIS (Reuters) - Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said their Zaltrap drug candidate failed to meet targets in a late-stage study for the treatment of prostate ...

Thu, April 05, 2012

Newron agrees Parkinson's drug deal with Zambon

ZURICH (Reuters) - Italian drug maker Newron has signed a strategic collaboration and licensing deal for its Parkinson's disease drug safinamide with Italian drugs ...

Wed, April 04, 2012

Club drug "special K" tied to urinary problems

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many people who use the club drug ketamine may risk abdominal pain, a leaky bladder and other ...

Tue, April 03, 2012

Bayer gastrointestinal cancer drug meets trial goal

(Reuters) - Bayer said its cancer drug improved chances of survival in patients suffering from a type of gastrointestinal tumor, and kept the condition from ...

Tue, April 03, 2012

FDA staff focus on safety of Astellas bladder drug

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drugs reviewers said Astellas Pharma Inc's treatment for an overactive bladder worked, but they raised concerns about liver ...

Tue, April 03, 2012

GSK says new data support filing of diabetes drug

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline will push ahead with plans to file its experimental once-weekly diabetes drug albiglutide for regulatory approval, following the ...

Mon, April 02, 2012

Most alcohol, drug abuse starts in the teens: study

By Andrew M. Seaman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new survey of U.S. teenagers finds that most have used alcohol and drugs by ...

Mon, April 02, 2012

Uncertainty looms over Keryx, Aeterna cancer drug

(Reuters) - Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc and Aeterna Zentaris said their experimental colorectal cancer drug did not meet the main goal of a late-stage trial, raising ...

Mon, April 02, 2012

Feds raid "Princeton of Pot" in California

By Noel Randewich

OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - Federal agents, pressing a government clampdown on medical marijuana, raided a San Francisco Bay-area college known as the ...

Mon, April 02, 2012

Novartis lung drug meets goals in late-stage trials

ZURICH (Reuters) - A Novartis lung drug met its main goals in three late-stage studies in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), often known ...

Mon, April 02, 2012

GSK's new once-daily HIV drug matches Merck rival

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - A new once-daily AIDS drug from GlaxoSmithKline and its partner Shionogi proved just as good as Merck & Co's twice-daily rival Isentress in a late-stage clinical trial, boosting hopes for the product.

Both GSK's new drug dolutegravir and Isentress are so-called integrase inhibitors, a novel class of drugs for fighting HIV/AIDS that block the virus causing the disease from entering cells.

Dolutegravir is important for GSK since it could help rejuvenate its HIV/AIDS business - an area of medicine it used to dominate but where it has fallen behind rivals in recent years.

GSK and Shionogi said on Monday that their experimental drug dolutegravir showed non-inferiority to Isentress, or raltegravir, when given for 48 weeks alongside two older types of HIV/AIDS medicines.

In total, 88 percent of study participants on once-daily dolutegravir had their virus suppressed against 85 percent of those on twice-daily Isentress in the Phase III study. Tolerability was similar for both drugs.

Merck's drug, which had sales of $1.4 billion last year, is currently the only integrase inhibitor approved by regulators, although Gilead also has one in Phase III testing called elvitegravir.

Dolutegravir belongs to ViiV Healthcare, a joint venture formed between GSK and Pfizer in 2009 in which GSK holds an 85 percent stake, and income from the medicine will be shared with Shionogi.

The compound is viewed by analysts as a potential $1 billion-a-year seller, since the once-daily dosing is likely to be attractive to patients. However, the financial gain to GSK will be diluted by the sharing deals with Shionogi and Pfizer.

Results of further Phase III trials are being awaited before GSK is ready to submit dolutegravir to regulators for approval.

The experimental medicine is also being tested in Phase III in different groups of patients, including those who do not respond to Isentress, as well as in a combination product with GSK's Epzicom, which consists of the HIV drugs Ziagen and Epivir.

With results of these other Phase III clinical studies also due in 2012, dolutegravir could potentially be filed for approval with regulators before the end of this year, a company spokesman said.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by ...

Sun, April 01, 2012

Drug for rare disease may lift AVI BioPharma shares: Barron's

NEW YORK (Reuters) - AVI BioPharma Inc's shares could get a boost if its drug targeting treatment for a rare fatal form of muscular ...

Fri, March 30, 2012

Cop on disability faulted for side job: drug dealer

(Reuters) - It's a standard feature of workers' compensation insurance policies that you can't hold a job while collecting benefits, but the Ohio ...

Fri, March 30, 2012

Cop on disability faulted for side job: drug dealer

(Reuters) - It's a standard feature of workers' compensation insurance policies that you can't hold a job while collecting benefits, but the Ohio ...

Fri, March 30, 2012

Threshold's cancer drug gets FDA orphan status, shares rise

(Reuters) - Threshold Pharmaceutical Inc's experimental cancer drug received orphan status from U.S. health regulators, sending the biotechnology company's stock up as ...

Fri, March 30, 2012

Threshold cancer drug gets orphan status in U.S.

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators granted orphan drug status to Threshold Pharmaceutical Inc's experimental cancer drug, TH-302.

Earlier this month, the drug was ...

Fri, March 30, 2012

Roche to file T-DM1 breast cancer drug on good data

By Katharina Bart

ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche said patients with an aggressive type of breast cancer lived longer after taking its experimental "armed antibody" drug ...

Thu, March 29, 2012

Richard Branson turns from adventuring to drug war critic

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, involved in such ventures as selling space travel to the affluent, is now ...

Wed, March 28, 2012

Chelsea Therapeutics hypotension drug rejected by U.S. FDA

(Reuters) - Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd said U.S. health regulators rejected its hypotension capsule Northera and sought an additional trial to support the efficacy ...

Tue, March 27, 2012

Judge bars import of drug used in death penalty

By Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A judge on Tuesday barred authorities from importing an anesthesia drug used in carrying out death sentences because the ...

Mon, March 26, 2012

Regeneron cholesterol drug faces sudden challenge

By Ransdell Pierson

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A new type of drug being developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc slashed levels of cholesterol almost in half when ...

Mon, March 26, 2012

J&J drug shines in trial against standard lung-clot drugs

By Ransdell Pierson and Debra Sherman

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's blood clot preventer Xarelto proved as effective as and safer than standard treatments against blood clots of the lung in a big study, possibly paving the way for it to become the eventual preferred treatment for the third most common cause of deaths in hospitals.

Researchers and J&J officials on Monday said the 4,833-patient study showed Xarelto was as effective as customary dual therapy -- injections of the clot-buster heparin given about the same time as the blood-thinning pill warfarin -- for treating the clots and preventing new lung clots or dangerous clots in the legs that can break free and cause lung clots. The vast majority of patients were treated for more than six months.

The largest clinical trial ever conducted among lung-clot patients also showed that those taking Xarelto, also known by its chemical name rivaroxaban, experienced only half the number of major bleeding incidents, largely brain hemorrhages, as patients receiving the heparin/warfarin combination.

Brain bleeding is one of the most worrisome side effects of warfarin, the active ingredient of rat poison that has been a mainstay anti-coagulant for more than half a century.

"Rivaroxaban is just as good as standard treatment for pulmonary embolism -- these data are pretty convincing -- and this is an oral-only approach, which makes it very simple," said Dr. Harry Buller, a professor of vascular medicine at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, who led the trial.

In the J&J-sponsored trial, 10.3 percent of patients taking Xarelto had major or minor bleeding, compared with 11.4 percent of those taking heparin and warfarin, Buller said. He said 1.1 percent of patients taking Xarelto experienced major bleeding, versus 2.2 percent on standard dual therapy.

Buller presented the trial results on Monday at the annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago.

"Xarelto has the potential to become the new standard of care," Paul Burton, cardiovascular medical leader at J&J's Janssen division, said in an interview. "It may offer the opportunity for a single drug that doesn't require monitoring to be used in acute and long-term treatment of pulmonary embolism."

Based on the favorable findings, J&J said it plans in the second quarter to ask U.S. regulators to approve Xarelto for lung clots and leg clots.

Morningstar analyst Damien Conover said the new indications, if approved, could eventually bring an additional $250 million to $500 million in annual revenue for Xarelto. He said that would pale, however, in comparison with expected sales of the medicine for patients with atrial fibrillation.

Lung clots develop in an estimated 600,000 Americans a year and kill as many as 100,000 of them. By blocking vital blood vessels, they often kill within less than an hour after symptoms develop. Because immobility is a major cause of lung clots, hospitalized patients are at particular risk of developing them.

Xarelto, which J&J developed in partnership with German drugmaker Bayer AG, is already approved to reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs of people who have had knee or hip replacement surgery. It is also approved to prevent strokes among people with irregular heartbeats, called atrial fibrillation.

Xarelto, like Eliquis from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Pfizer Inc, works by blocking a protein called Factor Xa involved in the clotting process. Neither of the new drugs carries the onerous demands of warfarin, such as the need for regular blood monitoring and strict avoidance of some foods.

"The reason people look for alternatives (to warfarin) is that it's a nightmare to give," Buller said. "Rivaroxaban makes things easier for everybody -- patients and physicians."

Although Eliquis is approved in Europe to prevent blood clots after hip and knee replacements, it is not approved to treat lung clots. It is awaiting U.S. approval to prevent strokes in atrial fibrillation patients, by far the biggest commercial opportunity for the new crop of blood clot preventers.

(Editing by John Wallace; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Sun, March 25, 2012

Monthly shots of Amgen drug slash cholesterol up to 66 percent

By Ransdell Pierson

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Monthly injections of an experimental drug from Amgen Inc slashed levels of cholesterol by up to an additional 66 ...

Sat, March 24, 2012

Merck blood clot drug in limbo after mixed results

By Ransdell Pierson and Debra Sherman

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Impressive efficacy but worrisome bleeding was seen for a new type of blood clot preventer tested ...

Fri, March 23, 2012

Pope condemns drug trade, corruption in Mexico

By Philip Pullella and Miguel Gutierrez

LEON, Mexico (Reuters) - Pope Benedict at a huge outdoor Mass on Sunday condemned drug trafficking and corruption in ...

Fri, March 23, 2012

Convicted Duluth Drug Dealer Arrested Again

DULUTH, MN (KDAL) - On Thursday, Duluth Police and investigators from the Lake Superior Drug and Gang Task Force executed a search warrant at a ...

Fri, March 23, 2012

GSK lung drug has mixed results but filing on track

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline reiterated a plan to submit its key new lung drug Relovair for regulatory approval in mid-2012, despite releasing another batch of ...

Thu, March 22, 2012

Farrow arrested on drug charges

The blonde was seized by cops on the Gold Coast this week (beg19Mar12) after a month on the run. She had skipped bail after ...

Thu, March 22, 2012

New drug promises relief from aspirin heartburn

(Reuters) - Millions of aspirin users may soon be able to pop the wonder pill without worrying about heartburn, a nasty side-effect that can come ...

Thu, March 22, 2012

New drug promises relief from aspirin-related ulcers

By Zeba Siddiqui

(Reuters) - Millions of aspirin users may soon be able to pop the wonder pill without worrying about stomach ulcers, a nasty ...

Thu, March 22, 2012

Lawmakers probe pharmacy ties to drug shortages

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers are investigating three pharmacies in Maryland and North Carolina accused of passing critical drugs in short supply directly ...

Wed, March 21, 2012

Farrow arrested on drug charges

The blonde was seized by cops on the Gold Coast this week (beg19Mar12) after a month on the run. She had skipped bail after ...

Wed, March 21, 2012

Exclusive: Watson close to $7 billion Actavis drug deal: sources

By Ben Hirschler and Frank Siebelt

LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc is close to buying Swiss-based Actavis for around $7 billion, marking the ...

Wed, March 21, 2012

Lawmakers probe pharmacy ties to price gouging

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers are investigating three shadowy pharmacies in Maryland and North Carolina for diverting critical but scarce drugs from patients ...

Tue, March 20, 2012

FDA grants orphan status to Lexicon tumor drug, shares rise

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted orphan drug status to Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental tumor drug, sending the biopharmaceutical company ...

Tue, March 20, 2012

Florida state workers face random drug tests under new law

(Reuters) - Florida Governor Rick Scott has signed a law allowing state employees to be randomly tested for drugs, a measure likely to draw a ...

Tue, March 20, 2012

Amarin wins U.S. patent for key heart drug, shares jump

(Reuters) - The U.S. patent office granted Amarin Corp a patent for its key experimental heart drug, sending the biopharmaceutical company's shares up ...

Tue, March 20, 2012

Florida state workers face random drug tests under new law

(Reuters) - Florida Governer Rick Scott has signed as expected a law allowing state employees to be randomly tested for illegal drugs, a measure likely ...

Mon, March 19, 2012

U.S. man admits insider trading on Japan drug companies

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former human resources consultant pleaded guilty on Monday to illegally sharing confidential information with a friend about deals involving Japanese ...

Mon, March 19, 2012

Statin drug linked to lower pneumonia risk

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who use cholesterol-lowering statins may have a slightly lower risk of developing pneumonia than non-users do ...

Mon, March 19, 2012

Drug-resistant "white plague" lurks among rich and poor

By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent

LONDON (Reuters)- On New Year's Eve 2004, after months of losing weight and suffering fevers, night ...

Mon, March 19, 2012

QLT's eye drug gets orphan designation in U.S.

(Reuters) - Canadian biotechnology company QLT Inc said the U.S. health regulator granted an orphan status to its key eye drug.

The drug, Visudyne ...

Fri, March 16, 2012

Jamaican drug lord 'Dudus' obtains sentencing delay

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors must prove convicted Jamaican drug lord Christopher ‘Dudus' Coke's life of violence extended far beyond his admitted crimes ...

Fri, March 16, 2012

Drug shows some sarcoma survival gains: FDA

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline's Votrient extended the lives of a significant number of patients suffering from an aggressive form of cancer without the disease ...

Thu, March 15, 2012

Common medicines may cut cancer drug potency: study

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - Many patients taking a widely prescribed class of oral cancer drugs are also using a variety of medications that could ...

Thu, March 15, 2012

Special U.S. military unit hunts Mexico border drug flights

By Curt Prendergast

DOUGLAS, Ariz (Reuters) - A highly specialized U.S. military task force is using battlefield technology to help federal police hunt elusive ...

Thu, March 15, 2012

Little evidence for non-drug labor pain relief

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Epidurals and other drug-based treatments are the tried-and-tested way to ease labor pain, but also have side ...

Thu, March 15, 2012

United Therapeutics sues Sandoz over hypertension drug

(Reuters) - United Therapeutics Corp said it filed a lawsuit against Novartis AG's generic unit Sandoz, alleging infringement of the biotechnology company's patent ...

Wed, March 14, 2012

Shire withdraws FDA application for Fabry drug

(Reuters) - Shire Plc has pulled its application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval of its drug to treat Fabry disease ...

Wed, March 14, 2012

Exclusive: German drug firm Stada's failed Russian forays

By Ludwig Burger and Maria Kiselyova

LONDON (Reuters) - German generic drugmaker Stada, under pressure to curb its reliance on a weakening home market, embarked ...

Wed, March 14, 2012

Animal import bans "put UK drug research at risk"

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Vital medical research is under threat in Britain because ferry companies and airlines are bowing to pressure from animal ...

Tue, March 13, 2012

Miller's fears over L.A.'s 'drug culture'

A number of high-profile stars have succumbed to prescription drug addiction in recent years, including rocker Steven Tyler and Scottish actor Gerard Butler, who ...

Tue, March 13, 2012

Regeneron says eye drug capturing Roche patients

By Ransdell Pierson

(Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said surveys suggest its Eylea treatment for macular degeneration is capturing 60 percent of its sales from ...

Tue, March 13, 2012

Court lets two CVS stores sell controlled drugs

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An appeals court ruled that CVS Caremark Corp may continue selling potentially addictive prescription drugs at two Florida pharmacies ...

Tue, March 13, 2012

FDA panel says pain drug trials should continue

By Anna Yukhananov

(Reuters) - A panel of advisers on Monday voted unanimously that companies such as Pfizer Inc and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc should be ...

Tue, March 13, 2012

FDA accepts Cornerstone's metabolic disorder drug application

(Reuters) - Cornerstone Therapeutics said U.S. health regulators have accepted the specialty pharmaceutical company's marketing application for its drug to treat low blood ...

Mon, March 12, 2012

Pfizer says Europe undermining drug innovation

By Kate Kelland and Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - Europe is undermining drug innovation by cutting prices, raising barriers to new medicines and freeloading" off ...

Mon, March 12, 2012

Miller's fears over L.A.'s 'drug culture'

A number of high-profile stars have succumbed to prescription drug addiction in recent years, including rocker Steven Tyler and Scottish actor Gerard Butler, who ...

Mon, March 12, 2012

FDA panel says pain drug trials should continue

By Anna Yukhananov

(Reuters) - A panel of advisers on Monday voted unanimously that companies such as Pfizer Inc and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc should be ...

Mon, March 12, 2012

Former Mexico drug kingpin's nephew pleads guilty in Texas

By Jared Taylor

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (Reuters) - The nephew of a powerful former Mexican drug cartel chief admitted on Monday to a drug trafficking conspiracy ...

Mon, March 12, 2012

Fake Avastin shows little protection of drug supply

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As drug counterfeiters step up their sales of bogus medicines, global health regulators have few protections in place ...

Sun, March 11, 2012

Sihuan prepares anti-hypertension drug for clinical trial in China

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese drugmaker Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd has registered its anti-hypertensive drug with the country's drug regulator and hopes to ...

Sun, March 11, 2012

Fake Avastin shows very little protects drug supply

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As drug counterfeiters step up their sales of bogus medicines, global health regulators have few protections in place ...

Thu, March 08, 2012

Georgia Senate OKs drug tests for welfare applicants

By David Beasley

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Adults applying for welfare in Georgia would have to pass a drug test before receiving benefits under a bill ...

Thu, March 08, 2012

Georgia Senate OKs drug tests for welfare applicants

By David Beasley

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Adults applying for welfare in Georgia would have to pass a drug test before receiving benefits under a bill ...

Thu, March 08, 2012

J&J prostate cancer drug improves survival

(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's prostate cancer drug Zytiga improved survival in patients who have not received chemotherapy in a late-stage study.

An independent data monitoring committee recommended that patients receiving a placebo in the trial be offered treatment with Zytiga, the company said in a statement.

Thursday's data sent shares of Medivation Inc, which is also developing a prostate cancer pill that works by targeting the same hormone that Zytiga targets, up 9 percent.

However, shares of Dendreon Corp fell 16 percent. Dendreon makes a prostate cancer vaccine, Provenge, that has a different mechanism of action.

(Reporting by Kavyanjali Kaushik and Esha Dey in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

Wed, March 07, 2012

Alexion drug offers hope for rare, deadly disorder

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An experimental therapy for a rare, often fatal genetic disorder appears to offer hope for infants and very ...

Wed, March 07, 2012

Gilead Quad HIV drug causes fewer side effects

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Full details from a pivotal trial of Gilead Sciences Inc experimental Quad HIV pill show that it caused fewer adverse side effects ...

Tue, March 06, 2012

FDA approves Discovery Lab's lung drug, shares soar

By Anand Basu

(Reuters) - Discovery Laboratories Inc said U.S. health regulators have approved its drug to prevent a breathing disorder in premature infants ...

Tue, March 06, 2012

FDA approves Discovery Lab's lung drug

(Reuters) - Discovery Laboratories Inc said U.S. health regulators have approved its drug to prevent a breathing disorder in premature infants.

The company expects ...

Tue, March 06, 2012

Navy to begin alcohol, drug tests for navy sailors

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said on Monday it will begin breathalyzer tests for many sailors and random testing for synthetic drugs after ...

Tue, March 06, 2012

Navy to begin alcohol, drug tests for may sailors

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said on Monday it will begin breathalyzer tests for many sailors and random testing for synthetic drugs after ...

Mon, March 05, 2012

Navy to begin alcohol, drug tests for may sailors

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said on Monday it will begin breathalyzer tests for many sailors and random testing for synthetic drugs after ...

Mon, March 05, 2012

Wyoming kidney failure outbreak linked to "Spice" drug

By Laura Zuckerman

(Reuters) - Three young people have been hospitalized with kidney failure and a dozen others sickened in Casper, Wyoming, in an outbreak ...

Sun, March 04, 2012

Assistant pleads guilty to drug charges in Uganda

Kathryn Fuller was travelling in the war-torn country with Rice when they were allegedly sold tainted cocaine by a local cab driver last month ...

Fri, March 02, 2012

U.S. cops in shoot out with Mexico drug gang across Rio Grande

By Jared Taylor

(Reuters) - U.S. Border Patrol agents and Mexican drug traffickers fought a gun battle across the Rio Grande river in south ...

Thu, March 01, 2012

U.S. police bust Arizona-Mexico drug tunnel, seize marijuana

PHOENIX (Reuters) - U.S. police in Nogales, Arizona, uncovered a drug-smuggling tunnel from Mexico, the latest of more than 20 illicit passageways found under ...

Thu, March 01, 2012

Global drug industry tightens anti-corruption code

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - The global pharmaceutical industry is tightening its code of practice in a bid to stamp out bribery and corruption ...

Thu, March 01, 2012

Mask may help curb drug-resistant tuberculosis

By Kerry Grens

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Having tuberculosis patients wear a surgical mask all day cuts the likelihood of them transmitting the infection ...

Thu, March 01, 2012

HIV rate among US intravenous drug users falls: CDC

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - HIV infections among intravenous drug users in the United States have fallen by half in the past decade, but ...

Thu, March 01, 2012

Global drug industry tightens anti-corruption code

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - The global pharmaceutical industry is tightening its code of practice in a bid to stamp out bribery and corruption ...

Wed, February 29, 2012

Dainippon to buy U.S. bio-venture in cancer-drug push

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co said on Wednesday that it will buy U.S.-based Boston Biomedical Inc for $200 million ...

Mon, February 27, 2012

Napolitano defends U.S. drug war in face of legalization debate

By Ioan Grillo and David Alire Garcia

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano defended Washington's drug war strategy on Monday ...

Mon, February 27, 2012

Glaxo recalls hypertension drug made at Novartis plant

(Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline has recalled 394,230 bottles of its DynaCirc CR hypertension drug from the U.S. market after the manufacturer, Novartis, reported inconsistent ...

Mon, February 27, 2012

FDA rejects Watson/Columbia premature birth drug

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have rejected a vaginal gel from Watson Pharmaceuticals and Columbia Laboratories aimed at reducing the risk of premature birth ...

Fri, February 24, 2012

Braun, MLB at odds over drug-testing process

By Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ryan Braun's 50-game ban for a positive drug test was reversed over procedural mistakes but the Milwaukee ...

Thu, February 23, 2012

Ryan Braun wins appeal of failed drug test

NEW YORK (WTAQ) - Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun became the first major-league player to have a positive drug test overturned Thursday. 

The reigning National ...

Thu, February 23, 2012

Report: Braun wins appeal of drug test

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WSAU) – Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun has reportedly won an appeal of his positive drug test and will not be suspended for ...

Fri, February 17, 2012

FDA approves Corcept's hormone disorder drug

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators approved Corcept Therapeutics's Korlym, the first drug designed to treat a rare hormonal disorder called Cushing's syndrome ...

Fri, February 17, 2012

Few RA clinical trials compare one drug to another

By Kerry Grens

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - To test whether a new drug is an improvement over existing treatments, the ideal clinical trial would ...

Fri, February 17, 2012

FDA approves Corcept's hormonal disorder drug

(Reuters) - U.S. regulators approved Corcept Therapeutics's drug to treat a rare hormonal disorder called Cushing's syndrome.

The U.S. Food and ...

Fri, February 17, 2012

Modest hope for FDA approval of Vivus obesity drug

By Anna Yukhananov

(Reuters) - Hopes were raised slightly on Friday that U.S. health regulators could approve a weight-loss pill for the first time ...

Thu, February 16, 2012

Synthetic Drug Bill Stalled In U-S Senate

WASHINGTON, DC (KDAL) - A bill co-authored by Minnesota U-S Senator Amy Klobuchar that would ban dangerous synthetic drugs is being blocked from a final ...

Thu, February 16, 2012

Sanofi recalls some Fludara chemotherapy drug

(Reuters) - Sanofi said it has recalled some of its drug Fludara, a chemotherapy agent, due to quality control problems. The drug is used to ...

Wed, February 15, 2012

Doctors scour drug supplies after fake Avastin found

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. distributor of phony vials of the widely-used cancer drug Avastin aroused suspicion at doctor's ...

Wed, February 15, 2012

BioCryst hep C drug shows promise, shares jump

(Reuters) - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental hepatitis C drug showed promise in preclinical studies, sending its shares up as much as 16 percent ...

Wed, February 15, 2012

Counterfeits of cancer drug Avastin found in U.S.

(Reuters) - Counterfeit versions of Roche's multi-billion cancer drug Avastin have been distributed in the United States, the Swiss drugmaker and its U.S ...

Wed, February 15, 2012

Counterfeits of cancer drug Avastin found in U.S.

(Reuters) - Counterfeit versions of Roche's multi-billion cancer drug Avastin have been distributed in the United States, the Swiss drugmaker and its U.S ...

Tue, February 14, 2012

Counterfeits of Roche cancer drug found in U.S.

(Reuters) - Counterfeit versions of Roche's multi-billion cancer drug Avastin have been distributed in the United States, the Swiss drugmaker and its U.S ...

Tue, February 14, 2012

Drug shortage bill may ride U.S. highway legislation

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The recent shortage of a critical medicine for childhood cancer has prompted U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar to attach ...

Tue, February 14, 2012

Drug shortage bill may ride highway legislation

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The recent shortage of a critical medicine for childhood cancer has prompted Senator Amy Klobuchar to attach her bill ...

Tue, February 14, 2012

Cause of deaths unclear in Actelion drug trial

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss biotech group Actelion Ltd said it does not yet know what caused the deaths of 120 people on a late-stage trial ...

Tue, February 14, 2012

Pfizer says its drug is best hope for Alzheimer's

By Ransdell Pierson

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc research chief Mikael Dolsten said the company's experimental treatment for Alzheimer's disease is the drug industry ...

Thu, February 09, 2012

Eighty arrested in drug bust called biggest ever in Colorado

By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - At least 80 people have been arrested in what federal, state and local law enforcement officials on Thursday called ...

Thu, February 09, 2012

FDA sets draft rules for biotech drug copies

By Deena Beasley

(Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration's long-awaited guidelines for the sale of lower-cost versions of biotechnology drugs leave open the ...

Thu, February 09, 2012

FDA panel rejects Eisai's leukemia drug

(Reuters) - An independent advisory panel to the U.S. health regulator said that Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co Ltd's Dacogen did not show a ...

Wed, February 08, 2012

FDA panel votes against wider use of Amgen drug

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An advisory panel on Wednesday recommended that U.S. health regulators reject the use of Amgen Inc's drug ...

Wed, February 08, 2012

Spanish federation to sue French TV over Nadal drug skit

MADRID (Reuters) - The Spanish tennis federation (RFET) plan to sue French TV broadcaster Canal+ over a sketch which appeared to imply world number two ...

Tue, February 07, 2012

CVS gets restraining order in drug abuse probe

(Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday granted CVS Caremark Corp a temporary restraining order allowing it to keep selling controlled prescription drugs at two ...

Tue, February 07, 2012

Sanofi profit faces 15 percent hit from cheap drug copies

By Elena Berton

PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said on Wednesday that its earnings could drop by up to 15 percent this year as ...

Tue, February 07, 2012

Roche breast cancer drug gets FDA priority review

(Reuters) - Health regulators granted a priority review for an experimental Roche breast cancer drug that in clinical trials added six months to the time ...

Mon, February 06, 2012

Diet supplements recalled on unlabeled drug worries

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Healthy People Co is recalling 15 lots of seven different dietary supplements because they contain appetite suppressants or a drug for male ...

Mon, February 06, 2012

DEA raids 2 CVS pharmacies in drug abuse probe

By Barbara Liston and Toni Clarke

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - The Drug Enforcement Administration said on Monday it raided two CVS pharmacies over the weekend ...

Mon, February 06, 2012

Orexigen, FDA agree on trial design for obesity drug

(Reuters) - Orexigen Therapeutics Inc said it reached an agreement with U.S. health regulators on the design of a heart-safety trial required for the ...

Fri, February 03, 2012

Police bust Arizona-Mexico drug ring, arrest 12

BISBEE, Arizona (Reuters) - Police in southern Arizona have broken up a drug trafficking network that smuggled more than 15 tons of marijuana and cocaine ...

Thu, February 02, 2012

French drug regulator searched in Mediator case

PARIS (Reuters) - Investigators searched the offices of French healthcare regulator Afssaps on Thursday in connection with a case involving the anti-diabetes drug Mediator, which ...

Wed, February 01, 2012

Lilly Alzheimer's drug an unlikely ace in the hole

By Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A treatment for Alzheimer's disease is the drug industry's longest shot, and any brave investors willing ...

Wed, February 01, 2012

FDA panel to discuss Arena obesity drug in 2nd quarter

(Reuters) - An FDA advisory committee will meet in the second quarter to discuss Arena Pharmaceutical Inc's experimental obesity drug following the company's ...

Tue, January 31, 2012

California women sentenced in toys for drug money scheme

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two sisters were sentenced to over three years in prison on Tuesday after a California judge found they laundered money for ...

Tue, January 31, 2012

Police nab Mexican drug boat north of Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Police seized a motorboat packed with more than a ton of marijuana north of Los Angeles and arrested three Mexican men ...

Tue, January 31, 2012

Funding bill may address drug shortages-aides

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation aimed at relieving shortages of crucial drugs used to treat cancer and other illnesses may get momentum next ...

Tue, January 31, 2012

Medivation prostate cancer drug well-tolerated in trial

By Deena Beasley

(Reuters) - Medivation Inc's experimental prostate cancer pill caused fewer serious side effects in clinical trial patients than a placebo treatment ...

Tue, January 31, 2012

FDA approves Vertex cystic fibrosis drug, shares jump

By Anna Yukhananov and Bill Berkrot

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Health regulators approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Kalydeco, the first drug designed to treat the underlying ...

Tue, January 31, 2012

FDA approves Vertex cystic fibrosis drug, shares jump

By Anna Yukhananov and Bill Berkrot

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Health regulators approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Kalydeco, the first drug designed to treat the underlying ...

Mon, January 30, 2012

Experts want suicide risk warning on ADHD drug

By Anna Yukhananov

GAITHERSBURG, Maryland (Reuters) - Children who take a common drug for attention deficit disorder should be warned about the risk of suicidal ...

Mon, January 30, 2012

FDA approves Roche skin cancer drug

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators on Monday approved Roche's pill to treat an advanced form of the most common form of skin cancer ...

Mon, January 30, 2012

Cell Therapeutics withdraws cancer drug application

(Reuters) - Cell Therapeutics Inc said on Monday it has voluntarily withdrawn the marketing application for its cancer drug, sending its shares down 17 percent ...

Mon, January 30, 2012

BTG's varicose-vein drug succeeds in U.S. study

By Paul Sandle

LONDON (Reuters) - British pharmaceutical firm BTG said the first of two U.S. trials of its varicose vein treatment Varisolve had ...

Fri, January 27, 2012

U.S. FDA approves Amylin's diabetes drug

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc won U.S. approval on Friday for its Bydureon diabetes drug, a long-awaited victory for the ...

Fri, January 27, 2012

Infinity stops cancer drug trial

By Anand Basu

(Reuters) - Infinity Pharmaceuticals pulled the plug on a mid-stage trial of its experimental pancreatic cancer drug as it failed to show ...

Wed, January 25, 2012

NY model tells of drug-fueled romp with De La Hoya

By Aman Ali

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Playboy model said on Wednesday she feared she would die while trapped in a luxury hotel room ...

Wed, January 25, 2012

FDA chides Celgene, Novartis on drug promotion

(Reuters) - Health regulators said drugmakers Celgene Corp and Novartis AG misrepresented their cancer drugs to doctors, overstating how well the medicines targeted tumors without ...

Wed, January 25, 2012

FDA fails to approve cholesterol drug for kidney disease

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators amended the prescribing label for Merck & Co's cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin to show it prevents ...

Wed, January 25, 2012

FDA label shows Merck cholesterol drug helps heart

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators amended the prescribing label for Merck & Co's cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin to show it prevents heart problems in patients with chronic kidney disease, but stopped short of approving its use for that purpose.

The decision means Merck cannot market Vytorin as a treatment for reducing the rate of heart problems in kidney patients, though it can discuss the new label with doctors.

Merck had asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve the new indication, and the company relayed the agency's decision on Wednesday.

"The final outcome is slightly disappointing, as many street observers had expected an actual new indication claim," Mark Schoenebaum, an analyst at ISI Group, said in a report.

Merck shares slipped 0.5 percent to $38.57 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange, slightly above a 0.7 percent dip in the Arca Pharmaceuticals Index.

Vytorin pairs a new type of cholesterol fighter Zetia, or ezetimibe, with Merck's older statin drug Zocor, or simvastatin.

Vytorin is already approved for lowering cholesterol, but the company had been hoping to expand its use to prevent stroke and other heart problems in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease affects about 14 percent of the U.S. population and puts people at a high risk of developing heart disease and having a stroke or heart attack.

The new labeling reflects the findings of the SHARP study, which showed Vytorin reduced the risk of major vascular problems in patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease.

It was the first randomized controlled study that showed statins can lower the rate of heart problems in kidney disease patients, Merck said.

However, because the study did not look at the individual contributions of Zetia and Zocor to the reduction in heart problems, the FDA did not approve a new indication for Vytorin or Zetia, Merck said.

Merck's patents on both Vytorin and Zetia expire in 2017. In 2010, Vytorin posted sales of $2 billion and Zetia reaped $2.3 billion.

(Additional reporting by Esha Dey in Bangalore; Editing by Derek Caney)

Mon, January 23, 2012

Stockpiled flu drug has "modest" benefits: reports

By Kerry Grens

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - After billions of dollars worldwide have been spent stockpiling the anti-flu drug Tamiflu, two new reports cast ...

Fri, January 20, 2012

Arizona sting catches 2 officials in drug smuggling

By Tim Gaynor

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A U.S. Border Patrol agent and an Arizona jailer trapped in a sting operation have been arrested on ...

Fri, January 20, 2012

"Miss Bala" puts human face on Mexico's drug war

By Iain Blair

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In a ripped-from-the-headlines story, the new movie "Miss Bala," which opens in limited U.S. release on Friday ...

Fri, January 20, 2012

EU says Novartis MS drug needs heart monitoring

By Ben Hirschler and Katie Reid

LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency advised doctors to continuously monitor patients for six hours after giving ...

Thu, January 19, 2012

Drug lobby wants clearer FDA rules for diet pills

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The pharmaceutical industry may stop investing in medicines to treat diseases like diabetes or obesity without more explicit guidelines ...

Thu, January 19, 2012

Analysis: Goal for Alzheimer's drug by 2025 too ambitious?

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. government has set a deadline of 2025 for finding an effective way to treat or prevent ...

Thu, January 19, 2012

U.S. rebuffs AstraZeneca, Bristol on diabetes drug

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators need further clinical data, possibly including new clinical studies, before approving a new diabetes drug ...

Wed, January 18, 2012

Angel dust back in New York, drug ring busted

By Aman Ali

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Angel dust, the scourge of New York City in the 1970s, is back in the hands of drug ...

Tue, January 17, 2012

FDA approves BTG's drug for cancer toxicity

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators gave the nod on Tuesday to a drug from British specialty drugmaker BTG Plc that helps cancer patients ...

Tue, January 17, 2012

India doctor's claim of "totally" drug resistant TB disputed

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A tuberculosis strain among a dozen patients in India's financial hub and most populous city has been disputedly declared as ...

Fri, January 13, 2012

Cancer drug gets stronger label warning

(Reuters) - Seattle Genetics Inc said it found a second instance of a patient on its cancer drug Adcetris developing a deadly brain infection, prompting ...

Fri, January 13, 2012

Analysis: Investors likely to wait out 2012 drug launches

By Deena Beasley

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Burned by disappointing early sales for new, high-profile biotech medicines in 2011, healthcare investors are cautious ahead of ...

Fri, January 13, 2012

Novartis cuts 2,000 U.S. jobs after drug setback

By Katie Reid

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG plans to axe nearly 2,000 of its U.S. workforce ahead of the patent loss of ...

Tue, January 10, 2012

FDA says Merck's HIV drug gets generic threat

(Reuters) - Health regulators said they have received applications from generic drugmakers to make copycat versions of Merck & Co's HIV drug Isentress, GlaxoSmithKline's HIV drug Epivir and Bayer AG's birth control pill Beyaz.

However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not disclose the names of the generic drug applicants.

Isentress was first approved in 2007 for use in adult patients. Last month, the FDA expanded the label on the drug for use in children and adolescents.

Merck shares were trading almost flat at $38.58 on Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Anand Basu in Bangalore; Editing by Supriya Kurane)

Mon, January 09, 2012

Heart attack risk seen with Boehringer clot drug

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa blood clot preventer has been associated with a slightly higher risk of heart attack or acute ...

Mon, January 09, 2012

Nebraska obtained execution drug legally: state official

OMAHA, Neb (Reuters) - Nebraska obtained its supply of a drug used in executions of death row inmates legally and executions should proceed, state Attorney ...

Mon, January 09, 2012

Heart attack risk seen with clot drug Pradaxa

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa blood clot preventer has been associated with a slightly higher risk of heart attack or acute ...

Mon, January 09, 2012

Heart attack risk seen with Boehringer clot drug

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa blood clot preventer has been associated with a slightly higher risk of heart attack or acute ...

Mon, January 09, 2012

Heart attack risk seen with Boehringer clot drug

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa blood clot preventer has been associated with a slightly higher risk of heart attack or acute ...

Mon, January 09, 2012

Vivus obesity drug may get broader label

(Reuters) - Vivus Inc said U.S. health regulators asked the company to remove a contraindication in the proposed label of its obesity drug Qnexa ...

Mon, January 09, 2012

Drug Recall On Popular OTC Drugs

Drug maker Novartis AG is recalling several popular over-the-counter drugs due to quality control concerns.  The drugs include Excedrin, NoDoz, Bufferin and Gas-X.  The ...

Fri, January 06, 2012

Biotech drug makers aim to extend brand dominance

By Deena Beasley

(Reuters) - Biotechnology companies, having outperformed the broader stock market in 2011, are for the first time bracing for competition from generic ...

Fri, January 06, 2012

Supreme Court to decide drug-detecting dog sniff case

By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday it would decide whether a sniff by a drug-detecting dog at ...

Fri, January 06, 2012

EU to set new biosimilar drug rules by mid-year

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - European regulators will detail the requirements for copies of multiple types of biotech drugs by mid-2012, setting the stage ...

Thu, January 05, 2012

Limit execution drug distribution: Docs to company

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - An international group of 25 doctors demanded on Friday that U.S.-based Hospira take action to prevent its ...

Thu, January 05, 2012

Police suspect former soldier in Utah police shooting

By James Nelson

OGDEN, Utah (Reuters) - Six police officers were shot, one fatally, when a gunman identified as a former U.S. soldier opened ...

Wed, January 04, 2012

Mexico drug lord pleads guilty to U.S. trafficking

By Marty Graham

SAN DIEGO, Calif (Reuters) - Once powerful Mexican drug lord Benjamin Arellano Felix pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court on ...

Wed, January 04, 2012

Police nab Mexican drug boat north of LA, arrest 10

(Reuters) - Police seized a Mexican motorboat loaded with more than a ton of marijuana north of Los Angeles early on Wednesday and arrested 10 ...

Wed, January 04, 2012

Mexico drug lord pleads guilty to U.S. trafficking

By Marty Graham

SAN DIEGO, California (Reuters) - Once-powerful Mexican drug lord Benjamin Arellano Felix pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court on Wednesday ...

Wed, January 04, 2012

Scientists say unreported drug data a health hazard

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Unreported data from early trials of experimental medicines in humans can result in harm to future patients and needless ...

Wed, January 04, 2012

Alnylam's drug reduces bad cholesterol in early study

(Reuters) - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc said an early-stage trial of its experimental cholesterol treatment showed the therapy reduced up to half the level of bad ...

Tue, January 03, 2012

Scientists say unreported drug data a health hazard

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Unreported data from early trials of experimental medicines in humans can result in harm to future patients and needless ...

Tue, January 03, 2012

Arena says addressed FDA concerns on weight loss drug

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday it submitted data to health regulators that should squash cancer concerns tied to the ...

Tue, January 03, 2012

Arena responds to FDA concerns on weight loss drug

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday it submitted an official response addressing safety concerns of U.S. health regulators over ...

Tue, January 03, 2012

Drug use not tied to mental decline in middle-age

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Middle aged adults whose memories have grown hazy can't blame occasional pot smoking or other light ...

Tue, January 03, 2012

Drug use not tied to mental decline in middle-age

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Middle aged adults whose memories have grown hazy can't blame occasional pot smoking or other light ...

Sun, January 01, 2012

Insight: Shortage of ADHD drug Adderall seen persisting

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - A shortage of Adderall, which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, shows little sign of easing as ...

Fri, December 23, 2011

Preventable drug reactions land vets in hospitals

By Andrew M. Seaman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Unexpected drug reactions land thousands of older veterans in hospitals every year, but a new study ...

Thu, December 22, 2011

Bristol-Myers liver cancer drug fails trial

(Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said on Thursday its liver cancer drug brivanib failed to meet the primary endpoint in a late-stage clinical trial.

Brivanib ...

Wed, December 21, 2011

Targeted drug side effects add to cancer costs

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Painful rashes and other skin-related side effects of newer targeted cancer drugs may jack up treatment costs ...

Wed, December 21, 2011

Merck gets approval for wider use of HIV drug

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have approved an expanded label for Merck & Co's treatment for HIV for use with other antiretroviral drugs in children and adolescents.

The safety and effectiveness of the drug was evaluated in a clinical trial of 96 children and adolescents of ages 2-18 years with HIV-1 infection, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.

The drug, Isentress, was first approved for use in adult patients in October 2007.

(Reporting by Shailesh Kuber in Bangalore; Editing by Don Sebastian)

Tue, December 20, 2011

U.S. authorities bust Mexico drug network in Arizona

TEMPE, Ariz (Reuters) - U.S. authorities have arrested 203 people and smashed a Mexican trafficking ring that funneled millions of dollars in drugs to ...

Tue, December 20, 2011

FDA to review Pfizer rheumatoid arthritis drug

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have accepted the application for Pfizer Inc's closely watched experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug, the drugmaker said on Tuesday ...

Tue, December 20, 2011

FDA looking into death of patient on Novartis' Gilenya

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said on Tuesday they received a report of a multiple sclerosis patient who died within 24 hours of taking ...

Fri, December 16, 2011

Drug helps prevent mountain sickness, herbs don't

By Lindsey Konkel

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- Acetazolamide, a drug commonly used to prevent acute mountain sickness, may reduce symptoms for some people who ...

Fri, December 16, 2011

Chicago Bears cut receiver Hurd after drug arrest

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago Bears said on Friday they will cut wide receiver Sam Hurd from the football team following his arrest on federal ...

Fri, December 16, 2011

Roche melanoma drug wins European green light

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - European regulators have recommended approval of a targeted melanoma drug from Swiss group Roche Holding AG, opening the way ...

Thu, December 15, 2011

German body questions InterMune drug, shares drop

By Zeba Siddiqui

(Reuters) - Shares of InterMune Inc fell as much as 30 percent on Thursday, after a German advisory body raised questions on ...

Thu, December 15, 2011

Chicago Bears player arrested on drug charge

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chicago Bears wide receiver Samuel Hurd has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana, U ...

Tue, December 13, 2011

Experimental diet drug keeps weight off for 2 years

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An experimental diet drug seems to help some obese people shed pounds, and keep them off for two years, researchers ...

Tue, December 13, 2011

FDA panel backs Alexza drug with limits

U.S. drug advisers recommended approving an experimental treatment from Alexza Pharmaceuticals for calming down patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but placed restrictions ...

Mon, December 12, 2011

FDA panel backs Alexza drug with limits

U.S. drug advisers recommended approving an experimental treatment from Alexza Pharmaceuticals for calming down patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but placed restrictions ...

Mon, December 12, 2011

Takeda drug cuts myeloma death risk in 5-year study

By Bill Berkrot

(Reuters) - Takeda Pharmaceutical Co's Velcade reduced the risk of death by 31 percent when used in combination with standard medicines ...

Sun, December 11, 2011

Ariad leukemia drug helps 47 percent of patient: study

By Deena Beasley

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Early results from a pivotal trial of Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental leukemia drug ponatinib show it is ...

Sun, December 11, 2011

Pharmacyclics' blood cancer drug responses rise

By Deena Beasley

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Interim results from an early stage trial of Pharmacyclics Inc's experimental blood cancer drug show the number ...

Sun, December 11, 2011

Mexico drug gangs up ante with high-tech tunnels

By Rachel Uranga and Mica Rosenberg

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Reuters) - When architect Felipe de Jesus Corona built Mexico's most powerful drug lord a ...

Sat, December 10, 2011

Leukemia drug pulled from U.S. sparks new interest

By Deena Beasley

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A new study of leukemia drug Mylotarg, pulled from the U.S. market last year due to safety ...

Thu, December 08, 2011

FDA staff worried about lung risk with Alexza drug

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alexza Pharmaceutical's experimental drug for calming down patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can cause severe lung problems ...

Thu, December 08, 2011

FDA staff worried about lung risk with Alexza drug

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alexza Pharmaceutical's experimental drug for calming down patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can cause severe lung problems ...

Wed, December 07, 2011

FDA panel gives nod to Affymax drug for anemia

By Anna Yukhananov

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - A new Affymax Inc drug won expert backing to treat anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease ...

Wed, December 07, 2011

FDA panel backs Pfizer's drug for kidney cancer

By Anna Yukhananov

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc won unanimous expert backing for its Inlyta experimental drug for patients with advanced kidney cancer ...

Wed, December 07, 2011

FDA panel backs Pfizer's drug for kidney cancer

By Anna Yukhananov

SILVER SPRING, Md., Dec 7 - Pfizer Inc won unanimous expert backing for its Inlyta experimental drug for patients with advanced kidney ...

Tue, December 06, 2011

Sanofi announces positive results for diabetes drug

PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said a late-stage study of its lixisenatide drug in combination with Lantus insulin showed a significant improvement in blood ...

Mon, December 05, 2011

Pfizer cancer drug effect may be limited: FDA staff

(Reuters) - Slower tumor growth in kidney cancer patients taking Pfizer Inc's experimental drug, Inlyta, in a clinical trial was driven by a subset ...

Mon, December 05, 2011

FDA sees huge opportunities in opening up drug data

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - Regulators and drugmakers need to find ways to make more clinical data openly available, since vital knowledge about fighting ...

Mon, December 05, 2011

FDA: Affymax anemia drug stacks up vs Amgen

(Reuters) - Drug reviewers found Affymax Inc's treatment for anemia in dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease to be as effective as market-leading drugs ...

Fri, December 02, 2011

Ex-Colorado sheriff hit with more charges in drug case

By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - A former Colorado sheriff accused of trading methamphetamine for sex was charged on Friday with additional counts of soliciting ...

Fri, December 02, 2011

Court rejects Teva appeal over cholesterol drug Crestor

(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday refused to revive Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's patent infringement suit against AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP for the ...

Fri, December 02, 2011

Walgreen, others sue Pfizer over depression drug

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc and Teva Pharmceutical Industries Ltd were sued by Walgreen Co and four other large retailers, accused of violating ...

Thu, December 01, 2011

Walgreen, others sue Pfizer over depression drug

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc and Teva Pharmceutical Industries Ltd were sued by Walgreen Co and four other large retailers, accused of violating ...

Thu, December 01, 2011

Court rejects Teva appeal over cholesterol drug Crestor

(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday refused to revive Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's patent infringement suit against AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP for the ...

Wed, November 30, 2011

San Diego drug tunnel stands out for sophistication

By Marty Graham

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A drug smuggling tunnel that has been uncovered between San Diego and Tijuana stands out for its sophistication ...

Wed, November 30, 2011

Onetime "sheriff of the year" charged in Colorado drug case

By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - A former Colorado sheriff who once was named national "sheriff of the year" made his first court appearance on ...

Tue, November 29, 2011

Bristol/Pfizer anti-clot drug gets fast FDA review

By Debra Sherman

(Reuters) - A promising new drug shown to be better than warfarin at preventing strokes in patients with a dangerously irregular heartbeat ...

Mon, November 28, 2011

Mexican truck driver jailed in drug tunnel conspiracy

SAN DIEGO, California (Reuters) - A U.S. judge jailed a Mexican truck driver for 15 years and 8 months on Monday for his role ...

Wed, November 23, 2011

Novartis eye drug suffers fresh rebuff in Britain

LONDON (Reuters) - Novartis's costly eye drug Lucentis has been rejected for another new use by Britain's health cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE, following a ...

Wed, November 23, 2011

UnitedHealth switches drug unit CEO amid expansion

(Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc has changed the leadership of its pharmacy benefit unit as the business readies for a major expansion that positions it ...

Tue, November 22, 2011

Peregrine's breast cancer drug shows promise in trial

(Reuters) - Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc said breast cancer patients taking its experimental combination therapy lived seven months longer than patients who received standard chemotherapy in ...

Tue, November 22, 2011

Pfizer to buy Excaliard Pharma for skin drug

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc agreed to buy privately held biopharmaceutical company Excaliard Pharmaceuticals for an undisclosed sum, to gain access to Excaliard's experimental skin ...

Sun, November 20, 2011

Novartis unit pays $150 million to end drug-price dispute

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis' Sandoz unit has agreed to pay $150 million Swiss francs to settle claims it charged the U.S. and state governments ...

Fri, November 18, 2011

Amgen signs DaVita, Fresenius anemia drug deals

By Deena Beasley

(Reuters) - Amgen Inc, aiming to secure future sales of its flagship anemia drug Epogen as potential competition emerges, has reached new ...

Fri, November 18, 2011

Regeneron eye drug gets FDA nod

(Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said U.S. regulators approved its new drug for treating a common cause of blindness in the elderly, giving a boost ...

Fri, November 18, 2011

Amgen signs 7-year anemia drug contract with DaVita

(Reuters) - Amgen Inc reached a seven-year contract to supply DaVita Inc with nearly all of the anemia drugs needed by the dialysis clinic operator ...

Fri, November 18, 2011

Amgen signs 7-year anemia drug contract with DaVita

(Reuters) - Amgen Inc reached a seven-year contract to supply DaVita Inc with nearly all of the anemia drugs needed by the dialysis clinic operator ...

Fri, November 18, 2011

EU backs stroke prevention drug despite 256 deaths

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - Doctors should exercise caution in using Boehringer Ingelheim's new stroke prevention pill Pradaxa, following 256 cases of fatal ...

Thu, November 17, 2011

Europe kickstarts R&D fightback against superbugs

By Ben Hirschler and Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Europe set out plans to boost research into the neglected area of antibiotics on Thursday by ...

Wed, November 16, 2011

Police find major drug tunnel under U.S.-Mexico border

By Marty Graham

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Police have discovered a "major cross-border drug tunnel" running to California from Mexico, and seized more than 17 ...

Wed, November 16, 2011

Police find major drug tunnel under U.S.-Mexico border

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Police have discovered a "major crossborder drug tunnel" running to California from Mexico, and seized 14 tons of marijuana, authorities said ...

Mon, November 14, 2011

Doctors group supports fight on drug shortages

By Alina Selyukh

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - The American Medical Association threw its support behind government efforts to ensure the supply of lifesaving medicines but ...

Wed, October 26, 2011

Hammond opens up about drug and alcohol battles

The former Saturday Night Live regular is sharing details about his personal life and abusive childhood in the book God, If You're Not ...

Wed, October 26, 2011

Perry talks drug control with government officials

The actor checked into rehab for the third time in May (11) in an ongoing battle with drug issues, and he is using his ...

Mon, October 24, 2011

Douglas' son pleads guilty to new drug charge

Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one count of cocaine ...

Sun, October 23, 2011

Douglas' son pleads guilty to new drug charge

Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one count of cocaine ...

Sat, October 22, 2011

Douglas' son pleads guilty to new drug charge

Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one count of cocaine ...

Thu, October 20, 2011

Soulja Boy Arrested For Drug Possession

Soulja Boy (DeAndre Cortez Way) was arrested early this morning for drug possession after the police found a ""substantial amount"" of marijuana, guns, and ...

Thu, October 13, 2011

FDA reviewers unconvinced on Teva Parkinson's drug

By Alina Selyukh

(Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's clinical trials of its Parkinson's drug Azilect left U.S. drug reviewers unconvinced that ...

Thu, October 13, 2011

Outkast rapper Big Boi to settle drug charges

MIAMI (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning Outkast rapper Big Boi will avoid jail time on drug charges in Florida if he passes several drug tests and ...

Thu, October 13, 2011

Anadys hep C drug shows promise in mid-stage trial

(Reuters) - Anadys Pharmaceuticals Inc said a mid-stage trial showed that over three-fourths of untreated hepatitis C patients receiving a combination of its drug setrobuvir ...

Wed, October 12, 2011

Border Patrol agent convicted of drug trafficking

By David Schwartz

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A U.S. Border Patrol agent caught with more than 700 pounds of marijuana inside his truck was convicted ...

Wed, October 12, 2011

Onyx settles claims with Bayer over cancer drug

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's Bayer and its U.S. development partner Onyx have reached a settlement over a contested sister compound to their potential ...

Tue, October 11, 2011

Cancer drug stent keeps leg arteries open: FDA staff

(Reuters) - U.S. medical device reviewers said a Cook Medical stent coated with a common cancer-fighting drug was safe and effective for treating clogged ...

Tue, October 11, 2011

FDA warns Bristol's leukemia drug may raise lung risks

(Reuters) - Health regulators warned on Tuesday that Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's leukemia drug Sprycel may raise the risk of a rare, but serious condition ...

Mon, October 10, 2011

Roche drug shows promise in early Alzheimer's

(Reuters) - An experimental drug being developed by Roche Holding AG removed amyloid plaques from the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients in a small ...

Fri, October 07, 2011

Exercise may offer drug-free migraine prevention

By Megan Brooks

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Regular aerobic exercise worked just as well as relaxation therapy or the antiepileptic drug topiramate in preventing ...

Fri, October 07, 2011

Zytiga creeps up on Provenge prostate-cancer drug

By Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Interest in Dendreon Corp's Provenge vaccine to treat prostate cancer seems to be waning following recent approval ...

Thu, October 06, 2011

Breast cancer drug tied to diabetes in older women

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older women taking the breast cancer drug tamoxifen may have an increased risk of developing diabetes, a ...

Tue, October 04, 2011

Boeing drug probe took four years to be thorough: official

By Dave Warner

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The federal drug raid on a Boeing plant that makes key U.S. military aircraft was the culmination of ...

Tue, October 04, 2011

Medicare prescription drug abuse a problem: GAO

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prescription drug abuse by elderly and disabled beneficiaries of Medicare cost the U.S. program nearly $150 million in 2008, highlighting an ...

Tue, October 04, 2011

Transcept gets shorter review on sleep drug

By Anand Basu

(Reuters) - Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc said health regulators granted a shorter review period of two months for its experimental sleep drug, reviving ...

Tue, October 04, 2011

Transcept gets shorter review on sleep drug

(Reuters) - Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc said health regulators granted a shorter review period of two months for its experimental sleep disorder drug, sending its shares ...

Mon, October 03, 2011

Targacept depression drug: high risk, high reward

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Targacept Inc, a small drugmaker that began life inside the bowels of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co, has for ...

Mon, October 03, 2011

Supreme Court won't review drug case text message search

By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a ruling that the police can search text messages from an arrested ...

Sun, October 02, 2011

Calif. insurer won't pay for breast cancer drug

(Reuters) - Health insurer Blue Shield of California has decided not to pay for Roche Holding's drug Avastin to treat breast cancer after health ...

Sun, October 02, 2011

Study finds early potential in GSK leukaemia drug

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists conducting early-stage research have found that a potential new drug from GlaxoSmithKline could treat mixed-lineage leukemia(MLL ...

Sat, October 01, 2011

Perry suggests U.S. military role in Mexico drug war

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry said on Saturday he would get the U.S. military involved in Mexico's war ...

Fri, September 30, 2011

Boeing arrest points to U.S. workplace drug problems

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The arrest of more than three dozen people on drug charges at a Boeing military aircraft plant highlights the ...

Fri, September 30, 2011

California desert drug bust nets $22.6 million in marijuana

By Mary Slosson

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A record 14 tons of marijuana, valued at over $22.6 million, was seized in the California desert ...

Fri, September 30, 2011

Safe drug-injection site can stay: Supreme Court of Canada

By David Ljunggren

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Vancouver's Insite clinic, the only safe-injection site for drug addicts in North America, can stay open, the Supreme ...

Fri, September 30, 2011

Federal Charges Filed In Twin Ports Drug Ring

DULUTH, MN (KDAL) - A year long investigation has resulted in Federal drug charges being filed against 27 people, most residing  in the Twin Ports ...

Thu, September 29, 2011

Drug bust at Boeing aircraft plant in Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Thirty-seven people were arrested on Thursday in a drug bust at a Boeing plant in Pennsylvania that makes military aircraft, with the ...

Thu, September 29, 2011

Boeing drug probe took four years to be thorough: officials

By Dave Warner

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The federal drug raid on a Boeing plant that makes key U.S. military aircraft was the culmination of ...

Thu, September 29, 2011

Some stroke patients not getting recommended drug

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Guidelines say that stroke sufferers with the heart-rhythm problem atrial fibrillation should take the clot-fighting drug warfarin ...

Wed, September 28, 2011

Old anti-smoking drug passes new test

By Gene Emery

(Reuters Health) - Cytisine, an extract from the seeds of the Golden Rain acacia that was first marketed in Bulgaria in 1964 ...

Wed, September 28, 2011

Analysis: Open-access R&D one answer to drug industry woes

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - Drug companies are learning how to share.

In a bid to save both time and money, some of the ...

Tue, September 27, 2011

Mexican social media boom draws drug cartel attacks

NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico (Reuters) - Maria Macias used the Internet to denounce the brutality of local drugs lords in this Mexican border city until they ...

Tue, September 27, 2011

J&J sees continued supply shortages of cancer drug

(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson has told doctors it expects a limited supply of its Doxil cancer drug to become available within the next six weeks, but warned the amount would not be sufficient for all patients currently on waiting lists.

Supplies of the drug will fluctuate over the next several months as a contracted specialty manufacturer works to increase production, the company said in a Sept 23 letter posted on its website.

The specialty manufacturer will continue producing Doxil until J&J has transitioned to a new manufacturer, the company said.

The injectable drug, which had annual global sales of about $500 million as of July, is used to treat ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma.

In July, the company cautioned doctors not to begin treating patients with Doxil as it expected supply shortages of the drug because of production constraints at the contracted specialty manufacturer.

J&J's shares closed at $62.69 on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Divya Sharma in Bangalore; Editing by Matt Driskill)

Mon, September 26, 2011

Novartis seeks approval for new smoker's cough drug

By Aaron Gray-Block

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis said it has applied to start selling its experimental drug to treat smoker's cough -- which ...

Mon, September 26, 2011

J&J sees continued supply shortages of cancer drug

(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson has told doctors it expects a limited supply of its Doxil cancer drug to become available within the next six weeks, but warned the amount would not be sufficient for all patients currently on waiting lists.

Supplies of the drug will fluctuate over the next several months as a contracted specialty manufacturer works to increase production, the company said in a Sept 23 letter posted on its website.

The specialty manufacturer will continue producing Doxil until J&J has transitioned to a new manufacturer, the company said.

The injectable drug, which had annual global sales of about $500 million as of July, is used to treat ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma.

In July, the company cautioned doctors not to begin treating patients with Doxil because its specialty manufacturer was moving out of the contract manufacturing business, which could cause shortages of the drug.

J&J's shares closed at $62.69 on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Divya Sharma in Bangalore; Editing by Matt Driskill)

Mon, September 26, 2011

Babbitt Grocery and Drug Store Destroyed In Fire

BABBITT, MN (KDAL) - A fire in Babbitt early on Saturday morning destroyed Zup's Grocery and the adjoining Babbitt Drug Store.  Fire officials say ...

Sun, September 25, 2011

Novartis drug may help older breast cancer patients

By Kate Kelland

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Novartis's bone drug Zometa extended survival in older breast cancer patients but failed to improve disease-free survival among ...

Sun, September 25, 2011

Roche bone drug eases pain in prostate cancer trial

By Kate Kelland

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Roche's bone strengthening drug Boniva is as good for pain relief as single dose radiotherapy in patients whose ...

Sat, September 24, 2011

Roche says skin cancer drug substantially shrinks

By Kate Kelland

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A new skin cancer drug from Roche had "remarkable" results in a mid-stage trial, substantially shrinking tumors and lesions ...

Sat, September 24, 2011

Mexico drug quarterbacks aim for U.S. touchdown

By Jeffrey B. Miller

NOGALES, Ariz (Reuters) - To Mexican drug traffickers, the tall new steel fence now carving along the southern boundary of this ...

Fri, September 23, 2011

Large New Mexico drug ring busted, officials say

By Dennis J. Carroll

SANTA FE, N.M (Reuters) - Some 84 residents are facing drug charges in Roswell after a massive investigation into what ...

Fri, September 23, 2011

Bayer drug a "major new player" in prostate cancer

By Kate Kelland

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - An experimental drug from Germany's Bayer and Norwegian biotech Algeta that prolongs the lives of patients with advanced ...

Fri, September 23, 2011

Roche expects $10 billion sales for HDL drug

By Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The research chief of Roche Holding AG said the company's experimental drug to raise "good" HDL cholesterol ...

Fri, September 23, 2011

Judge issues gag order in Jackson death trial

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The judge in the manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor issued a sharply worded gag order for ...

Fri, September 23, 2011

FDA approves Alexion's rare blood disease drug

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators cleared on Friday an Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc drug for adults and children with a very rare genetic disorder, as ...

Thu, September 22, 2011

Drug company CEO denied state review of girlfriend's death

SACRAMENTO, Calif (Reuters) - California's attorney general has declined a request by pharmaceutical mogul Jonah Shacknai for a review of the police investigation that ...

Thu, September 22, 2011

FDA puts Immunomedics cancer drug trial on hold

(Reuters) - Immunomedics Inc said on Thursday that the U.S. health regulator put a partial hold on the company's pancreatic cancer drug trial ...

Tue, September 20, 2011

Sanofi CEO says drug industry undervalued

By Ransdell Pierson and Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sanofi SA's chief executive has already put his company's patent expiration woes in ...

Tue, September 20, 2011

Davis' drug charges dropped

The grandson of billionaire businessman Marvin Davis, who has appeared on U.S. reality TV show Celebrity Rehab, worked out an agreement to have ...

Mon, September 19, 2011

Gilead: Second trial of 4-drug AIDS pill meets goal

(Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc's four-drug experimental HIV pill worked as well as a regimen containing protease inhibitor Reyataz in the second pivotal trial ...

Mon, September 19, 2011

FDA clears Amgen bone drug for cancer patients

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators approved two new uses for Amgen Inc's osteoporosis drug Prolia, allowing it to be used for bone ...

Mon, September 19, 2011

Redmond O'Neal faces more prison time for rehab drug offence

O'Neal avoided jail time last month (Aug11) after he pleaded no contest to two felony counts, including heroin and firearms possession - because the ...

Sun, September 18, 2011

Amgen osteoporosis drug effective in study

(Reuters) - An Amgen Inc drug to treat osteoporosis in women increased bone mineral density (BMD), an important determinant of bone strength, the biotechnology company ...

Sun, September 18, 2011

Redmond O'Neal faces more prison time for rehab drug offence

O'Neal avoided jail time last month (Aug11) after he pleaded no contest to two felony counts, including heroin and firearms possession - because the ...

Sat, September 17, 2011

Redmond O'Neal faces more prison time for rehab drug offence

O'Neal avoided jail time last month (Aug11) after he pleaded no contest to two felony counts, including heroin and firearms possession - because the ...

Fri, September 16, 2011

U.S. to develop chip that tests if a drug is toxic

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. government researchers plan to design a chip that can check whether new drugs are toxic before they are tested in ...

Fri, September 16, 2011

Novartis drug helps in serious childhood arthritis

(Reuters) - Patients with the most serious form of childhood arthritis can get substantial symptom relief from a Novartis drug, researchers said on Friday, raising ...

Fri, September 16, 2011

Analysis: Biogen investors place bets ahead of MS drug trial

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Over the past year, Biogen Idec Inc has given investors little to complain about. The biotechnology company, operating under ...

Thu, September 15, 2011

Anti-nausea drug may pose risk to heart rhythm: FDA

BANGALORE (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said they are reviewing the safety of GlaxoSmithKline's anti-nausea drug Zofran to ascertain whether there is a ...

Thu, September 15, 2011

U.S. charges two in insider scheme on drug companies

By Basil Katz

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A filmmaker and a former human resources consultant were charged and arrested on Thursday with netting more than ...

Wed, September 14, 2011

Casey Anthony dad says Caylee died of drug overdose

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The father of Casey Anthony said in a TV interview that aired on Wednesday he believes his daughter ...

Wed, September 14, 2011

Derma sees partner for new drug in first half 2012

By Anand Basu

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Derma Sciences Inc expects to find a deep-pocketed partner for its treatment for diabetes-induced foot ulcers in the ...

Wed, September 14, 2011

More U.S. doctors facing charges over drug abuse

By Terry Baynes

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's doctor, accused of killing the pop star with a powerful anesthetic, has joined a small ...

Tue, September 13, 2011

Three TSA agents arrested over interstate drug ring

CONWAY, Mass (Reuters) - Three Transportation Security Administration employees, a police officer and a state trooper were among 20 people arrested and accused of running ...

Mon, September 12, 2011

U.S. seeks to allay drug access concerns in TPP talks

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Monday sought to allay concerns that the U.S. push for stronger drug patent protections ...

Mon, September 12, 2011

Misunderstanding of drug approval common: study

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many people believe that drugs given the okay by the Food and Drug Administration are safer and ...

Mon, September 12, 2011

U.S. seeks to allay drug access concerns in TPP talks

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Monday sought to allay concerns that the U.S. push for stronger drug patent protections ...

Mon, September 12, 2011

FDA panel gives nod to Bayer/J&J anti-clot drug

By Anna Yukhananov

COLLEGE PARK, Maryland (Reuters) - A new stroke preventer from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson moved one step closer to U.S. approval, but questions remained about restrictions on labeling and the need for more studies.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 9-2 on Thursday to recommend approval of the once-a-day anti-clotting pill, called Xarelto.

Xarelto is one of several promising entrants angling to replace warfarin for people with dangerously irregular heart rhythms, called atrial fibrillation (AF).

Warfarin is a problematic decades-old clot preventer originally developed as rat poison.

"I've seen the problems many patients face with warfarin," said Dr. Philip Sager, a panel member and executive committee member of the Cardiac Safety Research Consortium in San Francisco. "I think there's a tremendous unmet medical need for new therapies."

Analysts estimate the stroke-fighting market could top $10 billion annually. Xarelto may lose out on market share if the FDA asks the company to conduct further trials, delaying approval, analysts said.

AF patients' irregular heartbeats can cause blood to pool, increasing their risk of blood clots and strokes. But many are unwilling to take warfarin, which requires regular blood tests, or are unable to tolerate it.

Panelists were divided on whether Xarelto, with the clinical name rivaroxaban, was as effective as warfarin.

In clinical trials that compared Xarelto to warfarin, panelists and the FDA said the older drug was not always given in the proper dosing, making it more difficult to determine if Xarelto was just as good.

"I've heard nothing that convinces me that rivaroxaban should be first-line treatment for many patients," said Allan Coukell, the consumer representative on the panel and director for medical safety at Pew Health Group, adding that Xarelto's label should reflect that.

Earlier this week, FDA reviewers said for conditions such as stroke, which can cause irreversible harm, new drugs must be shown to be at least as effective as older treatments, and called for the agency to delay Xarelto's approval.

In Thursday's meeting, panel members also focused on risks for patients when they come off the drug. Patients who stopped taking Xarelto and resumed warfarin at the end of the main clinical trial had a higher risk of stroke, a so-called "rebound" effect.

"Additional data probably should be obtained regarding how to transition (off of Xarelto) prior to approval," said Dr. Michael Lincoff, chair of the panel and professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.

DELAY IN APPROVAL?

The FDA is set to make the final decision on Xarelto by November 4, Johnson & Johnson said.

"Given the relatively risk-adverse nature of the FDA, even with this panel's recommendation of Xarelto, the agency may want a number of additional studies" before granting approval, said Morningstar analyst Damien Conover.

"So there could be a one-to-two-year delay," he predicted, saying that would greatly hurt the drug's ultimate sales potential.

He said the FDA might be willing to take its time because another effective blood clot preventer, Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa, was approved last year and is already available as an alternative to warfarin.

Conover said he had expected Xarelto to eventually capture 15 percent of the stroke-prevention market among AF patients, but he now expects its market share to be below 10 percent.

Dr Peter Dibattiste, global head of J&J's cardiovascular and metabolic division, said the company will discuss with the FDA the need for additional studies. A study looking at how long Xarelto lasted in patients could be relatively quick, "probably months," he told reporters.

A delay for Xarelto could give the edge to a rival treatment called Eliquis being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer Inc. If Eliquis is approved, Morningstar's Conover predicted, it could have four times the sales of Xarelto.

Eliquis, also called apixaban, showed superiority over warfarin in effectiveness, safety and saving lives in a clinical trial presented last month at a scientific meeting in Paris, affirming its place as the potential leader of the pack.

Xarelto is approved in the United States and Europe for anti-clotting in patients after knee and hip surgery, a much smaller market than stroke prevention for AF patients.

Earlier this week, analysts from Sanford Bernstein forecast Xarelto sales of $948 million for J&J in 2015, and 800 million euros ($1.1 billion) for Bayer, which has much greater sales outside the United States.

Bayer said it sees peak sales of Xarelto at more than 2 billion euro ($2.8 billion), "irrespective of the decision by the FDA in early November," according to a statement.

Bayer, which co-developed the drug with J&J, sold exclusive U.S. marketing rights for Xarelto to J&J in 2005. As part of that agreement Bayer stands to receive royalty payments of up to 30 percent on U.S. sales.

Bayer said it expects approval of Xarelto in Europe in the third or fourth quarter of this year.

(Additional reporting by Ransdell Pierson in New York and Ludwig Baker in Frankfurt; editing by Bernard Orr, Gary Hill, Dave Zimmerman)

(This ...

Fri, September 09, 2011

U.S. says no deal cut with accused Mexico drug kingpin

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors denied on Friday striking a deal with an accused Mexican drug trafficker who said he was a confidential informant ...

Fri, September 09, 2011

U.S. says no deal struck with accused Mexico drug kingpin

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Friday denied striking a deal with an accused Mexican drug trafficker who says he was a confidential informant ...

Fri, September 09, 2011

Family disputes cause of drug company CEO girlfriend's death

By Marty Graham

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The ex-husband and relatives of the woman found hanged, bound and nude at the mansion of a wealthy ...

Fri, September 09, 2011

Family dispute cause of drug company CEO girlfriend's death

By Marty Graham

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The ex-husband and relatives of the woman found hanged, bound and nude at the mansion of a wealthy ...

Thu, September 08, 2011

FDA panel gives nod to Bayer/J&J anti-clot drug

COLLEGE PARK, Maryland (Reuters) - A new stroke preventer from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson moved one step closer to U.S. approval, but questions remained about restrictions on labeling and the need for more studies.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 9-2 on Thursday to recommend approval of the once-a-day anti-clotting pill, called Xarelto.

Xarelto is one of several promising entrants angling to replace warfarin for people with dangerously irregular heart rhythms, called atrial fibrillation (AF).

Warfarin is a problematic decades-old clot preventer originally developed as rat poison.

"I've seen the problems many patients face with warfarin," said Dr. Philip Sager, a panel member and executive committee member of the Cardiac Safety Research Consortium in San Francisco. "I think there's a tremendous unmet medical need for new therapies," Sager said.

Analysts estimate the stroke-fighting market could top $10 billion annually.

AF patients' irregular heartbeats can cause blood to pool, increasing their risk of blood clots and strokes. But many are unwilling to take warfarin, which requires regular blood tests, or are unable to tolerate it.

Panelists were divided on whether Xarelto was as effective as warfarin.

In clinical trials that compared Xarelto to warfarin, panelists and the FDA said the older drug was not always given in the proper dosing, making it more difficult to determine if Xarelto was just as good.

Earlier this week, FDA reviewers said for conditions such as stroke, which can cause irreversible harm, new drugs must be shown to be at least as effective as older treatments.

They also focused on risks for patients when they come off the drug. When patients stopped taking Xarelto and resumed warfarin at the end of the main clinical trial, higher risk of stroke was seen, a so-called "rebound" effect.

"Additional data probably should be obtained regarding how to transition (off of Xarelto) prior to approval," said Dr. Michael Lincoff, chair of the panel and professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.

The FDA is set to make the final decision on Xarelto in early November, Johnson & Johnson said.

The drug is approved in the United States and Europe for anti-clotting in patients after knee and hip surgery, a much smaller market than stroke prevention for AF patients.

(Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; editing by Bernard Orr)

Wed, September 07, 2011

ACLU sues over Florida drug tests for aid applicants

By Michael Peltier

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - A new Florida law that requires low-income parents to pass drug tests before receiving public aid constitutes an ...

Wed, September 07, 2011

J&J's prostate cancer drug approved in EU

LONDON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's prostate cancer drug Zytiga has been approved in the European Union, paving the way for the launch of a ...

Wed, September 07, 2011

UK watchdog changes mind to back bone cancer drug

LONDON(Reuters) - Britain's health costs watchdog NICE has decided to back Japanese drugmaker Takeda's bone cancer drug Mepact after re-assessing the impact ...

Tue, September 06, 2011

Vertex rheumatoid arthritis drug meets study goals

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental oral drug for rheumatoid arthritis met the main goals of a mid-stage study.

Vertex's ...

Tue, September 06, 2011

Bayer, J&J stroke drug not ready for approval: FDA

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug regulators said an experimental stroke preventer from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson is not ready for approval and raised ...

Tue, September 06, 2011

Positive hep C drug results boost Pharmasset shares

(Reuters) - Pharmasset Inc said its hepatitis C shot showed positive results in a trial involving patients who have not been previously treated for the ...

Tue, September 06, 2011

Superbug structure model seen boosting drug

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have deciphered the structure of NDM-1, an enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to even the most powerful class of antibiotics, and ...

Tue, September 06, 2011

Bayer/J&J stroke drug not ready for approval-US FDA

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators said an experimental stroke preventer from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson is not ready for approval and raised questions about its effectiveness, sending Bayer shares down more than 7 percent.

"There is a lack of substantial evidence that rivaroxaban will have its desired effect when used as recommended in labeling," Food and Drug Administration staff in documents released on Tuesday.

The FDA staff recommended that the agency issue a so-called complete response letter for the drug, also known by its proposed trade name Xarelto, which means it cannot be approved without more data from the companies.

Even if approved, the agency staff said the drug should be used as a third option behind other treatments, unless the companies submit more data on effectiveness and safety.

"The wording is quite critical," said Karl-Heinz Scheunemann, an analyst with LBBW. "Should the committee agree with the recommendation - which is not always the case - it's safe to assume that there will be a delay in the market approval."

The FDA will make its final decision after taking into account the views of an advisory panel, which considers Xarelto on Thursday.

Xarelto is one of several promising entrants angling to replace risky clot preventer warfarin for people with dangerously irregular heart rhythms, called atrial fibrillation (AF).

AF patients' irregular heartbeats can cause blood to pool, increasing their risk of blood clots and strokes. But many are unwilling to take warfarin, which requires regular blood tests, or are unable to tolerate the decades-old medicine.

Bayer shares fell as much as 13 percent before paring losses. J&J shares were mostly flat on a down day for U.S. markets. Bayer, a smaller company than Johnson & Johnson, is more reliant on Xarelto.

The drug is approved in the United States and Europe for anti-clotting in patients after knee and hip surgery, a much smaller market than stroke prevention for AF patients.

Atlantic Equities analyst Richard Purkiss said Xarelto's prospects have now significantly dimmed. Even if approved, Purkiss said, the drug will now likely only be used if patients do not benefit from warfarin and Pradaxa, a newly approved stroke medicine from privately held Boehringer Ingelheim.

The FDA review appeared to be good news for a rival treatment called Eliquis being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer Inc , in an anti-clotting market that could top $10 billion a year.

Pfizer shares were up 0.7 percent, while Bristol-Myers was up 0.4 percent, with both stocks were outperforming the broader U.S. market and the Arca Pharmaceuticals Index <.DRG>.

Eliquis, also called apixaban, showed superiority over warfarin in effectiveness, safety and saving lives in a clinical trial presented last month at a scientific meeting in Paris, affirming its place as the potential leader of the pack.

"The prospects for apixaban and Pradaxa just got better," Purkiss said after the Xarelto review.

THIRD-LINE STATUS?

FDA reviewers questioned whether Xarelto was as effective as warfarin, saying that in a trial comparing the two, warfarin was not given in the proper dosing.

They said for conditions such as stroke, which can cause irreversible harm, new drugs must be shown to be at least as effective as older treatments.

They also focused on risks for patients when they come off the drug. When patients stopped taking Xarelto and resumed warfarin at the end of the main clinical trial, higher risk of stroke was seen, a so-called "rebound" effect.

However, bleeding risk was the only significant issue with Xarelto on its own, the FDA staff said.

They asked the companies to conduct further trials to show Xarelto was as safe and effective as warfarin, or as compared to Pradaxa.

"It seems advisable to make rivaroxaban a third-line agent, behind both warfarin and dabigatran (Pradaxa)," FDA staff said in the documents, until the companies submit more data on Xarelto.

Johnson & Johnson said the FDA staff documents did not represent the agency's final recommendation.

"We're confident in the effectiveness of rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in patients with AF," said Ernie Knewitz, a spokesman for J&J. The two companies co-developed the drug, and J&J has marketing rights in the United States.

Analysts from Sanford Bernstein forecast Xarelto sales of $948 million for J&J in 2015, and 800 million euros ($1.1 billion) for Bayer, which has much greater sales outside the United States.

They said the market overreacted in its initial sharp drop, especially as European regulators often reach different conclusions than the FDA.

"We accept ... that the reviewers in this case are unusually directive, recommending a complete response rather than simply raising questions," Bernstein analysts said in a note.

"(But) all is not lost for Xarelto in the advisory committee on Thursday," the analysts said. "Panels do not always follow the recommendations of the FDA reviewers."

(Additional reporting by Ransdell Pierson and Lewis Krauskopf in New York, and Ludwig Baker in Frankfurt; Editing by Derek Caney, John Wallace ...

Mon, September 05, 2011

Researchers find possible drug target for PTSD

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - People with post-traumatic stress disorder appear to have lower levels of a specific kind of brain chemical known as ...

Fri, September 02, 2011

Death of drug company CEO's girlfriend ruled suicide

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SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The death of a woman found hanged, bound and nude in July at the estate of a prominent ...

Fri, September 02, 2011

Vikings' Williams banned two games for drug violation

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Fri, September 02, 2011

Death of drug company exec's girlfriend ruled suicide

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Fri, September 02, 2011

Death of drug company executive's girlfriend ruled suicide

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Fri, September 02, 2011

Bayer, J&J clot drug seen winning U.S. panel nod

By Anna Yukhananov and Ransdell Pierson

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - An experimental stroke preventer from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson is likely to win a recommendation from U.S. health advisers next week, but not without concern over risks seen when patients come off the drug.

A key issue for the Food and Drug Administration advisers may be the so-called rebound effect of the medicine Xarelto. When patients stopped taking it and resumed older drug warfarin, higher risk of stroke was seen in trials.

"We think the FDA advisory panel will be concerned that there's a 'rebound' effect with discontinuing Xarelto," Wells Fargo analysts said in a research note on Thursday. "However, our consultants do not believe this will be a deal breaker."

Xarelto's shortcomings may also relegate it to second place in the marketplace behind a rival treatment being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Pfizer Inc, in an anti-clotting market that could top $10 billion a year, analysts say.

The advisory panel is set to consider the data on Xarelto next Thursday, after the FDA releases its initial findings on the drug on Tuesday.

"Key opinion leaders expect a panel recommendation for Xarelto, but not without controversy," analysts at Leerink Swann wrote in a note on Thursday.

The FDA usually follows the advice of its advisory panels, and Xarelto could be approved by November if the pill wins support at the meeting.

Xarelto is one of several promising entrants angling to replace risky clot preventer warfarin for people with dangerously irregular heart rhythms, called atrial fibrillation (AF).

AF patients' irregular heartbeats can cause blood to pool, increasing their risk of blood clots and strokes. But many are unwilling to take warfarin, which requires regular blood tests, or are unable to tolerate the old medicine.

Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa is already approved in stroke prevention, while Eliquis, from Bristol-Myers and Pfizer, has so far shown the best clinical data, especially for reducing the risk of major bleeding.

RANKING THE COMPETITION

Jeff Jonas, an analyst with Gabelli & Co, predicted the advisory panel will recommend Xarelto because of its effectiveness and acceptable bleeding risk, and its advantages over warfarin.

"Xarelto will be overshadowed by apixaban (Eliquis), but it is going to be a decent drug and could generate $1 billion to $2 billion in annual sales, with the marketing muscle of J&J and Bayer," he said. Bristol and Pfizer plan to submit Eliquis for U.S. approval later this year for preventing stroke.

Another issue is some inconsistent data. A clinical trial last November showed Xarelto, known generically as rivaroxaban, was 21 percent better at preventing stroke in patients with AF compared with warfarin.

But when all those who entered the trial were evaluated, no superiority was established for Xarelto, a fact that is likely to come up in panel discussions.

"A superiority claim over warfarin ... is unlikely in our view and is not widely anticipated," said Barbara Ryan, analyst at Deutsche Bank, in a research note on Friday.

Panelists may also focus on the fact that warfarin was not used as effectively as it might have been in the study, making it more difficult to compare it with Xarelto.

Xarelto's advantage over rivals may come in its dosing, since it needs to be taken only once a day as opposed to twice for Eliquis and Pradaxa, a key factor for elderly patients taking multiple medications.

Gabelli & Co's Jonas said Eliquis is likely to capture 50 percent or more of the warfarin-replacement market, with Xarelto in second place comfortably ahead of Pradaxa.

"Pradaxa is being dismissed; it will be relatively small," he ...

Fri, September 02, 2011

De La Hoya considered suicide during drug battle

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Fri, September 02, 2011

Astra's Crestor drug fails to beat Pfizer's Lipitor

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LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc's key cholesterol drug Crestor failed to beat Pfizer Inc's Lipitor in ...

Wed, August 31, 2011

Jamaican Christopher Coke admits to drug, racketeering crimes

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Wed, August 31, 2011

Experimental obesity drug beats placebo again

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The experimental weight-loss drug lorcaserin may spur modest weight loss without the heart risks of some older ...

Tue, August 30, 2011

Google investor sues board over online drug ads

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Tue, August 30, 2011

Experimental obesity drug beats placebo again

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The experimental weight-loss drug lorcaserin may spur modest weight loss without the heart risks of some older ...

Tue, August 30, 2011

Lohan's mother seeking $5 million investment for drug movie

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Mon, August 29, 2011

Lohan's mother seeking $5 million investment for drug movie

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Sun, August 28, 2011

Lohan's mother seeking $5 million investment for drug movie

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Sun, August 28, 2011

Roche cholesterol drug "fine" for blood pressure

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PARIS (Reuters) - An experimental drug from Roche raised "good" HDL cholesterol substantially without increasing blood pressure, the problem that sank a ...

Sun, August 28, 2011

New Bristol, Pfizer clot drug saves lives in study

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Sat, August 27, 2011

Lohan's mother seeking $5 million investment for drug movie

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Fri, August 26, 2011

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Fri, August 26, 2011

Insight: Next big drug against cholesterol takes shape

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - A handful of drugmakers are racing to develop a new class of medicines they believe could be the ...

Fri, August 26, 2011

Lohan's mother seeking $5 million investment for drug movie

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Fri, August 26, 2011

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Thu, August 25, 2011

U.S. indicts 13 in Caribbean drug ring bust

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MIAMI (Reuters) - Thirteen people have been indicted in Miami in a crackdown on what U.S. authorities described on Thursday as ...

Thu, August 25, 2011

UK warns on painkiller, anti-psychotic drug mix-up

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Wed, August 24, 2011

Redmond O'Neal takes plea on drug charge, gets rehab

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Redmond O'Neal, the troubled son of the late Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal, pleaded no contest to drug and ...

Wed, August 24, 2011

Social networking increases risk of teen drug abuse: study

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Wed, August 24, 2011

Google to pay U.S. $500 million over online drug ads

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Wed, August 24, 2011

U.S. believes Google's Page knew about pharmacy ads: report

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Tue, August 23, 2011

Florida court rejects drug argument, clears way for execution

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Tue, August 23, 2011

Dourdan escapes drug charge

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Mon, August 22, 2011

Drug may help ease Ramadan headaches: study

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Mon, August 22, 2011

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study adds to evidence that bone drugs may play a role in suppressing cancer development ...

Mon, August 22, 2011

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Mon, August 22, 2011

Data may prove Bristol and Pfizer drug a winner

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Mon, August 22, 2011

Roche "good" cholesterol drug shows early promise

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Mon, August 22, 2011

Data may prove Bristol and Pfizer drug a winner

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Fri, August 19, 2011

FDA approves Seattle Genetics cancer drug

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Fri, August 19, 2011

Gout drug may help some with few treatment options

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Wed, August 17, 2011

Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question

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Wed, August 17, 2011

Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question

Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...

Wed, August 17, 2011

Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question

Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...

Wed, August 17, 2011

Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question

Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...

Wed, August 17, 2011

Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question

Cameron Douglas is currently serving a five-year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...

Wed, August 17, 2011

Cameron Douglas' credibility as drug trial witness called into question

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Wed, August 17, 2011

FDA approves Roche skin cancer drug Zelboraf

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators on Wednesday approved a targeted skin cancer drug from Roche Holding along with its diagnostic ...

Tue, August 16, 2011

Regeneron says FDA extends review of eye drug

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Tue, August 16, 2011

Gout drug may help some with few treatment options

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new injectable drug may help some very sick gout patients who don't get better with ...

Tue, August 16, 2011

Experts redesign common microbe to fight drug-resistant bacteria

By Tan Ee Lyn

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Researchers in Singapore have re-engineered a harmless strain of bacteria to fight another common, drug-resistant microbe that ...

Mon, August 15, 2011

FDA, industry reach generic drug fee agreement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators and generic drugmakers have reached a compromise agreement for a user-fee program that would require the companies to pay ...

Sat, August 13, 2011

U.S. sprinter Rodgers fails drug test

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RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Former U.S. 100 meters champion Mike Rodgers has tested positive for a banned stimulant, putting his ...

Wed, August 10, 2011

Drug improves some cases of chronic constipation

By Gene Emery

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The experimental drug linaclotide can relieve some cases of chronic constipation, but the majority of patients showed ...

Wed, August 10, 2011

Bayer anti-clot drug gets cautious journal welcome

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Wed, August 10, 2011

FDA sets review for Amylin diabetes drug

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has set a January 28, 2012 deadline for its review of a diabetes drug ...

Wed, August 10, 2011

Customs agents seize "date rape" drug at LA airport

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Customs agents have seized three gallons of a chemical used to make the date rape drug GHB at ...

Wed, August 10, 2011

FDA approval of Roche melanoma drug may come early

By Deena Beasley

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are moving quickly with Roche's application for targeted melanoma drug vemurafenib, which could receive ...

Wed, August 10, 2011

Pearson strikes plea deal over drug bust

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Tue, August 09, 2011

FDA approval of Roche melanoma drug may come early

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Mon, August 08, 2011

Duluth Police Make Drug Arrests

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Fri, August 05, 2011

Vergara sending drug addict brother back to Colombia for help

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Thu, August 04, 2011

Redmond O'Neal pleads not guilty to drug charge

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Redmond O'Neal, son of actor Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of possessing ...

Thu, August 04, 2011

Medicare prescription drug premiums to fall

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Medicare participants enrolled in the health insurance program's prescription drug benefit should see their premium cost decline slightly ...

Thu, August 04, 2011

Lawsuit names drug company, hospital over suspected murder case

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PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Relatives of a man whose chemist wife is accused of poisoning him with thallium have filed a wrongful death ...

Thu, August 04, 2011

Kids from drug-making homes mostly healthy: study

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Most children raised in homes where illegal drugs are produced appear to be in good health, according ...

Thu, August 04, 2011

Covance sees more big-ticket drug R&D alliances

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LONDON (Reuters) - Joe Herring, the chief executive of U.S. contract research group Covance Inc, finds a lot of drug companies ...

Thu, August 04, 2011

Medtronic hires Yale experts for spine drug review

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CHICAGO (Reuters) - In a bid to clear its name, Medtronic Inc is hiring top researchers at Yale University to review data ...

Thu, August 04, 2011

Vergara sending drug addict brother back to Colombia for help

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Thu, August 04, 2011

Self-medication of anxiety tied to later drug abuse

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who drink or use drugs to calm down anxious nerves are at increased risk of developing full-blown substance abuse ...

Tue, August 02, 2011

Redmond O'Neal arrested for alleged drug possession

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Redmond O'Neal, the son of actors Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal, was arrested again on Tuesday after police said ...

Mon, August 01, 2011

Actelion drug cuts brain lesions in MS patients

By Martin de Sa'Pinto and Katie Reid

ZURICH (Reuters) - Actelion's experimental multiple sclerosis drug ponesimod met its main goal in a mid-stage ...

Mon, August 01, 2011

Pfizer global drug sales fall, spark concern

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Mon, August 01, 2011

Doping tennis player Kendrick to appeal drug ban

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Mon, August 01, 2011

Factbox: Who serves on FDA drug advisory panels

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The ...

Mon, August 01, 2011

Lawmakers may relax FDA drug conflict rules

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Fri, July 29, 2011

New drug regulator asks Congress for more power

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Wed, July 27, 2011

Hospital spending down after Medicare drug coverage

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Wed, July 27, 2011

FDA finds drug research firm faked samples, documents

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Tue, July 26, 2011

FDA finds U.S. drug research firm faked documents

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Tue, July 26, 2011

Florida execution stayed to allow hearing on drug concerns

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Fri, July 22, 2011

Illinois Welfare Recipients Could Have to Pass Drug Test

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Wed, July 20, 2011

Drug trade menaces Afghanistan despite progress: U.S.

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Wed, July 20, 2011

Alzheimer's drug from Pfizer, J&J may prove safer

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Mon, July 18, 2011

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SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Four days after the girlfriend of a wealthy pharmaceutical executive was found hanged at his mansion near San ...

Mon, July 18, 2011

Drug company CEO's child dies from injuries

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Fri, July 15, 2011

Girlfriend of drug company exec found dead at his home

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Thu, July 14, 2011

FDA panel backs Seattle Genetics drug for lymphoma

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Thu, July 14, 2011

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Thu, July 14, 2011

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Tue, July 12, 2011

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Tue, July 12, 2011

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Tue, July 12, 2011

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Fri, July 08, 2011

Medtronic warns of battery issue in some drug pumps

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Wed, July 06, 2011

Sports doctor pleads guilty in drug case

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Wed, July 06, 2011

Sunburn offers clues for pain drug development

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Tue, July 05, 2011

Novartis gets good news on cancer drug Afinitor

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Tue, July 05, 2011

Drug war bodies expose flaws in Mexican forensics

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Mon, July 04, 2011

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Sat, July 02, 2011

Medicare proposes change in anemia drug usage

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Fri, July 01, 2011

Lundbeck acts to stop misuse of drug in executions

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Thu, June 30, 2011

Medicare to cover Dendreon's prostate drug

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Thu, June 30, 2011

Novartis lung drug has similar efficacy to rival

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Wed, June 29, 2011

Old osteoporosis drug may help in killing flu viruses

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Tue, June 28, 2011

Malaria funding rise fills drug pipeline

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LONDON (Reuters) - Annual funding for research and development (R&D) in the fight against malaria has quadrupled over 16 years, generating ...

Sun, June 26, 2011

Roche to fight for Avastin as breast cancer drug

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Sat, June 25, 2011

Wal-Mart hikes branded diabetes drug prices-study

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Fri, June 24, 2011

Endo recalls two lots of pain drug

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Fri, June 24, 2011

Sanofi diabetes drug shown to work as well as Byetta

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SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A trial of Sanofi's experimental once-daily drug for Type 2 diabetes, Lyxumia, found that it worked as ...

Fri, June 24, 2011

Ex-Bolivian anti-drug chief pleads guilty in Miami

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MIAMI (Reuters) - A former top Bolivian anti-drug official pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the ...

Fri, June 24, 2011

Dutch may label some cannabis as a hard drug

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Netherlands, famous for its liberal soft drugs policies, said on Friday it may label some highly concentrated forms of cannabis as ...

Fri, June 24, 2011

Kidney improvement sustained by Abbott drug: study

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Diabetics with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease showed significant and sustained improvement in kidney function through 52 ...

Thu, June 23, 2011

Common drug effect ups elderly death risk: study

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - A side effect of many commonly used drugs, including antihistamines and antidepressants, appears to increase the risk of reduced ...

Thu, June 23, 2011

Ex-Bolivian anti-drug chief pleads guilty in Miami

By Kevin Gray

MIAMI (Reuters) - A former top Bolivian anti-drug official pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the ...

Wed, June 22, 2011

Bristol/Pfizer stroke prevention data wow market

By Bill Berkrot and Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A blood thinner developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Pfizer Inc proved superior to and ...

Tue, June 21, 2011

Producer linked to Tupac attack faces drug charges

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A record executive accused of paying someone to rob the late rapper Tupac Shakur in 1994 was charged on Tuesday with ...

Tue, June 21, 2011

China detains 52 in fake drug, Viagra crackdown

BEIJING (Reuters) - Police in China have detained 52 people in a crackdown on fake drugs, including the anti-impotence pill Viagra, seizing pills for other ...

Tue, June 21, 2011

Shire drug for rare swelling worked in trial: FDA

By Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shire Plc's drug to treat severe swelling caused by a rare genetic disorder showed effectiveness in a ...

Sun, June 19, 2011

Four dead in New York drug store shooting

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Four people were shot to death on Sunday in a suspected robbery at a Long Island drug store, police said.

Suffolk ...

Fri, June 17, 2011

Celgene gets FDA OK to expand use of lymphoma drug

(Reuters) - Celgene Corp said it received expedited U.S. regulatory approval to expand the use of its Istodax drug in the treatment of cancers ...

Thu, June 16, 2011

Crusading poet embodies Mexico's drug war pain

CHIHUAHUA, Mexico (Reuters) - It was well past midnight when Mexicans usually too afraid to venture out after dark streamed into Chihuahua's central square ...

Wed, June 15, 2011

FDA approves Bristol-Myers kidney transplant drug

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators approved on Wednesday a Bristol-Myers Squibb Co drug to prevent organ rejection in adult patients who have ...

Wed, June 15, 2011

FDA says Takeda diabetes drug raises cancer risk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Takeda Pharmaceutical's Actos diabetes drug can increase the risk of bladder cancer if used for more than a year, U.S ...

Wed, June 15, 2011

Regeneron drug effectively treats vision loss: FDA

By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A proposed eye medicine from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Bayer AG was found by U.S. drug reviewers to be ...

Thu, June 09, 2011

UCB to pay $34.4 mln over illegal drug promotion

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The American unit of Belgian pharmaceutical company UCB SA will plead guilty and pay $34.4 million to settle criminal and civil ...

Wed, June 08, 2011

Public high school opens precedent-setting drug clinic

By Bernd Debusmann Jr.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An in-school drug and alcohol abuse clinic is opening at a public high school on Long Island ...

Wed, June 08, 2011

Drug firms go online to test and sell medicines

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - Prompted by the soaring cost of developing and marketing their medicines, drug companies are embracing the Internet in a ...

Mon, June 06, 2011

Exelixis shares fall on cancer drug safety concerns

By Deena Beasley

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Shares of Exelixis Inc fell 20 percent on Monday after the company reported data over the weekend showing that ...

Sun, June 05, 2011

Melanoma drug extends life in second large study

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - People with advanced melanoma who were treated with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's Yervoy plus chemotherapy lived an average of ...

Sun, June 05, 2011

Roche melanoma drug cuts risk of death by 63 percent

By Deena Beasley

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Advanced melanoma patients treated with an experimental pill developed by Roche and Daiichi Sankyo were 63 percent less likely ...

Sat, June 04, 2011

Cancer cell tests may help predict drug reaction

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Counting bits of prostate cancer found in a patient's bloodstream may help doctors better predict which drugs work ...

Sat, June 04, 2011

Targeted drug combo shows promise against melanoma

By Deena Beasley

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The combination of two experimental pills developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc has shown promise as a treatment for melanoma, the ...

Sat, June 04, 2011

"Peace caravan" crossing Mexico to protest drug war

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Hundreds of Mexicans began a weeklong caravan on Saturday to protest the country's bloody drug war, led by a crusading ...

Fri, June 03, 2011

Mexican drug war scares U.S. teens off smuggling

By Tim Gaynor

EL PASO, Texas (Reuters) - Police in the U.S. border city of El Paso can thank criminals in Mexico for ridding ...

Fri, June 03, 2011

Two dozen charged in Midwest gambling and drug ring

By John Rondy

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Twenty-four people were charged Thursday with federal drug trafficking and gambling offenses in a ring that stretched from the ...

Thu, June 02, 2011

Mexican teens turn to kidnapping in drug war city

By Julian Cardona

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - School dropout Toby was just 15 when he and his friends started kidnapping businessmen, truck drivers and ...

Thu, June 02, 2011

Drug companies drive U.S. 2010 corporate philanthropy

By Michelle Nichols

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Drug companies helped drive an almost 18 percent increase in corporate philanthropy last year as they gave away ...

Tue, May 31, 2011

Mexican drug link probed in ambush murder of Texas lawman

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The death of a Bexar County sheriff's sergeant who died in a hail of gunfire as he sat in his ...

Fri, May 27, 2011

FDA approves Optimer's diarrhea drug

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators approved Optimer Pharmaceuticals' drug Dificid to treat diarrhea associated with clostridium difficile (CDAD).

Clostridium difficile is a bacteria naturally ...

Fri, May 27, 2011

Injection drug issue puts Nebraska execution on hold

By Christopher Burbach

OMAHA, Neb (Reuters) - Controversy over a lethal injection drug imported from India has put on hold the execution of a convicted ...

Wed, May 25, 2011

Women with high co-pays prone to stop cancer drug

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women taking breast cancer drugs are more likely to skip days or drop the treatment entirely if ...

Wed, May 25, 2011

Derma Sciences foot-wound drug shows promise

By Anand Basu

BANGALORE (Reuters) - Derma Sciences Inc said foot ulcers in 85 percent of diabetic patients healed completely after being treated with its ...

Wed, May 25, 2011

Novartis drug gives pain relief in gouty arthritis

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG's gout treatment hopeful gives patients better pain relief and significantly cuts the risk of new attacks, two late stage ...

Mon, May 23, 2011

UK's NICE backs Roche drug as maintenance therapy

LONDON (Reuters) - Roche's cancer drug MabThera has been recommended for use on Britain's state health service as a maintenance therapy for patients ...

Mon, May 23, 2011

Ampio premature ejaculation drug shows promise

EU trial

BANGALORE (Reuters) - Ampio Pharmaceuticals Inc said its drug to treat premature ejaculation showed statistically significant results in a late-stage trial in Europe ...

Mon, May 23, 2011

Vertex hepatitis C drug OK'd, promising more cures

By Lewis Krauskopf and Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc's highly anticipated hepatitis C drug won U.S. approval, promising far ...

Fri, May 20, 2011

Mexican drug cartel boss caught at birthday party

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican police said on Friday they captured a suspected drug kingpin from the Gulf drug cartel during what authorities believe was ...

Fri, May 20, 2011

GSK and HGS lupus drug wins green light in Europe

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - The first new treatment for lupus in a half-century was recommended for approval in Europe on Friday, offering a ...

Thu, May 19, 2011

Police break up Arizona-Mexico drug smuggling network

By Brad Poole

TUCSON (Reuters) - Police in Arizona have arrested 25 suspected members of a Mexican drug cartel, significantly hampering the group's ability ...

Wed, May 18, 2011

Whitewater City Councilman arrested on drug charges

WHITEWATER, Wis. (WTAQ) - A UW-Whitewater student who’s on the City Council is free on a signature bond, after being charged with two felony ...

Wed, May 18, 2011

Cancer drug spending to jump through 2013: report

By Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Spending on cancer drugs could rise at least 10 percent a year through 2013, fueled by use of ...

Tue, May 17, 2011

Generics seen slashing global drug sales growth

By Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global sales growth of prescription drugs could be cut in half over the next five years as lucrative ...

Fri, May 13, 2011

More signs diabetes drug linked to bladder cancer

By Alison McCook

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A review of official reports of bad drug reactions is revealing more signs that people taking the ...

Fri, May 13, 2011

Internet tied to rise in drug abuse

BOSTON(Reuters) - Access to rogue online pharmacies may be driving a rapid increase in the abuse in the United States of prescription drugs like ...

Thu, May 12, 2011

Common drug helps babies with sickle cell disease

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A drug that eases symptoms of sickle cell disease in older children is safe and effective to use for ...

Thu, May 12, 2011

Internet tied to growth in U.S. prescription drug abuse

BOSTON (Reuters) - Access to rogue online pharmacies may be driving a rapid increase in the abuse of prescription drugs like powerful painkillers Percocet and ...

Thu, May 12, 2011

Early drug treatment greatly cuts spread of HIV

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Men and women infected with the AIDS virus who take antiretroviral drugs immediately rather than waiting to become more ...

Wed, May 11, 2011

J&J unit finds traces of fungicide in HIV drug

BANGALORE (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen said it was in discussions with regulatory authorities in five countries to address trace amounts of a fungicide ...

Mon, May 09, 2011

Whitney Houston back in drug rehab

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Whitney Houston is undergoing treatment again for drug and alcohol addiction, her spokeswoman said on Monday.

The multiple Grammy Award-winning ...

Sat, May 07, 2011

Tunisian court convicts Ben Ali relative of drug use

TUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian court convicted on Saturday a nephew of ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's wife on charges of drug use ...

Fri, May 06, 2011

FDA approves Novartis pancreas cancer drug

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG's cancer drug Afinitor has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a rare type of ...

Fri, May 06, 2011

South Carolina set to execute man using new drug

GREENVILLE, South Carolina (Reuters) - A man who strangled his cellmate in a prison is set to be executed by lethal injection in South Carolina ...

Fri, May 06, 2011

Jones 'took part in drug deal to help a pal'

The former Smallville star has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to supply drugs while involved with a narcotics ring, which saw a ...

Thu, May 05, 2011

Roche eye drug debate moves into patient rooms

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Doctors say new data give them more confidence that the cheaper drug Avastin works as well as Lucentis in ...

Tue, May 03, 2011

Texas executes first inmate using drug used on animals

By Corrie MacLaggan

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas on Tuesday carried out its first execution using a sedative often used to euthanize animals.

Cary Kerr ...

Mon, May 02, 2011

Pfizer drug sales fall but lower-margin units shine

By Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc posted disappointing revenue for Lipitor and other medicines, exposing the risks the world's biggest drugmaker ...

Fri, April 29, 2011

Mexico extradites once-powerful drug lord to U.S.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico extradited once-powerful drug lord Benjamin Arellano Felix to the United States on Friday in a renewed sign of U.S ...

Thu, April 28, 2011

Study backs new drug for typhoid in poor countries

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - A large trial comparing treatments for typhoid has backed the use of gatifloxacin, an antibiotic launched by Bristol Myers ...

Thu, April 28, 2011

Feds arrest 12 in airport drug smuggling probe

DETROIT (Reuters) - A dozen people, including 10 current or former Delta Air Lines baggage handlers, face drug trafficking and related charges in a probe ...

Thu, April 28, 2011

Cheaper Roche drug as good as Lucentis: report

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Avastin, a cancer drug made by Roche Holding AG, was about as effective as the company's far more ...

Thu, April 28, 2011

Feds arrest 12 in Detroit airport drug smuggling probe

DETROIT (Reuters) - Federal authorities arrested 12 people on Thursday, including 10 current or former Delta Air Lines baggage handlers, in an internal probe of ...

Wed, April 27, 2011

FDA panel backs Merck hepatitis drug

By Lisa Richwine

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - A Merck & Co drug that boosts the chance of curing hepatitis C infection moved closer to the ...

Wed, April 27, 2011

Merck pitches hepatitis C drug to U.S. FDA panel

By Lisa Richwine

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - An experimental drug for the liver-damaging hepatitis C virus offers an advance over the current decade-old treatment ...

Tue, April 26, 2011

German cost agency changes tack on Alzheimer's drug

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's healthcare cost-effectiveness watchdog Iqwig said Alzheimer's disease drug memantine provides a benefit, one and a half years after its ...

Tue, April 26, 2011

FDA backs Vertex hepatitis drug efficacy, shares jump

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A hepatitis C drug from Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc cured more patients than previously reported, U.S. health reviewers said ...

Tue, April 26, 2011

U.S. top court questions state drug data limits

By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court justices sharply questioned on Tuesday whether a state may prohibit the use of prescription drug ...

Mon, April 25, 2011

U.S. extends Mexico travel warning over drug mayhem

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Spreading drug cartel violence in northern and central Mexico has led U.S. authorities to increase the number of states Americans should ...

Mon, April 25, 2011

Early anti-smoking drug start seems better: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Getting a head start on Pfizer's anti-smoking drug Chantix may help smokers kick the habit, according to a preliminary ...

Mon, April 25, 2011

FDA sees safety issue with Merck hepatitis drug

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers highlighted safety issues with an experimental Merck & Co hepatitis drug, including anemia and reports of ...

Fri, April 22, 2011

FDA details timeframe of MS drug Tysabri's risks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The brain infection risk from Biogen Idec's multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri appears highest during the third year of treatment, U.S ...

Thu, April 21, 2011

US wants lawsuit over execution drug dismissed

By Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that challenged a decision allowing unapproved ...

Thu, April 21, 2011

Maine sore spot in nation's prescription drug scourge

By Zach Howard

BRUNSWICK, Maine (Reuters) - It was yet another pharmacy robbery in the small town of Sanford, Maine, where a woman claiming to ...

Wed, April 20, 2011

U.S. wants lawsuit over execution drug dismissed

By Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that challenged a decision that allowed ...

Wed, April 20, 2011

Grandsons may be affected by old pregnancy drug

By Kerry Grens

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Four decades after doctors realized that a drug called DES - used to prevent pregnancy complications - had devastating ...

Tue, April 19, 2011

White House announces plans to reduce prescription drug abuse

By Wendell Marsh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's administration unveiled on Tuesday a plan to fight what it calls a prescription drug abuse ...

Tue, April 19, 2011

FDA unveils new action on prescription drug abuse

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. health regulator ordered painkiller makers to provide educational materials to help train physicians about the correct use of the ...

Tue, April 19, 2011

U.S. drug spending slows; hits $307 bln in 2010: report

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. spending growth on prescription drugs slowed to 2.3 percent in 2010 - the second lowest level ...

Tue, April 19, 2011

Global switch needed on severe malaria drug: MSF

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Up to 200,000 deaths from severe malaria could be averted each year if malarial countries were to switch ...

Mon, April 18, 2011

Novartis Q1 seen hit by absence of flu drug sales

By Katie Reid

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG <NOVN.VX> is likely to be the latest drugmaker to show it too has been hit by ...

Mon, April 18, 2011

Hemophilia drug often used in other patients: study

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A drug approved only to treat the rare bleeding disorder hemophilia is being used much more often ...

Sun, April 17, 2011

Canadian drug facility cut overdose deaths: study

By Allan Dowd

VANCOUVER (Reuters) - North America's only sanctioned facility for injection of illegal drugs has cut overdose deaths and should be used ...

Fri, April 15, 2011

FDA warns against some use of Teva reflux drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has received reports of clogging problems when a generic acid reflux drug made ...

Thu, April 14, 2011

Drug industry, states near deal on pandemic vaccine

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Drug companies are set to donate vaccines and antivirals to poor countries, and share patented technology under a deal ...

Thu, April 14, 2011

Acorda shares soar on possible patent extension of MS drug

BOSTON/BANGALORE (Reuters) - Shares of Acorda Therapeutics Inc jumped 27 percent before being halted amid optimism the company will be granted a patent extension ...

Thu, April 14, 2011

Former Glaxo lawyer indicted again over drug probe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former lawyer for GlaxoSmithKline has been reindicted for obstructing a probe into the company's marketing practices for a drug after ...

Thu, April 14, 2011

Drug gangs clash with dogged miners in Mexico

By Mica Rosenberg

CUETZALA DEL PROGRESO, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican drug cartels greedy for new sources of revenue are targeting the country's rich mines ...

Thu, April 14, 2011

J&J recalls 57,000 bottles of epilepsy drug

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday it is recalling about 57,000 bottles of its Topamax epilepsy drug after reports of a ...

Thu, April 14, 2011

J&J recalls 57,000 bottles of epilepsy drug

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday it is recalling about 57,000 bottles of its Topamax epilepsy drug after reports of a ...

Tue, April 12, 2011

Roche's diet drug tied to kidney damage

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In another blow to diet drugs, Canadian researchers are reporting a link between Roche's Xenical and ...

Mon, April 11, 2011

Common drug ineffective in early Alzheimer's: study

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A commonly prescribed Alzheimer's drug had no effect in treating patients with a mild form of the disease ...

Mon, April 11, 2011

Drug resistance not a risk in acne treatment: study

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who are prescribed certain antibiotics for acne - even those who take them for months at a ...

Fri, April 08, 2011

Rays' Ramirez retires after drug-policy issue

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Manny Ramirez, a 12-times All-Star who won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox, has retired after being notified ...

Thu, April 07, 2011

Indian company halts U.S. sales of execution drug

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An Indian company that supplied an anesthetic used to execute murderers on death row said on Thursday it has stopped selling ...

Wed, April 06, 2011

FDA approves AstraZeneca's thyroid cancer drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. health regulator on Wednesday approved AstraZeneca Plc's medullary thyroid cancer drug, vandetanib, the first treatment to be approved ...

Tue, April 05, 2011

Mississippi switches to new drug for executions

By Leigh Coleman

BILOXI, Miss (Reuters) - Mississippi will switch to a different sedative drug for three executions the state is seeking to carry out ...

Tue, April 05, 2011

Texas inmate seeks execution delay, citing drug

By Jim Forsyth

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - An attorney for a death row inmate set to die on Tuesday urged Governor Rick Perry on Monday ...

Tue, April 05, 2011

Higher bleeding risk seen in J&J, Bayer clot drug

By Ransdell Pierson and Bill Berkrot

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - A blood clot preventer from Johnson & Johnson and Bayer caused a surprisingly high rate of ...

Fri, April 01, 2011

Two more U.S. states turn over executions drug in probe

By Tim Ghianni

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Tennessee and Kentucky turned over their supplies of a lethal injection drug to the U.S. Drug Enforcement ...

Fri, April 01, 2011

Roberts promotes drug company for free

The Expendables star, who is currently battling an addiction to marijuana, admits he's a big fan of GenMed's products and policy - and ...

Thu, March 31, 2011

AC/DC drummer's drug conviction overturned in NZ

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The drummer with rock band AC/DC has had his cannabis conviction quashed by a court in his adopted homeland of ...

Thu, March 31, 2011

Correction: Drug in morning-after pill ok for non-emergency use

By Leigh Krietsch Boerner

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The active ingredient in the morning-after pill, at a lower dose, may be safe and effective ...

Wed, March 30, 2011

UK's cost agency rebuffs Bristol arthritis drug

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's healthcare cost watchdog NICE has recommended against using Bristol-Myers Squibb's rheumatoid arthritis drug Orencia on the state health service ...

Wed, March 30, 2011

Amgen, Takeda drug fails advanced lung-cancer study

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amgen Inc and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd said their experimental drug, motesanib, had failed to improve overall survival in a late-stage ...

Tue, March 29, 2011

Coloring book used in New Jersey jail drug smuggling scheme

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Three inmates and their loved ones were charged with attempting to smuggle drugs into a New Jersey jail on the pages of ...

Tue, March 29, 2011

Johnny Jolly jailed on new drug charges

HOUSTON (WSAU) Suspended Green Bay Packer Johnny Jolly is being held in the Harris County, Texas jail without bond awaiting his first court appearance ...

Mon, March 28, 2011

Florida governor faces legal fight over drug tests

MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida's Republican Governor Rick Scott will soon be hit with legal challenges over his decision to make drug tests mandatory for ...

Mon, March 28, 2011

More evidence ties cholesterol drug, diabetes

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People on a high-dose regimen of the cholesterol drug Lipitor may have a slightly increased risk of ...

Fri, March 25, 2011

Five years on breast cancer drug tamoxifen beats two

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study has a bit of good news for most women who've had breast cancer ...

Fri, March 25, 2011

FDA approves Bristol-Myers melanoma drug

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first drug to help patients with advanced melanoma live longer won U.S. approval on Friday, a major ...

Thu, March 24, 2011

Teva, Procter & Gamble create OTC drug partnership

By Toni Clarke and Jessica Wohl

BOSTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co <PG.N> and generic drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd <TEVA.O> are ...

Wed, March 23, 2011

Arthritis drug could help beat deadly skin cancer

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists seeking treatments for a deadly type of skin cancer say an existing arthritis drug slows the growth of ...

Wed, March 23, 2011

Drug-resistant TB to afflict 2 million by 2015: WHO

By Andrew Callus and Kate Kelland

GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) - Over two million people will contract a form of tuberculosis (TB) resistant to standard drugs ...

Wed, March 23, 2011

FDA says high doses of ulcer drug pose bigger fracture

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said on Wednesday that patients taking prescription ulcer drugs at high doses or for longer periods may have increased ...

Wed, March 23, 2011

Corrected: Gilead HIV drug as effective as Merck's in trial

(Corrects spelling of Atripla)

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc said on Wednesday that its experimental HIV drug elvitegravir proved as effective ...

Wed, March 23, 2011

Branded drug prices soar as generic pressure rises

By Deena Beasley

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. prices for brand-name drugs are rising faster than ever as patents expire on top-selling medicines and ...

Wed, March 23, 2011

Drug-resistant TB to affect 2 million by 2015: WHO

GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) - By 2015 more than two million people will contract a form of tuberculosis (TB) resistant to standard drugs and the fight ...

Wed, March 23, 2011

Gilead HIV drug meets main goal of trial

BOSTON (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc said on Wednesday that its experimental HIV drug elvitegravir met the main goal of a late-stage clinical trial.

The ...

Tue, March 22, 2011

Heart drug linked to higher breast cancer risk

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women taking the heart drug digoxin have an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a study ...

Mon, March 21, 2011

Bristol melanoma drug extends survival in study

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's eagerly anticipated experimental drug ipilimumab extended survival of previously untreated patients with advanced melanoma ...

Mon, March 21, 2011

Positive skin cancer drug data boosts Roche

ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche's new cancer drug vismodegib could help patients with a potentially fatal skin cancer type, positive mid-stage trial results showed, going ...

Mon, March 21, 2011

FDA revives Oxigene's thyroid cancer drug hopes, shares surge

(Reuters) - Oxigene Inc said U.S. health regulators indicated that its experimental thyroid cancer drug may warrant further development, cheering investors a month after ...

Sat, March 19, 2011

Synthetic drug, subject of proposed bans, kills teen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Amid efforts by authorities to stop the use of illegal synthetic drugs, revelers at a spring break party in a Minneapolis suburb ...

Fri, March 18, 2011

Drug O-D's Leaves One Dead Others Hospitalized In Blaine

A 19-year-old Coon Rapids man is dead and two other young people are in critical condition after an apparent drug overdose early yesterday that ...

Fri, March 18, 2011

Drug resistance hampers fight against tuberculosis

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Rising rates of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) are hampering world health programs aimed at tackling TB and threaten to ...

Thu, March 17, 2011

NY drug ring accused of dealing from ice cream truck

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York man has been arrested for allegedly selling illegal prescription drugs from his ice cream truck, making more than ...

Wed, March 16, 2011

Pfizer recalls pain drug acquired in King deal

By Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Just weeks after completing its $3.6 billion purchase of King Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc has recalled an opioid ...

Wed, March 16, 2011

Human Genome picks up rights to cancer drug for $50

March 16 - Human Genome Sciences Inc said it will develop and commercialize a privately held biotech firm's drug for multiple cancers in the ...

Wed, March 16, 2011

For executions, Texas switches to drug used on animals

By Corrie MacLaggan

Austin, Tex (Reuters) - Texas, the state that executes more inmates than any other, said on Wednesday it will follow Oklahoma and ...

Wed, March 16, 2011

U.S. drones enter Mexico to scout for drug gangs

By Patrick Rucker

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - U.S. drones are conducting surveillance flights in Mexico as the two nations step up joint efforts to ...

Tue, March 15, 2011

USOC concerned about drug war ahead of Pan Am Games

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The United States Olympic Committee promised on Tuesday to have a security plan in place before sending athletes to the Pan American ...

Tue, March 15, 2011

U.S. agents seize Georgia execution drug supply

ATLANTA (Reuters) - U.S. authorities seized Georgia's supply of a drug used in executions on Tuesday because of concerns about how it was ...

Tue, March 15, 2011

U.S. to review drug supply after Japan reactor breach

By Ross Kerber

BOSTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration will study distribution policies for a drug to protect against the effects of radiation as part ...

Tue, March 15, 2011

Americans say drug use is top problem in sports: poll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans rank the use of performance-enhancing drugs as the most serious problem facing sports today, according to a poll released by ...

Tue, March 15, 2011

$4 drug programs could save economy billions: study

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - U.S. consumers could save billions of dollars by filling prescriptions for inexpensive generic drugs at stores ...

Tue, March 15, 2011

Novartis sees blood cancer drug as blockbuster

By Katie Reid and Emma Thomasson

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG's blood cancer drug INC424 could rake in annual sales of $1 billion, the ...

Mon, March 14, 2011

Drug prices outstrip other medical costs: GAO

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prices for prescription drugs rose at a faster rate than costs for other medical goods and services over the last four ...

Mon, March 14, 2011

U.S. drug prices outstrip other medical costs: GAO

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. prices for brand-name prescription drugs rose at a faster rate than costs for other medical goods and services over ...

Mon, March 14, 2011

UPDATE: Darren Aronofsky NOT Producing New Drug Movie 'Intricate'

UPDATE: Psyche! Turns out, Darren Aronofsky actually has kicked heroin and will not be involved with another movie about the drug. According to an ...

Mon, March 14, 2011

Wire star held by drug cops

The actress, who played narcotics dealer Snoop in the hit TV series, was held on a state warrant by officials in Baltimore, Maryland along ...

Fri, March 11, 2011

Alzheimer's drug hits two forms of toxic protein

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Early studies suggest an experimental Alzheimer's drug attacks free-floating bits of a protein called beta amyloid, a sign ...

Thu, March 10, 2011

"The Wire" actress arrested in Baltimore drug sweep

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Felicia Pearson, an ex-con who played a drug gangster named Snoop on the HBO television drama "The Wire," was one of dozens ...

Thu, March 10, 2011

Ohio execution to use animal euthanasia drug

By Mary Wisniewski

COLUMBUS (Reuters) - An execution scheduled for Thursday in Ohio will be the first in that state to use the drug pentobarbital ...

Thu, March 10, 2011

New lupus drug may end treatment nightmare for some

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Aiden Gallagher started developing symptoms of lupus at age 11 after a spider bite that left her hand swollen ...

Thu, March 10, 2011

No proof of drug industry sway on WHO in pandemic: report

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Independent experts who examined the World Health Organisation's handling of the H1N1 pandemic said on Thursday they had ...

Thu, March 10, 2011

Ohio executes man using animal euthanasia drug

COLUMBUS (Reuters) - Johnnie Baston, a man convicted of killing a Toledo store owner, became the first person executed in Ohio with a drug that ...

Wed, March 09, 2011

FDA clears new lupus drug, blockbuster sales seen

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first new treatment for lupus in a half-century won U.S. approval on Wednesday, a milestone for patients ...

Wed, March 09, 2011

Hospira generic of Sanofi cancer drug approved

By Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hospira Inc won approval for the first U.S. generic version of Sanofi-Aventis SA's big-selling Taxotere cancer ...

Tue, March 08, 2011

U.S. panel rejects higher dose of Novartis lung drug

By Lisa Richwine

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - Novartis AG failed to win support from a U.S. advisers for the highest proposed dose of ...

Mon, March 07, 2011

Big Human Genome lupus drug nears market

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Human Genome Sciences Inc's lupus drug is poised to win clearance this week, offering patients the first approved ...

Mon, March 07, 2011

Supreme Court won't review drug patent deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court let stand a ruling that drug companies can pay rivals to delay production of generic drugs without violating federal ...

Mon, March 07, 2011

Sheen calls on estranged wife to match him drug test for drug test

Brooke Mueller obtained an emergency restraining order to keep the actor away from her and their kids late on Tuesday (01Mar11) - and the children ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

FDA: migraine drug ups risk for oral birth defects

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An epilepsy drug also used to help prevent migraines can increase the risk for oral birth defects in babies ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

TSA agent accused in drug operation at Buffalo Airport

By Neale Gulley

BUFFALO, New York (Reuters) - A Transportation Security Administration employee allegedly worked with an accused drug dealer to smuggle drug money through ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

FDA: migraine drug ups risk for oral birth defects

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An epilepsy drug also used to help prevent migraines can increase the risk for oral birth defects in babies ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

Drug use linked to airplane accidents

By Kerry Grens

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drug tests of airline personnel are three times more likely to come back positive after a crash ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

Biogen to build blood disorder drug franchise

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Biogen Idec Inc, which makes the multiple sclerosis drugs Tysabri and Avonex, plans to build a portfolio of products ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

FDA: migraine drug ups risk for oral birth defects

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An epilepsy drug also used to help prevent migraines can increase the risk for oral birth defects in babies ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

Ista raises concerns over labeling of eye drug copy

(Reuters) - Ista Pharmaceuticals Inc said it filed a petition with the U.S. health regulator, requesting it to refrain from approving a generic form ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

FDA removes liver warning from Gilead drug, shares up

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Health regulators removed warnings about potential liver damage from Gilead Sciences Inc's drug for pulmonary hypertension, giving it an advantage ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

FDA staff question dosing for Novartis lung drug

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators will ask outside experts if the higher of two proposed doses of a Novartis AG drug is needed ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

Pfizer arthritis drug meets main goals of trial

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Friday that its experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug met the main goals of a late-stage clinical ...

Fri, March 04, 2011

Sheen: 'Devil's drug Ambien to blame for hotel meltdown'

The Two and a Half Men star hit headlines back in October (10) when police were called to his suite at Manhattan's luxurious ...

Thu, March 03, 2011

Police link Arizona beheading to Mexican drug cartel

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Police have tied the October beheading of a man in a Phoenix suburb to Mexican drug cartels, saying it was rare for ...

Thu, March 03, 2011

Allos, FDA agree on cancer drug trial design

MARCH 3 - Allos Therapeutics Inc said it agreed with the U.S. health regulator on the trial design for a late-stage study of the ...

Thu, March 03, 2011

Operation nets more than 30 people on drug, gun charges

By Teresa Carson

PORTLAND, Ore (Reuters) - A Pacific Northwest undercover operation arrested more than 30 people on weapons and drug charges and nabbed 77 ...

Thu, March 03, 2011

Amylin, Lilly diabetes drug falls short of Novo's

By Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A long-awaited experimental diabetes medicine from Eli Lilly & Co and Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc that patients need to inject ...

Wed, March 02, 2011

Designer drug abuse out of control: U.N. drugs board

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - The problem of so-called "designer drugs" is running out of control in many regions of the world, the U ...

Tue, March 01, 2011

Nearly 700 arrested in anti-drug gang operation: ICE

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Law enforcement agencies arrested nearly 700 gang members and associates from December through February during an anti-drug trafficking operation dubbed Project Southern ...

Tue, March 01, 2011

FDA finds no heart attack risk with HIV drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An analysis of 26 clinical trials found no higher risk of heart attacks with AIDS drug abacavir compared with other HIV medicines ...

Mon, February 28, 2011

Cameron Douglas' alleged drug supplier rejects plea deal

Cameron Douglas is serving a five year sentence in New York after admitting to charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and one ...

Mon, February 28, 2011

Davis charged over drug arrest

The grandson of billionaire businessman Marvin Davis, who was part of the last series of U.S. reality show Celebrity Rehab, was picked up ...

Sun, February 27, 2011

Local Mexico drug boss tied to U.S. agent death caught

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The Mexican Navy said on Sunday it arrested the alleged regional head of the feared "Zetas" drug gang in connection with ...

Fri, February 25, 2011

U.S. seeks more data on Protalix drug; shares sink

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health regulators want more data on Protalix Biotherapeutics Inc and Pfizer Inc's experimental drug for Gaucher disease before ...

Fri, February 25, 2011

Clooney: 'Sex and drug past will hinder any political career'

The Ocean's Eleven actor has become a leading celebrity advocate for an array of international issues in recent years, including drawing attention to ...

Wed, February 23, 2011

Takeda seeks U.S. approval of hypertension drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co said on Wednesday it submitted a new drug application in the United States for a hypertension drug ...

Wed, February 23, 2011

Vertex shares soar on cystic fibrosis drug data

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - An experimental drug made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc significantly improved lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis, sending the ...

Tue, February 22, 2011

FDA cites Sanofi over drug side effect reporting

Adds details on German unit's contamination issue, updates shares, adds byline)

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have warned Sanofi-Aventis ...

Mon, February 21, 2011

Hilton's boyfriend will face drug charges in August

The former nightclub boss and Hilton were pulled over by cops on the Las Vegas Strip and booked after officers smelled marijuana coming from ...

Thu, February 17, 2011

Boys 9 and 10 suspected as drug mules in Philadelphia

By Dave Warner

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Three women and two men in Philadelphia face likely conspiracy and drug charges for allegedly using two boys, ages ...

Wed, February 16, 2011

FDA cites misuse of Medtronic drug pumps

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Medtronic Inc said on Wednesday it alerted physicians last month of potential danger from misuse of its implantable infusion pumps that ...

Wed, February 16, 2011

Cancer drug could prevent blindness in preemies

By Gene Emery

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The cancer drug Avastin could help prevent blindness in a group of premature babies who were born ...

Wed, February 16, 2011

Stress-blocking drug restores hair in bald mice

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. researchers studying the effects of stress on the gut may have stumbled on a chemical compound that ...

Wed, February 16, 2011

No birth defect risk seen with malaria drug

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnant women who take the anti-malarial drug Malarone during their first trimester might not be increasing their ...

Wed, February 16, 2011

Sheen 'passes two drug tests'

The Two And A Half Men star is currently receiving treatment after wild partying landed him in hospital with a hernia last month (Jan11 ...

Tue, February 15, 2011

Mexico drug gang suspected in U.S. agents' shooting

By Alberto Fajardo

SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican drug gang hitmen were behind the shooting of two U.S. immigration and customs agents ...

Tue, February 15, 2011

Cassavetes to direct film about drug dealer Rick Ross

By Christine Kearney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nick Cassavetes, who co-wrote the drug film "Blow" and directed romantic drama "The Notebook," has signed on to ...

Mon, February 14, 2011

U.S. charges 7 men in Taliban drug, missile sting

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Monday accused seven men of trying to sell weapons and smuggle drugs to people they believed were ...

Thu, February 10, 2011

Novartis moves to stop execution drug reaching U.S.

By Katie Reid

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis and its Sandoz unit, maker of a generic version of an anesthetic used in lethal injections in the ...

Thu, February 10, 2011

Malaria drug tariffs, taxes must go: campaigners

LONDON (Reuters) - Malaria campaigners have urged governments to drop all taxes and tariffs on medicines, mosquito nets and other anti-malaria tools to help reduce ...

Thu, February 10, 2011

Gov. Walker Won't Cut Senior Care Prescription Drug Program

MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Governor Scott Walker says he will not cut benefits in Wisconsin’s popular Senior Care prescription drug program.

And he’s ...

Wed, February 09, 2011

Poor reporting mars 'gold standard' drug trials

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Skimpy reporting by medical journals has left German doctors trying to write psychiatric guidelines in a pickle ...

Tue, February 08, 2011

Cost of kids' lung drug may outweigh benefit

By Leigh Krietsch Boerner

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The $1,600 per dose price tag on a drug to prevent lung infection in premature ...

Fri, February 04, 2011

Chrysler workers arrested for alleged drug use

DETROIT (Reuters) - Three workers from a high-profile Chrysler plant that makes a crucial new Jeep model were arrested recently for alleged drug use during ...

Fri, February 04, 2011

Goldberg opens up about drug abuse

The Oscar winner, who skyrocketed to fame after her starring role in 1985 film The Color Purple, insists she was a ""fully functioning"" addict ...

Wed, February 02, 2011

Flu drug stockpiles save lives, too costly for many

LONDON (Reuters) - Stockpiling antiviral flu drugs and vaccines saves lives and reduces disease in a flu pandemic, but is too expensive for around two ...

Wed, February 02, 2011

Producer of 9/11 conspiracy film arrested on drug charges

Korey Rowe, 27, was arrested alongside a 19-year-old man last week (begs24Jan11) after they were busted allegedly selling heroin to an undercover police officer ...

Tue, February 01, 2011

FDA rejects Orexigen diet drug over heart risks

By Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators rejected Orexigen Therapeutics Inc's weight-loss drug and requested a clinical trial to resolve ...

Mon, January 31, 2011

New target, drug potential found for colon cancer

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists said they have found a new target for treating advanced bowel cancer which could also be used ...

Sun, January 30, 2011

Senator moves to ban drug sold under bath salts guise

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two drugs that produce a "meth-like" high and are being sold under the guise of "bath salts" would be banned as ...

Fri, January 28, 2011

Obama: drug abuse requires broader policy response

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday that fighting drug abuse demanded a broad public health effort to curb demand for narcotics, but ...

Thu, January 27, 2011

Grizzlies' Mayo banned 10 games after positive drug test

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo was suspended for 10 games after testing positive for a banned steroid, the NBA said ...

Thu, January 27, 2011

Only some men should use AIDS drug for prevention

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Only high-risk gay and bisexual men should use Gilead's HIV drug Truvada to protect ...

Thu, January 27, 2011

U.S. border cop fired over drug war views files lawsuit

By Tim Gaynor

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A former U.S. Border Patrol agent who said he was fired because of his views on drug legalization ...

Wed, January 26, 2011

Abbott beats forecasts as drug sales shine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories <ABT.N> reported fourth-quarter sales and earnings that slightly topped forecasts, fueled by strong demand for its prescription medicines ...

Wed, January 26, 2011

Aussie actress Goldsmith speaks about drug stop

The former Neighbours star was reportedly stopped by police with sniffer dogs on suspicion of cocaine possession as she entered the Hot Barbeque event ...

Mon, January 24, 2011

Clinton backs Calderon's drug fight on Mexico trip

By Arshad Mohammed and Cyntia Barrera Diaz

GUANAJUATO, Mexico (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered strong support for Mexican President Felipe ...

Mon, January 24, 2011

World's top blood pressure drug gets failing mark

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The world's most popular blood pressure medicine is much less effective than comparable drugs and gives ...

Mon, January 24, 2011

Neiers pleads not guilty to drug charges

The Pretty Wild star was ordered to rehab in early December (10) for a probation violation, stemming from her involvement in a raid on ...

Mon, January 24, 2011

Hilton's boyfriend faces four years for DUI and drug possession

Club boss Cy Waits and Hilton were pulled over by cops on the Las Vegas Strip after they smelled marijuana coming from their car ...

Mon, January 24, 2011

Clinton to focus on drug-related violence in Mexico

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Mexico on Monday for talks expected to focus on the country's accelerating drug-related violence.

Clinton ...

Fri, January 21, 2011

U.S. company to stop making drug used in executions

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An anesthetic used in lethal injections will no longer be made by its only U.S. manufacturer because the ...

Fri, January 21, 2011

U.S. FDA panel backs Bayer imaging drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. advisers on Friday recommended approval of a Bayer AG imaging drug for use with magnetic resonance imaging scans of the ...

Fri, January 21, 2011

AstraZeneca responds to FDA on heart drug Brilinta

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has replied to the Food and Drug Administration queries about its key new heart drug Brilinta and remains ...

Thu, January 20, 2011

Sarkozy vows health system fix after drug furor

By Brian Love

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged on Thursday to shake up the healthcare system and root out fraud after a ...

Thu, January 20, 2011

Daily Shuffle: Lindsay Passed All Her Drug Tests

•Lilo is good to go, guys. She's made it. She's in the clear. Right? Well, for now anyway. Lohan's proud papa ...

Wed, January 19, 2011

Roche melanoma drug helps patients live longer

By Katie Reid

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche's new treatment for advanced skin cancer helps patients live longer and also extends the period ...

Wed, January 19, 2011

Blood drug could many save lives in combat, trauma

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - A cheap generic drug used to stem bleeding from heavy menstrual periods could save the lives of tens of ...

Wed, January 19, 2011

FDA weighs skin risks of Bayer imaging drug

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. advisers will be asked to focus on the potential for overdoses and a serious skin disorder when ...

Wed, January 19, 2011

GSK tests intravenous flu drug vs Roche's Tamiflu

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline has started a pivotal study testing intravenous zanamivir against Roche's best-selling pill Tamiflu as a treatment for patients hospitalised with ...

Wed, January 19, 2011

Roche melanoma drug helps patients live longer

By Katie Reid

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche's new treatment for advanced skin cancer helps patients live longer and also extends the period ...

Tue, January 18, 2011

Blood drug could save many lives in combat and trauma

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - A cheap generic drug used to stem bleeding from heavy menstrual periods could save the lives of tens of ...

Tue, January 18, 2011

FDA staff question Lilly drug for Alzheimer's test

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health reviewers are concerned that clinicians may not be able to properly interpret brain scans using Eli ...

Fri, January 14, 2011

Health lobby groups mum on drug company grants

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Health advocacy groups that push for more research and funding for specific diseases often fail to disclose the financial ...

Thu, January 13, 2011

Bristol-Myers recalls blood pressure drug

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said it has recalled 64 million tablets of the blood pressure medicine Avalide in the ...

Thu, January 13, 2011

Common sleep drug can leave people groggy, clumsy

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The popular sleep drug Ambien can leave even the healthiest older people groggy and prone ...

Wed, January 12, 2011

Drug-resistant malaria could spread fast, expert warns

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Drug-resistant malaria could spread from southeast Asia to Africa within months, putting millions of children's lives at risk ...

Wed, January 12, 2011

WHO global plan to contain drug-resistant malaria

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization launched a plan on Wednesday to stop a form of drug-resistant malaria from spreading from ...

Fri, January 07, 2011

Supreme Court to decide state drug data mining law

By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would decide whether a state law restricting commercial access to information ...

Tue, January 04, 2011

Alabama court to hear lawsuit against Pfizer drug

By Peggy Gargis

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - A federal court in Alabama will centralize at least 1,200 civil lawsuits against Pfizer Inc over its ...

Tue, December 28, 2010

FDA places J&J anti-NGF pain drug on clinical hold

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson has halted studies of an experimental pain drug at the request of regulators who are concerned the ...

Mon, December 27, 2010

Regeneron pain drug put on clinical hold by FDA

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Monday that U.S. regulators placed the company's experimental pain drug for osteoarthritis ...

Fri, December 24, 2010

Drug overdoses on the rise in most age groups

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- More and more people are dying from abusing or misusing drugs, including both prescription and illegal drugs ...

Thu, December 23, 2010

GSK offers UK rebate if Pfizer cancer drug better

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's state-run health service will get a partial rebate from GlaxoSmithKline if the company's new kidney cancer ...

Wed, December 22, 2010

Arena eyes obesity drug refiling by end of 2011

By Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc plans to resubmit its application for its experimental weight-loss drug by the end of next ...

Wed, December 22, 2010

New kind of HIV drug stalls infection in trial

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - A new kind of experimental HIV medicine can halt one of the earliest stages of HIV infection and may ...

Mon, December 20, 2010

U.S. executions fall due to cost and lack of lethal drug

By Chris Michaud

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States executed fewer people this year, in part because there is a shortage of the drug ...

Thu, December 16, 2010

Oklahoma uses animal euthanasia drug in execution

By Ben Fenwick

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Oklahoma put to death a man on Thursday convicted of strangling his prison cellmate, using for the first ...

Sun, December 12, 2010

Cytokinetics drug helps ALS patients in small trial

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A small trial of Cytokinetics Inc's experimental drug for patients suffering from amyotropic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig ...

Sat, December 11, 2010

Drug shootout mars religious festival in Mexico

GUADALAJARA Mexico (Reuters) - Suspected drug cartel gunmen attacked each other during annual religious celebrations in a small Mexican town, killing 11 people and wounding ...

Sat, December 11, 2010

Supreme Court to decide generic drug labeling issue

By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would decide whether generic drug companies could be sued under state ...

Thu, December 09, 2010

Corrected: Businesses seek refuge from drug war in Mexico City

(Corrects number of years in penultimate paragraph) By Mica Rosenberg and Anahi Rama

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico City, known for its high crime rates ...

Wed, December 08, 2010

Businesses flee to Mexico City as drug war grows

By Mica Rosenberg and Anahi Rama

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico City, known for its high crime rates and kidnappings, is becoming a safe haven ...

Tue, December 07, 2010

U.S. takes step to government drug development center

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government took a big step toward getting more involved in developing drugs ...

Tue, December 07, 2010

Duluth Drug Bust Nabs Six

A three month investigation by the Duluth Police Department and the Lake Superior Drug and Gang Task Force led to the arrest of six ...

Mon, December 06, 2010

Harms often surface years after cancer drug approval

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects often go unreported until years after cancer drugs have been approved ...

Sun, December 05, 2010

Remission rate 34 pct for Seattle Genetics drug

By Deena Beasley

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A pivotal trial of Seattle Genetics' experimental cancer-targeting antibody for patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma found that more ...

Sat, December 04, 2010

Cyclacel drug promising in myelodysplastic syndrome

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly a third of patients with the blood cancer myelodysplastic syndrome who were not helped by prior treatment ...

Fri, December 03, 2010

Army captures U.S. teen drug hitman in central Mexico

CUERNAVACA, Mexico (Reuters) - Soldiers captured a 14-year-old U.S. citizen suspected of being a drug gang hitman as he attempted to travel to the ...

Fri, December 03, 2010

Bling ring member Neiers arrested for drug possession

Neiers, who starred in U.S. series Pretty Wild, is on probation after pleading no contest to a single count of first-degree residential burglary ...

Fri, December 03, 2010

Stern fights Smith drug conviction

Earlier this year (10), Stern was found guilty on two charges of conspiracy, for giving false names and acting by fraud to obtain prescriptions ...

Wed, December 01, 2010

Study says Huntington's tests to aid drug search

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have developed a new range of tests that allow them to track the progression of Huntington's disease ...

Wed, December 01, 2010

FDA declines to OK Glaxo epilepsy drug for now

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve an experimental epilepsy drug from GlaxoSmithKline and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, the ...

Wed, December 01, 2010

Glaxo drops version of resveratrol "red wine" drug

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline has discontinued work on one version of a drug that mimics a health-boosting compound found in red wine, following disappointing clinical ...

Tue, November 30, 2010

FDA staff note risks of AstraZeneca cancer drug

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An experimental AstraZeneca pill to treat inoperable thyroid cancer carries "substantial toxicity" for patients, U.S. drug reviewers said ...

Mon, November 29, 2010

Diet drug faces U.S. test after rivals fall short

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The last of a trio of diet drug hopefuls faces scrutiny next week, after two rivals failed to convince ...

Mon, November 29, 2010

Four years on, drug war bleeds Mexican heartland

By Michael O'Boyle and Miguel Angel Gutierrez

MORELIA, Michoacan (Reuters) - A four-year army crackdown in Mexico's methamphetamine-producing heartland has provoked a dizzying ...

Mon, November 29, 2010

J&J must pay Basilea $130 million for drug license breach

By Katie Reid

ZURICH (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson <JNJ.N> must pay former Swiss partner Basilea <BSLN.S> about $130 million for breaching a license ...

Fri, November 26, 2010

Rio police give ultimatum to slum drug traffickers

By Pedro Fonseca

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Police in Rio de Janeiro gave drug traffickers holed up in a hillside slum an ultimatum on ...

Fri, November 26, 2010

New drug tunnel found at U.S.-Mexico border

By Marty Graham

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - U.S. border agents said on Friday they had found a multimillion dollar drug-smuggling tunnel under the U ...

Fri, November 26, 2010

Bad blood grows between Swiss drug CEOs

By Katie Reid

ZURICH (Reuters) - Relations have turned icy between the CEOs of Roche and Novartis as Switzerland's top two drug executives defend ...

Wed, November 24, 2010

New drug shows promise against Asian liver fluke

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental drug called tribendimidine could help cure millions of people infected with a parasitic worm known as the ...

Wed, November 24, 2010

Studies show how skin cancer evades promising drug

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. researchers have uncovered several ways in which melanoma can outsmart a promising experimental cancer pill called PLX4032 ...

Fri, November 19, 2010

Helix says FDA puts its cancer drug on clinical hold

Bangalore (Reuters) - Canadian biopharmaceutical company Helix BioPharma Corp said its experimental cancer treatment was placed on clinical hold by U.S. regulators, seeking additional ...

Fri, November 19, 2010

J&J, Takeda recall batches of cancer drug Velcade

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson and Millennium Pharmaceuticals are recalling thousands of vials of the cancer drug Velcade sold in Europe ...

Fri, November 19, 2010

Mexico begins extradition of drug lord to U.S.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico began the process of extraditing Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez, believed to be one of the country's top drug bosses ...

Fri, November 19, 2010

Stolen jacket sparked Patrick's drug and booze bender

The 57 year old, who played Eddie Munster on the hit 1960s TV series, has long battled problems with cocaine, marijuana and alcohol, but ...

Thu, November 18, 2010

FDA OKs Amgen's bone drug in certain cancers

By Deena Beasley

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Amgen Inc's bone drug denosumab as a treatment ...

Thu, November 18, 2010

Study of Pfizer, Bristol drug halted by bleeding

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a clinical setback, Pfizer Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said a late stage study of their closely-watched ...

Thu, November 18, 2010

Arthritis drug less effective for obese patients

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese adults with rheumatoid arthritis may be less likely than thinner people to respond to some of ...

Thu, November 18, 2010

J&J, Takeda recall batches of cancer drug Velcade

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson and Millennium Pharmaceuticals are recalling thousands of vials of the cancer drug Velcade sold in Europe ...

Thu, November 18, 2010

Drug-resistant malaria feared in Southeast Asia

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - A form of malaria resistant to the most powerful drugs available may have emerged along the Thai-Myanmar border as ...

Thu, November 18, 2010

Exelixis prostate, ovarian cancer drug shows promise

BANGALORE (Reuters) - Cancer drug developer Exelixis Inc said interim data from two mid-stage trials of an experimental drug showed promise in patients with a ...

Thu, November 18, 2010

Lohan's mother making drug movie

The Mean Girls star's mum heads up production company Defiant Pictures and she is working on a new drama called Growing Defiant.

The ...

Tue, November 16, 2010

Drug fails to protect kidneys from X-ray dye

By Susan Kelly

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A drug used to protect the kidneys from contrast dye during X-rays of the heart's blood vessels does ...

Tue, November 16, 2010

Drug-coated stents safe for large heart arteries

By Debra Sherman and Ransdell Pierson

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Drug-coated heart stents are as safe as the old bare metal variety for patients with narrowed ...

Mon, November 15, 2010

Advisers recommend Human Genome lupus drug

By Lisa Richwine

ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - The first new lupus treatment in half a century moved closer to U.S. approval on Tuesday as ...

Mon, November 15, 2010

Studies show drug-resistant bug threats in Europe

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Drug-resistant infections with the "superbug" Clostridium difficile are rising in Europe and are widespread, scientists said on Tuesday, but ...

Mon, November 15, 2010

Doctors say blood-clot drug race too close to call

By Ransdell Pierson and Debra Sherman

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A half dozen experimental stroke-prevention drugs, and one already on the market, are racing for their ...

Mon, November 15, 2010

Bayer, J&J anti-clot drug shines in stroke trial

By Ransdell Pierson

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A once-daily pill being developed by Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson was better at preventing stroke than standard treatment ...

Sun, November 14, 2010

Pfizer heart-failure drug helps milder patients: study

By Ransdell Pierson and Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - People with mild heart failure lived longer and fared better by adding Pfizer's drug Inspra ...

Fri, November 12, 2010

Human Genome lupus drug draws questions; stock off

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers asked if the benefits of a long-awaited Human Genome Sciences Inc lupus drug outweighed concerns ...

Thu, November 11, 2010

Diabetes drug tied to less cancer, has docs excited

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The suspected cancer-fighting effects of the cheap diabetes drug metformin just got more backing from two new ...

Wed, November 10, 2010

Time for drug price rethink for chronic diseases

By Ben Hirschler

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The world's top drugmakers have slashed prices for medicines to fight AIDS and malaria. Now the debate ...

Tue, November 09, 2010

Ex-Glaxo lawyer indicted for role in U.S. drug probe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former lawyer for pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline Plc has been indicted for lying and obstructing an investigation into the company's promotion ...

Tue, November 09, 2010

Arena drug helps diabetics lose weight in trial

By Deena Beasley

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A new clinical trial of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc's diet pill, which was turned down last month by ...

Mon, November 08, 2010

Government breaks up Denver-based drug ring

DENVER (Reuters) - A retired Denver fire lieutenant was among 35 alleged traffickers indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury on suspicion of smuggling ...

Mon, November 08, 2010

U.S. doctors still too cozy with drug industry: survey

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Doctors in the United States are still too cozy with drug companies, although they have managed to break some ...

Mon, November 08, 2010

Growth rate of U.S. cancer drug sales slows

By Deena Beasley

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New cancer drugs are a top priority for most pharmaceutical companies these days, but the sector's sales ...

Sun, November 07, 2010

Pfizer arthritis drug succeeds in late stage trial

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK, Nov 7 Reuters) - A closely watched experimental drug for rheumatoid arthritis being developed by Pfizer Inc significantly reduced symptoms ...

Sat, November 06, 2010

Gunmen block roads after Mexican drug lord killed

By Robin Emmott

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Rival gunmen blocked roads near the U.S. border and strung up threatening banners on Saturday after marines ...

Fri, November 05, 2010

Human Genome pins blockbuster hopes on lupus drug

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Biotech company Human Genome Sciences Inc <HGSI.O> stands on the verge of blockbuster success with a new drug ...

Thu, November 04, 2010

Six Americans killed in Mexico's drug war city

By Julian Cardona

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Gunmen have killed six U.S. citizens in separate attacks since Saturday in the violent border city ...

Wed, November 03, 2010

Hemophilia drug can damage heart, study finds

By Gene Emery

BOSTON (Reuters) - Using high doses of Novo Nordisk's anti-clotting medicine to treat dangerous bleeding in non-hemophiliacs may raise the risk ...

Wed, November 03, 2010

U.S. border cops find massive Mexico drug tunnel

SAN DIEGO, California (Reuters) - U.S. border police have found a sophisticated drug smugglers' tunnel the length of six football fields linking Southern California ...

Tue, November 02, 2010

Medco sees generic drug gains to 2020, shares jump

By Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Medco Health Solutions Inc <MHS.N> projected earnings would rise as much as 17 percent next year despite ...

Sun, October 31, 2010

Drug experts say alcohol worse than crack or heroin

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Alcohol is a more dangerous drug than both crack and heroin when the combined harms to the user and ...

Sat, October 30, 2010

Black patients fare well on Vertex hepatitis C drug

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A closer look at data from a late stage trial of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc's eagerly anticipated hepatitis ...

Sat, October 30, 2010

Anna Nicole Smith drug trial jury decision imminent

The tragic actress/model's physicians Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich and Smith's lawyer and companion Howard K. Stern stand accused of conspiring ...

Thu, October 28, 2010

Anna Nicole Smith boyfriend convicted in drug trial

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Anna Nicole Smith's former boyfriend and a doctor were convicted on Thursday of helping to keep the former Playboy model ...

Wed, October 27, 2010

Some tumors may resist promising lung cancer drug

By Gene Emery

BOSTON (Reuters) - A promising cancer pill that could help as many as 5 percent of people with the most common type ...

Wed, October 27, 2010

Teens lie about drug use, and so do their parents

By Alison McCook

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - There is a huge discrepancy between the number of at-risk teens who admit to using drugs and ...

Tue, October 26, 2010

Australian golfer's drug bust has damaged Japan tour: director

By Alastair Himmer

TOKYO (Reuters) - An Australian golfer's arrest for suspected cocaine possession has seriously damaged the integrity of Japan's professional tour ...

Mon, October 25, 2010

Swiss drug policy should serve as model: experts

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Switzerland's innovative policy of providing drug addicts with free methadone and clean needles has greatly reduced deaths while ...

Sun, October 24, 2010

Mexicans mourn slain party-goers in drug war city

By Julian Cardona

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Families mourned on Sunday the victims of one of Mexico's worst shootings, weeping over the open ...

Sat, October 23, 2010

FDA rejects weight-loss drug

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Saturday U.S. health officials have rejected its experimental obesity pill, citing cancer risks.

The ...

Fri, October 22, 2010

Mexican agents trained in U.S. to fight drug gangs

By Harriet McLeod

NORTH CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Twenty-four Mexican customs agents completed a 10-week training course in South Carolina on Friday, the first ...

Fri, October 22, 2010

Jailed dads tied to greater risk of kids' drug use

By Lynne Peeples

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids whose dads have put in time behind bars may be at a greater risk for using ...

Wed, October 20, 2010

FDA warns of prostate cancer drug risks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hormone treatments for prostate cancer need new warnings about a small increased risk of diabetes and heart problems including sudden death, U ...

Wed, October 20, 2010

Drug companies influence prescribing, study finds

By Tan Ee Lyn

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Doctors tend to prescribe drugs that pharmaceutical companies promote to them and patients end up paying more but ...

Wed, October 20, 2010

Baldness drug works, but some have sexual problems

By Alison McCook

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The widely used baldness drug finasteride (Propecia) indeed boosts hair growth in men, but some may develop ...

Tue, October 19, 2010

FDA seeks more data on Amylin, Lilly diabetes drug

By Deena Beasley

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators declined on Tuesday to approve a diabetes drug being developed by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc ...

Tue, October 19, 2010

Drug companies influence prescribing, study finds

By Tan Ee Lyn

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Doctors tend to prescribe drugs that pharmaceutical companies promote to them and patients end up paying more but ...

Tue, October 19, 2010

Drug companies pay 17,000 U.S. doctors, report finds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 17,000 doctors and other healthcare providers have taken money from seven major drug companies to talk to other doctors ...

Mon, October 18, 2010

Osteoporosis drug regrows jaw bone: study

By Gene Emery

BOSTON (Reuters) - The osteoporosis drug Forteo can regrow bone in jaws damaged by severe bone-destroying conditions called osteonecrosis and periodontitis, doctors ...

Sat, October 16, 2010

Lilly osteoporosis drug regrows jaw bone: study

By Gene Emery

BOSTON (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co's osteoporosis drug Forteo can regrow bone in jaws damaged by severe bone-destroying conditions called ...

Fri, October 15, 2010

Roc-a-Fella Records founder charged in drug case

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A hip-hop mogul who founded Roc-a-Fella Records with rapper Jay-Z was among 50 people charged on Friday with trafficking tons of ...

Fri, October 15, 2010

Margera was detained in New Zealand after fan slipped drug in his drink

The stuntman reveals someone slipped a powerful drug into his drink at the New Zealand after-show party, and by the time he got to ...

Thu, October 14, 2010

Drug gangs threaten Mexican mining industry

By Mica Rosenberg

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mining firms have shuttered a handful of exploration projects in remote areas of Mexico as the industry grapples ...

Thu, October 14, 2010

Genzyme MS drug data remains strong after 5 years

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Genzyme Corp presented new data from a trial of its experimental multiple sclerosis drug alemtuzumab on Thursday that continued ...

Wed, October 13, 2010

GSK to raise de-worming drug donations to Africa

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline is to donate up to an extra 400 million doses of its de-worming drug albendazole to the World ...

Wed, October 13, 2010

UK's NICE to reassess Glaxo's Tyverb cancer drug

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's drug funding watchdog NICE said on Thursday patients taking GlaxoSmithKline's breast cancer pill Tyverb can continue with the drug ...

Wed, October 13, 2010

Drug war bloodshed tarnishes Mexico's richest city

By Robin Emmott

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Once an oasis of calm, Mexico's richest city has become a central battleground in the country's ...

Tue, October 12, 2010

Pfizer depression drug ineffective, may be harmful: study

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Pfizer's antidepressant reboxetine is an "ineffective and potentially harmful" drug and published data on it overestimates the benefits ...

Mon, October 11, 2010

FDA gives thumbs down to Jazz drug; market feels no pain

By Krishnakali Sengupta

BANGALORE (Reuters) - Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc said the U.S. health regulator did not approve its experimental drug to treat fibromyalgia, but ...

Mon, October 11, 2010

FDA holds up approval of Alexza's anti-psychotic drug

By Shravya Jain

BANGALORE (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators declined to approve Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc's drug to treat agitation in patients with schizophrenia ...

Mon, October 11, 2010

Abbott psoriasis drug succeeds in pivotal trial

NEW York (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories' experimental psoriasis treatment briakinumab, which is awaiting U.S. and European approval decisions, demonstrated superior skin clearance rates compared ...

Mon, October 11, 2010

J&J drug offers hope in advanced prostate cancer

By Ben Hirschler

MILAN (Reuters) - Men with advanced prostate cancer lived nearly four months longer on a new pill from Johnson & Johnson, according to ...

Mon, October 11, 2010

Abbott psoriasis drug succeeds in pivotal trial

NEW York (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories' experimental psoriasis treatment briakinumab, which is awaiting U.S. and European approval decisions, demonstrated superior skin clearance rates compared ...

Mon, October 11, 2010

Allos reports cancer drug results, shares fall

By Deena Beasley

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A mid-stage trial found that advanced lung cancer patients treated with Allos Therapeutics Inc's Folotyn lived for ...

Mon, October 11, 2010

BrainStorm to begin ALS drug trials in Israel

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics will begin clinical trials of its stem cell treatment for the neurological disease ALS after receiving clearance ...

Mon, October 11, 2010

J&J drug offers hope in advanced prostate cancer

By Ben Hirschler

MILAN (Reuters) - Men with advanced prostate cancer lived nearly four months longer on a new pill from Johnson & Johnson, according to ...

Mon, October 11, 2010

Novartis drug helps rare tumors, filing this year

By Ben Hirschler

MILAN (Reuters) - Patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors, a rare type of cancer, lived 5.1 months longer without their disease worsening ...

Sun, October 10, 2010

New melanoma drug may shrink brain tumors

MILAN (Reuters) - An experimental melanoma drug from GlaxoSmithKline managed to shrink secondary tumors in the brains of nine patients with advanced disease, according to ...

Fri, October 08, 2010

Jury gets case in Anna Nicole Smith drug trial

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The trial of three people charged with keeping former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith loaded up on painkillers went to the ...

Fri, October 08, 2010

U.S. pulls Abbott's Meridia diet drug off market

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories' has pulled its controversial diet drug, Meridia, off the U.S. market after regulators said it was ...

Thu, October 07, 2010

Anna Nicole Smith drug trial nears its end

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A lawyer for the ex-boyfriend of Anna Nicole Smith lashed out at prosecutors on Thursday for calling her "an out-of-control drug ...

Wed, October 06, 2010

Prostate drug finasteride helps urinary problems

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Long-term use of the drug Proscar cuts the need for surgery in men with enlarged prostates, according ...

Wed, October 06, 2010

Experimental Novartis drug helps range of diseases

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental new antibody drug from Novartis has proved safe and effective in treating three diseases involving inflammation -- scaly ...

Wed, October 06, 2010

Duluth Man Faces More Drug Charges

Duluth police and members of the Lake Superior Drug and Gang Strike Force have taken a man into custody after executing a search warrant ...

Tue, October 05, 2010

Hilfiger's son escapes drug prosecution

Richard Hilfiger's car was pulled over in Hollywood earlier this summer (10) and taken into custody after officers allegedly found cannabis in his ...

Mon, October 04, 2010

FDA seeks more data on J&J pain drug

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have requested more data on Johnson & Johnson's chronic pain treatment before they will approved the product ...

Sun, October 03, 2010

Fresenius Kabi recalls India unit drug from U.S.: report

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Fresenius Kabi Oncology Ltd has seen two batches of a cancer drug shipped to the U.S. being recalled by ...

Fri, October 01, 2010

Humana, Wal-Mart unveil low-cost Medicare drug plan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Health insurer Humana Inc <HUM.N> and Wal-Mart Stores Inc <WMT.N> will team up to offer a U.S. Medicare ...

Fri, October 01, 2010

LaBeouf's money saved his drug-dealing father

The Transformers actor was determined to succeed as a movie star so his dad Jeffrey would be able to stop selling cannabis to fund ...

Thu, September 30, 2010

Corrected: Rapper Kid Cudi drug charge may be dismissed

(Spokeswoman says no plea was entered, corrects headline, paragraphs 1,2, and 4) NEW YORK (Reuters) - A drug possession charge against U.S. rapper ...

Wed, September 29, 2010

Judge dismisses 2 charges in Anna Nicole drug trial

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A judge on Wednesday dismissed two charges against Howard K. Stern, the former lawyer and boyfriend of Anna Nicole Smith, in ...

Wed, September 29, 2010

Signs that Amgen bone drug may block breast tumors

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - The same mechanism that makes Amgen's new bone drug denosumab an effective treatment for osteoporosis may also mean ...

Wed, September 29, 2010

Bristol-Myers recalls blood pressure drug Avalide

By Debra Sherman

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co is recalling 60 million tablets of the blood pressure medication Avalide in the United States and ...

Wed, September 29, 2010

Smith drug conspiracy case handed to the jury

The actress/model's companion and lawyer Howard K. Stern and doctors Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich stand accused of providing excessive medication to ...

Tue, September 28, 2010

Rapper Kid Cudi guilty on drug charge, avoids jail

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. rapper Kid Cudi has pleaded guilty to drug possession, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney said on Tuesday ...

Tue, September 28, 2010

Automatic drug safety system can delay treatment

By Anne Harding

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Computerized systems intended to stop doctors from prescribing dangerous drug combinations can cause potentially harmful treatment delays ...

Mon, September 27, 2010

Media leading 'drug educator' for kids, doctors say

Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite severe restrictions on tobacco advertising, youths are still too often exposed to media depicting smoking and drinking ...

Mon, September 27, 2010

AstraZeneca drug fails in prostate cancer trial

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca's experimental prostate cancer pill zibotentan failed to improve survival in a late-stage clinical trial, dealing a fresh ...

Mon, September 27, 2010

Prescription Drug Collections

(Undated)  --  The new program aimed at keeping potentially dangerous unused prescription drugs out of the hands of abusers will eventually be statewide.  There are ...

Mon, September 27, 2010

Reynolds escapes random road-side drug test

The Proposal star was stunned when his car was pulled over by ""creepy"" cops one morning - and he was asked to go to a ...

Mon, September 27, 2010

Media leading "drug educator" for kids, doctors say

Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite severe restrictions on tobacco advertising, youths are still too often exposed to media depicting smoking and drinking ...

Fri, September 24, 2010

ADHD drug benefits child cancer survivors

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who develop problems with memory, attention and behavior after cancer treatment may gain some long-term benefit ...

Thu, September 23, 2010

Hilton questioned in Japan after drug conviction

The socialite was handed a one-year suspended sentence on Monday (20Sep10) and ordered to attend a substance abuse program after she was caught with ...

Wed, September 22, 2010

Lindsay Lohan Fails Second Drug Test, Arrest Warrant Issued

Lindsay Lohan failed a drug test on Friday that TMZ reports was for cocaine, and her sacrifice gave us nice weather for the weekend ...

Wed, September 22, 2010

Hilton given suspended sentence in Las Vegas drug case

The socialite was detained on 27 August (10) when a small bag of white powder fell out of her purse in front of a ...

Mon, September 20, 2010

Democrats unveil global drug safety bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. inspections of overseas pharmaceutical plants would increase and regulators would gain new recall power under proposals unveiled by Democrats in ...

Mon, September 20, 2010

U.S. panel backs Boehringer drug to reduce strokes

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. advisory panel on Monday backed Boehringer Ingelheim's proposed drug to prevent strokes in people with a ...

Mon, September 20, 2010

Djalili mimics Khan for drug dealer role

The Infidel actor plays real-life Pakistani drug baron Saleem Malik in the new movie, which chronicles the life of famed marijuana smuggler Howard Marks ...

Mon, September 20, 2010

Novartis lung drug better than salmeterol in COPD

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis' lung drug Onbrez Breezhaler allows patients with a deadly lung disease to breathe more easily than a current mainstay treatment, adding ...

Fri, September 17, 2010

Lindsay Lohan ordered to court over failed drug test

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lindsay Lohan was ordered on Monday to appear in court after admitting that she failed a court-ordered drug test a few ...

Fri, September 17, 2010

Glaxo kidney cancer drug shrinks thyroid tumors: study

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - In a small study, GlaxoSmithKline's cancer drug Votrient helped shrink tumors in nearly half of patients with an ...

Fri, September 17, 2010

FDA reviewing safety of Actos diabetes drug

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it was reviewing if Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd's blockbuster diabetes drug Actos ...

Fri, September 17, 2010

U.S. invests in drug to protect against radiation

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Tiny biotech Cleveland BioLabs Inc has won a $45 million contract from the Department of Defense to conduct clinical ...

Fri, September 17, 2010

FDA reviewing safety of Actos diabetes drug

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday its has begun a safety review of diabetes drug Actos after ...

Fri, September 17, 2010

Company-funded drug studies find harm less often

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When drugmakers fund studies, scientists are much less likely to find potentially harmful drug effects in the ...

Fri, September 17, 2010

Arena plunges, blames FDA panel over obesity drug

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Shares of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc<ARNA.O> plunged anew on Friday as the company blamed a lack of understanding ...

Fri, September 17, 2010

Dozens killed in Mexican drug shootouts: reports

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican soldiers killed 22 suspected drug gunmen in a two-hour firefight on Wednesday night, local media reported on Thursday.

The gun ...

Wed, September 15, 2010

Arena defends diet drug safety to U.S. panel

By Lisa Richwine

ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers criticized Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc's defense of a proposed weight-loss pill on Thursday, as ...

Wed, September 15, 2010

U.S. panel splits on Abbott diet drug ban

ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. advisory panel was divided over whether to recommend banning Abbott Laboratories' controversial weight-loss drug on Wednesday, although most ...

Wed, September 15, 2010

Swine flu can become drug-resistant quickly: study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A swine flu virus infecting a woman in Singapore mutated into a drug-resistant form virtually overnight, doctors reported in a study that ...

Wed, September 15, 2010

Abbott defends diet drug in fight for U.S. market

By Susan Heavey and Lisa Richwine

ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories, in the thick of a battle to reshape the struggling obesity drug sector ...

Wed, September 15, 2010

FDA approves new drug for tough-to-treat gout

BANGALORE (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc's gout drug in adults who do not ...

Tue, September 14, 2010

FDA cites concerns with Alkermes addiction drug

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alkermes Inc's drug to help wean alcoholics from drinking appears to also help treat people addicted to certain ...

Tue, September 14, 2010

Hermantown Men Face Federal Drug Charges

Federal charges have been filed against two Hermantown men accused of running a large marijuana growing operation.  23 year olds Michael King and Matthew ...

Tue, September 14, 2010

FDA staff question Arena diet drug, shares plunge

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc's proposed diet pill worked only "by a slim margin" and raised concerns about memory loss ...

Tue, September 14, 2010

George Michael jailed for drug-drive offence

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer George Michael was sentenced to eight weeks in jail on Tuesday for driving under the influence of cannabis when he ...

Mon, September 13, 2010

Asthma drug may help multiple sclerosis: study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The common asthma drug albuterol can help patients with multiple sclerosis, perhaps by tamping down an overactive immune system, U.S. researchers ...

Mon, September 13, 2010

U.S. to ask panel whether to ban Abbott diet drug

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials plan to ask expert advisers whether to pull Abbott Laboratories' controversial weight-loss drug Meridia off ...

Sun, September 12, 2010

Mexican marines capture top drug lieutenant

By Adriana Barrera

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican marines captured a top lieutenant of a leading drug cartel on Sunday, officials said, as authorities intensified ...

Sun, September 12, 2010

UK charity to test experimental Astra cancer drug

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has agreed a deal with the commercial arm of a British charity to take an experimental cancer drug into early clinical ...

Fri, September 10, 2010

Roche suspends dosing in diabetes drug trials

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Roche Holding has stopped giving patients its experimental diabetes treatment taspoglutide in late stage clinical trials due to a high rate ...

Fri, September 10, 2010

UK's NICE wants more data on schizophrenia drug

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's healthcare cost watchdog said it was unable to recommend use of Bristol-Myers Squibb's schizophrenia drug Abilify in children aged ...

Fri, September 10, 2010

State Gets $500K After Drug Maker Settles Lawsuit

MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Wisconsin will get over a half-million dollars after a drug company agreed to settle a lawsuit.

Ortho-McNeil-Janssen was accused of marketing ...

Fri, September 10, 2010

Winstone laments youth drug use

The Sexy Beast star admits his greatest fear for his three daughters is substance abuse after witnessing how drugs have wrecked the potential of ...

Thu, September 09, 2010

J&J widens access as cancer drug helps survival

NEW YORK (Reuters) - All patients in a study of a Johnson & Johnson drug for advanced prostate cancer will be offered the medicine after an ...

Thu, September 09, 2010

UK's NICE wants more data on BMS schizophrenia drug

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's healthcare cost watchdog said it was unable to recommend use of Bristol-Myers Squibb's schizophrenia drug Abilify in children aged ...

Thu, September 09, 2010

Penn's rep hits back at Jean's drug allegations

The former Fugees star's recent bid to become president of his native Haiti was heavily criticised by Penn, who has been at the ...

Wed, September 08, 2010

Clinton sees drug "insurgency" in Mexico and Central America

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug gangs in Mexico and Central America are morphing into an insurgency like that which gripped Colombia 20 years ago, Secretary of ...

Wed, September 08, 2010

Drug co. paid writers to promote hormone therapy

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Drugmaker Wyeth used ghostwriters to play up the benefits and downplay the harm of hormone replacement therapy in articles ...

Tue, September 07, 2010

U.S. court declines a review of drug patent deals

By Grant McCool

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. Appeals Court on Tuesday declined to consider a deeper legal review of patent settlements by ...

Tue, September 07, 2010

Rapper T.I. Arrested For Drug Possession

Rapper and Takers star T.I. and his wife went on their merry ways this morning once they posted $10,000 bail after being ...

Sat, September 04, 2010

Mexican judge orders drug lord held 40 more days

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Mexican judge ordered Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez, believed to be one of the country's top drug bosses, held for ...

Fri, September 03, 2010

Special Report: Outgunned FDA tries to get tough with drug ads

Corrects spelling of Gleevec in 12th paragraph

By Susan Heavey and Lisa Richwine

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - It wasn't what you would call ...

Fri, September 03, 2010

Hilton banned from Vegas resorts after drug arrest

The socialite and her boyfriend Cy Waits were driving along Sin City's famous Strip when their car was pulled over by cops, who ...

Thu, September 02, 2010

Drug shootout with army kills 25 in Mexico

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least 25 suspected drug gang members were killed in an army raid in rural northeastern Mexico on Thursday, the army ...

Thu, September 02, 2010

Experimental Novartis drug shows malaria promise

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental Novartis drug can clear malaria infection in mice with a single dose and scientists say it shows ...

Thu, September 02, 2010

Rapper T.I. arrested for drug possession in LA

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper T.I. has been released from jail after being arrested on suspicion of possessing ecstasy, police said on Thursday.

T ...

Wed, September 01, 2010

Abbott's diet drug study renews calls for U.S. ban

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A study funded by Abbott Laboratories offered more detailed evidence that its weight-loss drug Meridia increases heart risks, prompting ...

Wed, September 01, 2010

Diabetes drug may keep lung cancer at bay

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The common diabetes drug metformin may hold promise as a way to keep smokers from developing lung cancer, U.S. researchers said ...

Wed, September 01, 2010

Cancer drug points way to new Alzheimer's approach

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An altered version of the cancer drug Gleevec could form the basis of a new class of drugs that ...

Wed, September 01, 2010

Hilton to face felony drug charge - report

The socialite and her boyfriend Cy Waits were driving along the Las Vegas strip when their car was pulled over by cops.

Waits was ...

Wed, September 01, 2010

Birkhead opens up about Smith's drug abuse

The photographer gave a candid interview on U.S. breakfast programme Good Morning America on Monday (30Aug10), opening up about being a single parent ...

Tue, August 31, 2010

Drug costs would push millions more into poverty: study

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Tens of millions of people in low and middle income countries would be pushed below the poverty line by ...

Sun, August 29, 2010

Hitmen kill Mexican mayor in drug war state

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Suspected drug hitmen killed the mayor of a small town in northern Mexico on Sunday in a region where two car ...

Sun, August 29, 2010

Gene testing war looms for AstraZeneca heart drug

By Ben Hirschler, European Pharmaceuticals Correspondent

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Gene testing is shaping up to be a marketing battleground for new blood thinners like AstraZeneca ...

Sat, August 28, 2010

Heart expert says cost cuts may undermine drug R&D

By Ben Hirschler, European Pharmaceuticals Correspondent

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Cutting medicine prices and promoting cheap generics in the way European governments are now doing could ...

Fri, August 27, 2010

FDA gets tougher with certain drug trials

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on use of certain clinical trials that show a ...

Wed, August 25, 2010

Drug hitmen dump 72 bodies at Mexican ranch

By Robin Emmott

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican marines found 72 corpses at a remote ranch near the U.S. border, the Mexican navy said ...

Wed, August 25, 2010

Study links severe drug reaction to herpes virus

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - A rare and dangerous reaction to a range of common medicines including antibiotics and anticonvulsants may be caused by ...

Tue, August 24, 2010

Diabetes drug Avandia just as safe as Actos: study

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia was no riskier to the heart than a rival, U.S. researchers said on ...

Tue, August 24, 2010

Drug combination helped kill deadly cancer in mice

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Adding an experimental drug to chemotherapy helped wipe out brain cancer cells in mice, offering a promising new treatment ...

Tue, August 24, 2010

Singer George Michael admits drug-drive charge

LONDON (Reuters) - Singer George Michael admitted on Tuesday that he had been under the influence of cannabis when he crashed his car into a ...

Mon, August 23, 2010

Body clock mouse study suggests new drug potential

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have used experimental drugs being developed by Pfizer to reset and restart the body clock of mice in ...

Mon, August 23, 2010

Our Five Favorite On-Screen Drug Dealers

Most people (except for Internet journalists!) have known or crossed paths with a drug dealer -- at least enough to understand just why and how ...

Fri, August 20, 2010

FDA to review heart risks of Parkinson's drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it will examine the potential heart risks of Novartis AG's Parkinson ...

Wed, August 18, 2010

FDA staff: Jazz drug works, risk plan an issue

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers said a Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc medicine helped patients with the pain disorder fibromyalgia, sending shares ...

Tue, August 17, 2010

Lilly halts Alzheimer's drug as symptoms worsen

By Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co halted development of an Alzheimer's drug after it worsened patients' symptoms in late-stage ...

Mon, August 16, 2010

Drug hitmen kidnap Mexican mayor near U.S. border

By Robin Emmott

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Suspected drug hitmen have abducted the mayor of a tourist town near Mexico's northern city of Monterrey ...

Mon, August 16, 2010

U.S. proposes withdrawal of Shire hypotension drug

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials for the first time have proposed withdrawing approval of a prescription drug for the manufacturer ...

Mon, August 16, 2010

Drug information from pharmacies found lacking

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The information leaflets pharmacies give to customers along with their prescriptions vary widely in their content, and ...

Fri, August 13, 2010

Can cancer patients benefit from new drug trials?

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with advanced head and neck cancer survived just as well on experimental drugs as they did ...

Fri, August 13, 2010

Court Records: Green Bay Biz Owner "Boss" of Drug Grow Operation

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WTAQ) - Four more people arrested in a series of drug raids in northeast Wisconsin have been charged in federal court. 

It ...

Thu, August 12, 2010

Gene testing could have saved weight-loss drug

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Genetic testing might have helped identify people who would become depressed or suicidal while taking Sanofi-Aventis' weight loss drug ...

Thu, August 12, 2010

Drug purity dips with distance from U.S.-Mexico border

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study finds that the purity of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines sold illegally in the U ...

Thu, August 12, 2010

HIV meds don't up IV drug abusers' risk-taking

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite some concerns to the contrary, IV drug abusers who get drug treatment for HIV do not ...

Thu, August 12, 2010

Glaxo's anti-seizure drug may cause meningitis: FDA

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc's anti-seizure drug Lamictal can cause a brain inflammation known as aseptic meningitis, U.S. health regulators said on Thursday ...

Thu, August 12, 2010

Two Sentenced For Deadly Drug-Related Shooting

(Minneapolis, MN)  --  Two men have been sentenced, in connection to a fatal shooting in a drug-related robbery in Minneapolis last year.  Kelvin Jerome Roberts ...

Wed, August 11, 2010

EU agency allows access to drug side effects data

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency has agreed to provide access to studies about drug side effects, following criticism over data secrecy from the ...

Tue, August 10, 2010

Prenatal smoke tied to poorer asthma-drug response

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Studies have shown that children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy may have an increased risk of developing ...

Tue, August 10, 2010

Seymour's estranged husband must undergo drug testing too

The retired runway beauty's messy split from publishing mogul Peter Brant is set to go to trial next month (Sep10), but the pair ...

Mon, August 09, 2010

Osbourne denies mum's drug fears

Reality TV star Kelly called off her 16-month engagement to Worrall last month (Jul10) after allegedly discovering he had cheated on her.

Following their ...

Fri, August 06, 2010

Tyson took Hangover role to fund drug habit

The former boxing champion appears as himself in 2009 movie, in which he sings along to Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight and punches ...

Wed, August 04, 2010

Mexico drug cartels use gory videos to spread fear

By Mica Rosenberg

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Powerful drug cartels are increasingly using gruesome videos of executions and interrogations to intimidate their rivals, police and ...

Wed, August 04, 2010

Sheen to testify in trial against drug manufacturers

Marshall, who played U.S. Marine Louden Downey in Tom Cruise's hit 1992 film A Few Good Men, is suing Roche executives over ...

Mon, August 02, 2010

Industry-paid studies likely to favor company drug

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When drugmakers fund studies of their own products, the results are much more likely to be positive ...

Mon, August 02, 2010

Carlton County Man Faces Murder Charges In Drug Death

(Carlton, MN)  --  Carlton County authorities say a Wrenshall man faces third-degree murder charges for an incident last year when he allegedly supplied methadone to ...

Mon, August 02, 2010

Birkhead to testify about Smith's drug use?

Birkhead is helping lawyers for the State of California in their case against the former Playboy beauty's doctors, who are accused of illegally ...

Thu, July 29, 2010

Test designed to screen resistance to cancer drug

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Researchers in Japan have designed a test to identify patients who are likely to be resistant to imatinib, the standard drug ...

Thu, July 29, 2010

Mexican army kills kingpin in drug war coup

By Alberto Fajardo

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican soldiers killed drug boss Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel on Thursday, the first major triumph this year for President ...

Thu, July 29, 2010

California pot sweep linked to Mexican drug cartels

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California authorities said on Thursday they have made dozens of arrests and destroyed marijuana plants worth billions of dollars on farms ...

Thu, July 29, 2010

Obese patients lose weight on new Orexigen drug

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Overweight volunteers who took Orexigen's experimental drug Contrave, designed to reduce cravings, lost about ...

Thu, July 29, 2010

Sanofi seeks Genzyme fix, Astra gets new drug lift

By Ben Hirschler, European Pharmaceuticals Correspondent

LONDON (Reuters) - Hopes for a smart acquisition and a new heart drug overshadowed forecast-beating results from Sanofi-Aventis and ...

Wed, July 28, 2010

Test designed to screen resistance to cancer drug

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Researchers in Japan have designed a test to identify patients who are likely to be resistant to imatinib, the standard drug ...

Wed, July 28, 2010

Drug hitmen kidnap four Mexican journalists: report

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Suspected drug hitmen have kidnapped four Mexican journalists who were reporting on organized crime in northern Mexico, the latest attempt by ...

Tue, July 27, 2010

Drug Company To Pay Michigan $584K

(Lansing, MI)  --  Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has announced a settlement with drugmaker Ortho-McNeil-Jannsen, which will give the state 584-thousand dollars.  The settlement came ...

Mon, July 26, 2010

Targeting doctors won't reduce ulcer drug overuse

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Education efforts directed at doctors won't prevent overuse of popular ulcer drugs, a new study from the Netherlands shows ...

Mon, July 26, 2010

Pharma seeks FDA clarity on risky drug safeguards

By Jon Lentz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should better explain its reasons whenever it requires additional safeguards for risky ...

Fri, July 23, 2010

Gilead AIDS drug safe for HIV prevention in study

By Kate Kelland

VIENNA (Reuters) - Gilead's HIV drug tenofovir is safe to be given to men at high risk of contracting the virus ...

Thu, July 22, 2010

J&J AIDS drug shows promise

VIENNA (Reuters) - Two pivotal trials of a Johnson & Johnson experimental HIV drug found it worked as well as an existing drug, with fewer side ...

Wed, July 21, 2010

Some drug firms keen, others reluctant on AIDS pool

By Kate Kelland

VIENNA (Reuters) - Drugmakers Merck, Tibotec and Gilead are in advanced talks with UNITAID about a patent pool to make AIDS drugs ...

Wed, July 21, 2010

Three Arrested on Drug Charges

Seelyville (WIBQ)-A fight among family members lead to 3 arrests and cops finding dozens of pot plants yesterday. An Indiana State Trooper was ...

Wed, July 21, 2010

Glaxo takes new AIDS drug into final-stage tests

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline and its partner Shionogi are progressing a new drug against HIV into final-stage clinical testing, ramping up competition ...

Tue, July 20, 2010

Medicare drug benefit boosts use of heart failure meds

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The Medicare drug benefit may be helping more older Americans with heart failure get the medications recommended for controlling the ...

Mon, July 19, 2010

Pfizer stops pain drug trials at FDA request

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Monday it has suspended chronic pain studies of its experimental drug tanezumab at the request of the ...

Mon, July 19, 2010

AIDS gel with Gilead drug protects women in study

VIENNA (Reuters) - A gel containing a prescription drug can sharply reduce HIV infections in women, a study described as groundbreaking by the World Health ...

Mon, July 19, 2010

Baidu promotes fake drug sites-Chinese TV station

By Melanie Lee and Alexei Oreskovic

SHANGHAI/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A report by China's state-run television station accusing Baidu Inc of promoting counterfeit ...

Sun, July 18, 2010

AIDS drug cocktails halve new HIV cases in study

By Kate Kelland

VIENNA (Reuters) - Treating HIV patients with cocktails of AIDS drugs helps to stop them spreading the infection further and more than ...

Fri, July 16, 2010

Mexico blames drug cartel for deadly car bomb

By Julian Cardona

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - A Mexican drug cartel is responsible for a cell phone-detonated car bomb that killed four people in ...

Fri, July 16, 2010

FDA staff question Roche drug breast cancer data

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The benefits of Roche AG's Avastin may not outweigh the risks for patients with advanced breast cancer, U ...

Thu, July 15, 2010

Dramatic rise in painkiller drug abuse: report

By Emma Ashburn

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials reported a 400 percent increase over 10 years in the proportion of Americans treated for prescription ...

Wed, July 14, 2010

Judge slams FTC in pay-for-delay generic drug case

By Diane Bartz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A judge hearing a dispute between the Federal Trade Commission and a generic drug company slammed the U.S ...

Wed, July 14, 2010

Gout drug colchicine safe in pregnancy: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The gout drug colchicine is safe for women to take during pregnancy, report researchers from Israel.

In addition to the ...

Tue, July 13, 2010

Drug plus counseling boosts weight loss: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An experimental obesity drug, taken along with formal counseling on lifestyle changes, may spur greater weight loss than counseling alone ...

Tue, July 13, 2010

Bayfield County Drug Bust

Two people are in custody and more arrests could be coming following a drug bust in the Red Cliff area of northern Bayfield County ...

Tue, July 13, 2010

New obesity drug works, but FDA has safety worries

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first potential new prescription weight-loss pill in more than a decade works, according to FDA staff who also ...

Mon, July 12, 2010

Johnson & Johnson sued over drug recall

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson , the U.S. drugmaker forced to recall children's Tylenol and other over-the-counter pediatric medicines, has been sued in federal ...

Sat, July 10, 2010

Johnson & Johnson sued over pediatric drug recall

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson, the U.S. drugmaker forced to recall children's Tylenol and other over-the-counter pediatric medicines, has been sued in federal ...

Fri, July 09, 2010

J&J says latest drug recalls involved 3 million bottles

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson provided additional details on Friday about its two most recent recalls of Tylenol and other over-the-counter drugs, saying the ...

Fri, July 09, 2010

U.S. experts urge limits for some drug safety trials

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Clinical trials aimed at pinpointing emerging safety problems with drugs already on the market should only be conducted when ...

Fri, July 09, 2010

Britain approves Allergan's Botox drug for migraine

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has become the first country to approve Allergan Inc's anti-wrinkle injection Botox as a treatment for migraine, opening up a ...

Thu, July 08, 2010

A pill to make you smarter? Drug grows brain cells

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have found a drug that can help the brain grow new cells and said ...

Wed, July 07, 2010

Roche submits breast cancer drug for FDA approval

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG has submitted a new breast cancer drug for approval with U.S. health regulators, the group said ...

Tue, July 06, 2010

Drug firms to help WADA identify new doping compounds

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Major drug companies have agreed to help the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) identify medicinal compounds that have the potential ...

Fri, July 02, 2010

House votes to ban some drug patent settlements

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a ban on some patent agreements between brand name and generic drug companies, deals ...

Thu, July 01, 2010

UK health body rejects Novartis kidney cancer drug

LONDON (Reuters) - Novartis AG's cancer drug Afinitor has been rejected for patients with kidney cancer by Britain's health costs watchdog, which says ...

Thu, July 01, 2010

Cutting drug prices hampers new development: study

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Cutting pharmaceutical prices in the way European governments are doing now will severely reduce the number of new drugs ...

Thu, July 01, 2010

AstraZeneca loses generic drug case versus EU

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A European Union court backed an EU antitrust decision against Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca Thursday, lending weight to a ...

Wed, June 30, 2010

Cutting drug prices hampers new development: study

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Cutting pharmaceutical prices in the way European governments are doing now will severely reduce the number of new drugs ...

Wed, June 30, 2010

Rapper Lil Wayne gets probation on drug charge

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Rapper Lil Wayne, already serving one year in a New York jail for a gun-related crime, was sentenced on Wednesday to three ...

Tue, June 29, 2010

Cubist says urinary infection drug meets study goals

(Reuters) - Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc said its antibiotic drug for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, CXA-101, has met the goals in a mid-stage ...

Mon, June 28, 2010

U.S. studies conflict on Glaxo diabetes drug risk

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two studies reported serious heart risks with GlaxoSmithKline Plc's diabetes pill Avandia while a third contradicted those findings ...

Sun, June 27, 2010

Data shows declining productivity in drug R&D

LONDON (Reuters) - Drugmakers still rely heavily on sales from an aging portfolio of products and the proportion of sales from newer medicines actually fell ...

Fri, June 25, 2010

Accused Jamaican drug lord Coke pleads not guilty

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Accused drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke pleaded not guilty to narcotics and gun trafficking charges at his first New York court ...

Thu, June 24, 2010

UK body rejects Novartis drug Glivec after surgery

LONDON (Reuters) - Glivec, from Novartis, should not be used in patients who have had a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) removed by surgery, Britain's ...

Thu, June 24, 2010

Jamaica turns over alleged drug lord to U.S.

By Horace Helps

KINGSTON (Reuters) - Alleged drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke was extradited to the United States on Thursday, after waiving his right to ...

Wed, June 23, 2010

UK's NICE rejects Glaxo, Genmab leukemia drug

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline leukemia drug Arzerra, licensed from Denmark's Genmab, has been rejected by Britain's cost watchdog NICE in preliminary draft guidance ...

Wed, June 23, 2010

Connecticut subpoenas CVS Caremark over drug program

By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Connecticut's attorney general subpoenaed CVS Caremark Corp <CVS.N> on Wednesday after the company threatened to shut ...

Tue, June 22, 2010

Mexico drug gang threatens Arizona police

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Police in an Arizona border city are on heightened alert after receiving a warning from a Mexican drug cartel that officers may ...

Tue, June 22, 2010

Alleged drug lord "Dudus" Coke captured in Jamaica

By Horace Helps

KINGSTON (Reuters) - Alleged drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke was arrested by police on the outskirts of Kingston on Tuesday, peacefully ending ...

Mon, June 21, 2010

Pfizer pulls leukemia drug from U.S. market

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drugmaker Pfizer Inc is pulling a decade-old leukemia medicine off the U.S. market after a study found a ...

Mon, June 21, 2010

GTx says muscle-loss drug trial results positive

(Reuters) - GTx Inc said its experimental drug to treat muscle loss was effective in increasing lean body mass and leg muscle strength in post-menopausal ...

Sun, June 20, 2010

Bristol returns cancer drug XL184 to Exelixis

By Deena Beasley

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co will pay another $17 million to end its development collaboration for Exelixis Inc's experimental ...

Fri, June 18, 2010

Walgreen and CVS settle drug plan fight

By Phil Wahba

NEW YORK (Reuters) - CVS Caremark Corp <CVS.N> and Walgreen Co <WAG.N> ended an 11-day standoff over reimbursements for drug ...

Thu, June 17, 2010

Novartis cancer drug wins wider U.S. approval

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG won wider U.S. approval for its leukemia drug Tasigna to treat a rare form of the ...

Tue, June 15, 2010

Drug-resistant bugs on rise globally: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Health Organization, governments and nonprofit groups are saving lives by distributing drugs to developing countries, but they are not paying ...

Mon, June 14, 2010

CORRECTED: Cheap blood drug "could save 100,000 lives a year"

(Corrects figure in paragraph 12 to 20,000)

By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent

LONDON (Reuters) - A cheap and easily administered medicine that ...

Fri, June 11, 2010

Panel probes marketing of Wyeth transplant drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A House of Representatives committee is investigating reports that drugmaker Wyeth, now a unit of Pfizer Inc, promoted a transplant drug to ...

Fri, June 11, 2010

U.S.-born "Barbie" drug lord takes on Mexican army

By Anahi Rama

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A U.S.-born drug lord nicknamed "La Barbie" for his blond hair and blue eyes is battling ...

Fri, June 11, 2010

Gunmen kill 19 people at Mexico drug rehab clinic

CIUDAD JUAREZ (Reuters) - Armed gunmen burst into a drug recovery clinic in the northern Mexican city of Chihuahua and killed 19 young addicts, the ...

Thu, June 10, 2010

Customs group to fight $200 bln bogus drug industry

By John Irish

PARIS (Reuters) - Counterfeit drugs have become a $200-billion-a-year industry and the 176-nation World Customs Organization (WCO) will sign a declaration later ...

Thu, June 10, 2010

Cheap gout drug shows promise in kidney disease

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - A drug commonly used to treat gout may help patients with chronic kidney disease keep their condition in check ...

Thu, June 10, 2010

Clinton promises U.S. help in Caribbean drug fight

By Andrew Quinn

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday promised Caribbean nations more help in their battle against drug cartels ...

Thu, June 10, 2010

U.S. arrests over 400 in Mexican drug cartel sweep

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 400 people accused of having ties to trafficking for Mexican drug cartels were arrested in 16 U.S. states on ...

Wed, June 09, 2010

Major birth defects tied to common epilepsy drug

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The safety of a popular drug for seizures took another hit Wednesday when researchers pinned a handful ...

Wed, June 09, 2010

Merck drug improves sleep in insomnia study

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An insomnia drug being developed by Merck & Co was significantly better at improving sleep than a placebo in ...

Tue, June 08, 2010

FDA staff eyes safety of Novartis' MS drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators expressed concern about potential side effects of Novartis AG's multiple sclerosis pill in patients most at risk for ...

Mon, June 07, 2010

Cheap gout drug proves useful for heart pain: study

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - A drug used for more than 40 years to treat gout could also offer a cheap alternative to more ...

Mon, June 07, 2010

Group urges Bristol to protect HIV-drug for babies

By Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Board members of an international group that helps ensure patient get access to HIV drugs has warned that ...

Mon, June 07, 2010

Skin cancer drug news boosts Bristol shares

By Lewis Krauskopf and Ben Hirschler

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's <BMY.N> shares rose more than 8 percent on Monday ...

Mon, June 07, 2010

Walgreen to shun new CVS Caremark drug plans

By Nivedita Bhattacharjee

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Walgreen Co <WAG.N> said it will not be a provider for any new or renewed drug plans ...

Sun, June 06, 2010

Nektar ovarian cancer drug benefits women in study

CHICAGO (Reuters) - About 48 percent of women with advanced ovarian cancer saw sustained benefits from treatment with Nektar Therapeutics' experimental drug NKTR-102 in a ...

Sun, June 06, 2010

Eisai's breast cancer drug extends lives: study

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An experimental breast cancer drug made from sea sponges added months to the lives of ...

Sat, June 05, 2010

Pharmacyclics lymphoma drug shows continued promise

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The latest results from a small, early stage trial of Pharmacyclics Inc's experimental drug for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma showed about 49 ...

Sat, June 05, 2010

Delcath cancer drug delivery system aids survival

By Deena Beasley

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A drug delivery system developed by Delcath Systems Inc helped melanoma patients whose cancer had spread to their liver ...

Sat, June 05, 2010

ArQule drug works best in certain lung cancers

By Deena Beasley

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A mid-stage trial of ArQule Inc's experimental drug ARQ197 showed that it was most effective in certain types ...

Sat, June 05, 2010

Corrected: Amgen drug cuts prostate cancer bone problems

(Adds Zometa data)

By Deena Beasley

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A third pivotal trial of Amgen Inc's denosumab found that it significantly delayed the likelihood ...

Sat, June 05, 2010

Bristol drug extends survival in deadly skin cancer

By Bill Berkrot and Julie Steenhuysen

NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's experimental skin cancer drug ipilimumab added an average of four ...

Sat, June 05, 2010

Drug fights tumors in advanced lung cancer

By Julie Steenhuysen and Bill Berkrot

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A drug being developed by Pfizer Inc shrank lung cancer tumors in more than ...

Sat, June 05, 2010

Roche drug combats children's brain tumors

By Deena Beasley

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental drug being developed by Roche Holding AG showed promising results in a small, early stage trial involving ...

Sat, June 05, 2010

Amgen drug cuts prostate cancer bone problem risk

By Deena Beasley

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A third pivotal trial of Amgen Inc's denosumab found that it delayed by 21 percent the risk of ...

Thu, June 03, 2010

Extra mutations help flu evade drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two extra mutations set the stage for the seasonal influenza virus to evolve into a form that now resists three of the ...

Wed, June 02, 2010

FDA orders new asthma drug warnings to take effect

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have finalized new warnings for controversial inhaled asthma drugs, but exercised new powers to order ...

Wed, June 02, 2010

Italy joins Europe-wide move to cut drug costs

ROME (Reuters) - Italy is taking new steps to rein in healthcare spending and reduce the country's drugs bill by imposing a cut in ...

Tue, June 01, 2010

FDA approves Amgen osteoporosis drug

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved on Tuesday the sale of Amgen Inc's osteoporosis drug ...

Fri, May 28, 2010

Girl tests experimental drug after virus kills horse

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 12-year-old Australian girl and her mother are the first people to try an experimental treatment for a deadly virus after the ...

Thu, May 27, 2010

Peregrine drug shows promise against breast cancer

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A small, mid-stage trial of an experimental breast cancer drug developed by Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc showed that 74 percent of patients ...

Thu, May 27, 2010

Sanofi prostate cancer drug shows 28 percent survival

PARIS (Reuters) - Sanofi-Aventis' cabazitaxel candidate prostate cancer drug combined with prednisone reduced the risk of death by 28 percent compared with another treatment, the ...

Wed, May 26, 2010

Drug cocktails cut couples' HIV transmission risk

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - In a study that supports the widespread use of drugs to help control the AIDS pandemic, researchers said on ...

Wed, May 26, 2010

Storm over J&J's child drug recall only grows

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson <JNJ.N was blasted by lawmakers on Thursday for its massive recall of children's medicines, as ...

Wed, May 26, 2010

Germany get surprise visit from drug testers

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany, preparing in Italy for the World Cup starting next month, were taken by surprise when six doping testers showed up unannounced ...

Tue, May 25, 2010

Dennis Quaid sues again over twins drug overdose

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Dennis Quaid has launched another lawsuit against a drug maker over an accidental overdose of the blood-thinner Heparin that threatened ...

Tue, May 25, 2010

Hep C drug achieves 75 percent cure rate: study

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A hepatitis C treatment being developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc led to a 75 percent cure rate in ...

Sun, May 23, 2010

Four killed as Jamaicans clash over drug lord

By Horace Helps

KINGSTON (Reuters) - Soldiers and police stormed a Kingston slum on Monday and traded gunfire with supporters of an alleged Jamaican drug ...

Fri, May 21, 2010

Sea sponge-derived drug treats several cancers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An experimental new breast cancer drug made from sea sponges helped in a range of cancers, from breast cancer to sarcoma, researchers ...

Fri, May 21, 2010

Drug may work in melanoma tumors in brain

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental cancer drug showed early promise at helping patients with advanced melanoma that had spread to the brain ...

Thu, May 20, 2010

Partial response seen with Lilly melanoma drug

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Some patients in a small mid-stage clinical trial had a partial response to treatment with an experimental drug ...

Thu, May 20, 2010

Common diabetes drug linked to vitamin deficiency

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Patients treated over long periods with metformin, a common drug for diabetes, are at risk of developing vitamin B12 ...

Thu, May 20, 2010

Cholesterol drug side effects need watching: study

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - People using cholesterol-lowering statins have a higher risks of liver dysfunction, kidney failure, muscle weakness and cataracts and such ...

Wed, May 19, 2010

Prescription drug use by U.S. children on the rise

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Children were the leading growth demographic for the pharmaceutical industry in 2009, with the increase of prescription drug ...

Wed, May 19, 2010

U.S. tennis player Odesnik gets two-year drug ban

LONDON (Reuters) - American tennis player Wayne Odesnik was handed a two-year ban from competition by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Wednesday for a ...

Tue, May 18, 2010

Drug-resistant TB risk demands push for new drugs

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Multi-drug resistant strains of tuberculosis (TB) could become dominant forms of the disease in the next few decades, adding ...

Tue, May 18, 2010

Drug may prevent lung cancer, study finds

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A drug approved to treat a range of conditions may also work to prevent lung ...

Tue, May 18, 2010

Black babies more often screened for drug exposure

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - African-American newborns may be more likely than their white counterparts to be screened for prenatal drug exposure ...

Sun, May 16, 2010

Halozyme: Baxter made manufacturing errors on drug

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Biopharmaceutical company Halozyme Therapeutics Inc on Sunday said Baxter International Inc has had "manufacturing failures" in making Hylenex, a fluid absorption ...

Thu, May 13, 2010

Police detain wife of top Mexican drug lord: report

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican police have detained a woman said to be the wife of drug trafficker Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, in the government's ...

Wed, May 12, 2010

EU agency prepares to assess first stem cell drug

By Ben Hirschler, European Pharmaceuticals Correspondent

LONDON (Reuters) - The first regenerative medicine based on stem cells could be filed for approval in Europe later ...

Wed, May 12, 2010

New theory of Alzheimer's explains drug failures

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Brain plaques, long considered the chief killer of brain cells and the cause of Alzheimer's disease, may actually ...

Mon, May 10, 2010

Companies, regulators team up for drug testing

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators, scientists at 17 companies and academic researchers have teamed up in a new international ...

Sat, May 08, 2010

Mexico sends ex-governor to U.S. to face drug charges

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico extradited a former state governor to the United States on Saturday to face charges he helped move hundreds of metric ...

Fri, May 07, 2010

Houston linebacker suspended for violating drug policy

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brian Cushing, the defensive rookie of the year, was suspended four games for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances, dealing ...

Tue, May 04, 2010

Small study of Glaxo "red wine" drug suspended

LONDON (Reuters) - A clinical trial testing an experimental GlaxoSmithKline drug that mimics a health-boosting compound found in red wine has been suspended due to ...

Tue, May 04, 2010

Qnexa weight loss drug lowers blood pressure: study

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An experimental weight loss drug that pairs a stimulant with an epilepsy drug helped patients ...

Fri, April 30, 2010

Doyle Signs Mental Health, Drug Abuse "Parity" Bill

MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - The mentally-ill and drug addicts will have more access to insurance coverage, under a bill Governor Jim Doyle signed into law ...

Thu, April 29, 2010

Study sharpens focus on Glaxo's heart drug hope

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - A scientific study provided support on Friday for a way of fighting heart disease being pioneered by GlaxoSmithKline, likely ...

Thu, April 29, 2010

J&J to pay over $81 million in drug case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Johnson and Johnson <JNJ.N> subsidiaries agreed to pay more than $81 million to resolve allegations of illegal promotion of the ...

Thu, April 29, 2010

Iraqi doctors use acupuncture during drug shortage

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Iraqi doctors faced with a shortage of drugs in a capital city hit by years of conflict have successfully ...

Wed, April 28, 2010

Iraqi doctors use acupuncture during drug shortage

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Iraqi doctors faced with a shortage of drugs in a capital city hit by years of conflict have successfully ...

Tue, April 27, 2010

U.S. breaks up Mexican drug ring, arrests 34

PHOENIX (Reuters) - U.S. police arrested 34 people and broke up a drug smuggling network that hauled at least 20 tons of marijuana over ...

Tue, April 27, 2010

AstraZeneca, U.S. settle anti-psychotic drug case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca PLC <AZN.L> has agreed to pay $520 million to settle charges that it illegally marketed and promoted its schizophrenia drug ...

Tue, April 27, 2010

U.S. sledder gets two-year ban for refusing drug test

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Olympic bobsleigh medalist Randal Jones has been given a two-year ban for refusing an out-of-competition doping test.

Jones, who won silver ...

Tue, April 27, 2010

Treasury sanctions Guatemalan drug family

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions against Guatemala's Lorenzana family, accusing them of running one of the country's biggest ...

Mon, April 26, 2010

U.S. sledder gets two-year ban for refusing drug test

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Olympic bobsleigh medalist Randal Jones has been given a two-year ban for refusing an out-of-competition doping test.

Jones, who won silver ...

Sun, April 25, 2010

"Harm reduction" needed to cut drug-user AIDS risk

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Barely a twentieth of the estimated $3.2 billion needed is put into preventing drug users spreading the AIDS ...

Fri, April 23, 2010

U.S. border police train Mexicans for drug fight

By Tim Gaynor

NOGALES, Arizona (Reuters) - In a warehouse in this Arizona border city, a U.S. Border Patrol trainer teaches a Mexican federal ...

Fri, April 23, 2010

After 710 deaths, drug pumps under greater scrutiny

By Ivan Oransky

CHICAGO (Reuters Health) - After more than 50,000 reports of problems with pumps used to deliver drugs, including 710 deaths, the ...

Fri, April 23, 2010

Drug users must be helped to halt AIDS spread: U.N.

By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent

LONDON (Reuters) - Countries in eastern Europe and central Asia face spiralling AIDS epidemics if they fail to ...

Thu, April 22, 2010

Novo's Victoza beats Merck drug in diabetes study

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk's new diabetes drug Victoza proved more effective than Merck & Co's Januvia in a head-to-head study ...

Thu, April 22, 2010

New malaria pill matches Novartis drug in study

LONDON (Reuters) - A new drug for malaria proved as effective as Novartis's leading treatment Coartem in a clinical trial, researchers said on Friday ...

Thu, April 22, 2010

Valero buried amid questions over drug and alcohol abuse

By Javier Faria

EL VIGIA, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan boxer Edwin Valero, who committed suicide Monday in a jail where he was held for killing ...

Wed, April 21, 2010

No drug role in suicide of Marie Osmond's son: officials

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Drugs or alcohol played no role in the suicide of singer Marie Osmond's 18 year-old son, Los Angeles authorities said ...

Wed, April 21, 2010

Drug could stop spinal injuries, researchers say

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Shutting off a single gene can help stop the cascade of damage that can paralyze ...

Wed, April 21, 2010

Diabetes drug tied to reduced breast cancer risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who have used the diabetes drug metformin for more than five years may have a lower risk of breast ...

Tue, April 20, 2010

State Gets Another $7.75M in Drug Company Settlements

MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Wisconsin is getting another $7.75 million from 4 drug companies which allegedly defrauded the state’s Medicaid program. Attorney General ...

Tue, April 20, 2010

Global drug sales to top $1 trillion in 2014: IMS

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global pharmaceutical sales are expected to reach $1.1 trillion in 2014 as growth in emerging markets helps ...

Mon, April 19, 2010

Changing old habits could save big on drug costs

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Making simple changes like getting people to take their medicines exactly as directed or to refill their prescriptions on ...

Mon, April 19, 2010

AstraZeneca drug shows promise in ovarian cancer

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental drug from AstraZeneca that blocks a cell repair enzyme known as PARP has shown promise as a ...

Mon, April 19, 2010

New Prescription Drug Drop-Off Box in Green Bay

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WTAQ) - Green Bay residents have a new place to drop off their old or unused medications. A drop-off box is available ...

Mon, April 19, 2010

U.S. aims to bar drug-making lab in polo horse deaths

By Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Monday said they were seeking an injunction against a Florida pharmacy that incorrectly mixed medicine ...

Sun, April 18, 2010

Test predicts effects of Amgen cancer drug

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers at Amgen found more mutations that show who will not be helped by its ...

Fri, April 16, 2010

Oracle to buy drug software company Phase Forward

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Software maker Oracle Corp <ORCL.O> is set to buy drug data management software company Phase Forward <PFWD.O> for about ...

Thu, April 15, 2010

Zac Efron to play drug smuggler in thriller

By Borys Kit and Matthew Belloni

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Get ready for Zac Efron, cocaine smuggler.

The "High School Musical" graduate is attached ...

Mon, April 12, 2010

Cheap antifungal drug may fight cancer: study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A common antifungal drug can slow tumors growing in mice and should be investigated as a potentially cheap and easy way to ...

Fri, April 09, 2010

Drug gang hangs two from bridge near Mexico City

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Suspected drug hitmen hung the bodies of two men off a major bridge on Friday in a weekend get-away near Mexico ...

Fri, April 09, 2010

Drug label accuracy getting lost in translation

By Anne Harding

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Computer programs pharmacists rely on to translate prescription labels for non-English speaking customers often produce potentially harmful ...

Fri, April 09, 2010

Breast cancer drug often given for infertility

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Three in 10 women take the common breast cancer drug Femara to treat infertility, even though it could increase ...

Thu, April 08, 2010

U.S. names Bissau military bosses as drug kingpins

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States named two of Guinea-Bissau's top military officers as international drug kingpins on Thursday, underscoring fears ...

Wed, April 07, 2010

Record number of drug tests planned at London Games

LONDON (Reuters) - A record 5,000 drugs tests will be carried out at the 2012 London Olympics, Games organizers said on Wednesday.

The London ...

Wed, April 07, 2010

Whitney Houston says drug use reports "ridiculous"

LONDON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Whitney Houston was released from a Paris hospital on Wednesday after suffering a respiratory infection and she called media ...

Tue, April 06, 2010

Merck drug shows promise in pelvic cancer patients

LONDON (Reuters) - An anti-cancer pill from Merck & Co can fight tumors and is safe in combination with palliative radiotherapy for patients with advanced pelvic ...

Tue, April 06, 2010

More evidence ties acne drug to bowel disease

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adding to evidence that the acne drug isotretinoin may lead to bowel disease in some users, a new study finds ...

Tue, April 06, 2010

Prescription drug overdoses on the rise in U.S.

By Megan Brooks

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More and more Americans are landing in the hospital due to poisoning by powerful prescription painkillers, sedatives ...

Sun, April 04, 2010

Mexican cartels cannot be defeated, drug lord says

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's war on the drug trade is futile even if cartel bosses are caught or killed as millions of people ...

Sun, April 04, 2010

Thalidomide drug may fight blood vessel disorder

LONDON (Reuters) - Thalidomide, a drug that caused birth defects when it was launched as a morning sickness pill half a century ago, may be ...

Thu, April 01, 2010

U.S. prescription drug sales hit $300 bln in 2009

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prescription drug sales climbed by 5.1 percent to $300.3 billion in 2009, easily outpacing ...

Wed, March 31, 2010

New data persuades UK cost body to back Lilly drug

LONDON (Reuters) - Eli Lilly's lung cancer drug Alimta has been recommended for use on Britain's state health service as a maintenance treatment ...

Wed, March 31, 2010

FDA evaluating cancer link in Parkinson's drug

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is evaluating clinical data that may suggest Novartis AG's Parkinson's disease treatment ...

Wed, March 31, 2010

Scientists open way for new sleeping sickness drug

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists have discovered a new way of tackling the fatal parasitic disease African sleeping sickness which they say ...

Tue, March 30, 2010

Pfizer, Onyx drug offers hope against brain cancer

LONDON (Reuters) - A drug being developed by Pfizer and Onyx and already in clinical trials against a range of cancers has shown in laboratory ...

Mon, March 29, 2010

Hitmen kill 10 youths in Mexico's drug-hit north

By Anahi Rama

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Suspected drug hitmen killed a carload of children and teenagers in northern Mexico in the latest of a ...

Mon, March 29, 2010

Antisoma, Novartis lung cancer drug fails in study

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - British cancer specialist Antisoma <ASM.L> suffered a body blow on Monday as a lung cancer drug being developed ...

Sun, March 28, 2010

U.S. lobbies a hurdle in Mexico drug war: Calderon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Powerful groups in the United States appear to be blocking efforts to stem the flow of assault weapons fueling Mexico's drug ...

Fri, March 26, 2010

Tennis player Wayne Odesnik faces ban over drug charge

By Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The World Anti-Doping Agency praised Australian authorities after American tennis player Wayne Odesnik pleaded guilty in an Australian ...

Thu, March 25, 2010

Packers DT Jolly Has Drug Trial Set

HOUSTON, Tex. (WTAQ) - Trial has been set for the Packers defensive end accused of drug possession in Houston. 26-year-old Johnny Jolly will appear in ...

Thu, March 25, 2010

Mexico drug hitmen terrorize towns on U.S. border

By Julian Cardona

EL PORVENIR, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican drug hitmen are shooting up houses and terrorizing remote farming towns on the U.S. border ...

Thu, March 25, 2010

Healthcare plan sets up new drug research agency

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumer advocates are especially pleased with one provision of the newly enacted U.S. healthcare ...

Wed, March 24, 2010

U.S. panel sees anemia drug risks in kidney patients

By Susan Heavey

BALTIMORE, Maryland (Reuters) - Use of controversial anemia drugs made by Amgen Inc and Johnson & Johnson at high levels likely worsen heart ...

Wed, March 24, 2010

Treasury sanctions 54 Mexico drug gang members

By David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 54 members of two powerful Mexican drug gangs it blames for ...

Tue, March 23, 2010

U.S., Mexico eye new phase in drug war

By Andrew Quinn

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised on Tuesday to help Mexico broaden a drug war that has failed ...

Mon, March 22, 2010

Obama pledges to help Mexico fight drug cartels

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On the eve of a high-level meeting to discuss the fight against Mexico's powerful drug cartels, President Barack Obama called Mexican ...

Mon, March 22, 2010

Weight counseling plus drug may help female smokers

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For female smokers worried about gaining weight if they quit, a combination of specialized counseling and the ...

Mon, March 22, 2010

CORRECTED: European drug stocks unfazed by U.S. health reform

(Corrects paragraph 8 to remove extraneous reference to $3 billion. The error also occurred Updates 1 and 2)

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - European ...

Fri, March 19, 2010

Gunmen block roads in Mexico's drug-plagued north

By Robin Emmott

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Armed men likely linked to drug gangs blocked highways with trucks and buses in the northern Mexican city ...

Fri, March 19, 2010

Gunmen block roads in Mexico's drug-plagued north

By Robin Emmott

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Armed men likely linked to drug gangs blocked highways with trucks and buses in the northern Mexican city ...

Fri, March 19, 2010

Will a fresh look at pain overcome drug barriers?

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Barriers to understanding pain are starting to fall and scientists and drug firms say a fresh approach is producing ...

Thu, March 18, 2010

Mayweather, Mosley agree to Olympic-style drug testing

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley have agreed to begin an Olympic-style drug testing program from Monday ahead of their May 1 ...

Thu, March 18, 2010

Many Avandia defenders have drug co. ties: study

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Virtually all of the experts who wrote favorably about GlaxoSmithKline Plc's troubled diabetes drug Avandia had financial ties ...

Thu, March 18, 2010

Drug-resistant TB killed 150,000 in 2008

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis killed 150,000 people in 2008 and infects between 400,000 and ...

Thu, March 18, 2010

Pfizer drug filings on track despite setbacks

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - It's been a bad month for Pfizer's <PFE.N> research labs but its head of R&D ...

Thu, March 18, 2010

UK, Spain close to approving GW's cannabis drug

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - A pioneering -- but much delayed -- cannabis-based medicine for multiple sclerosis is now on track to win regulatory approval in ...

Wed, March 17, 2010

Wachovia pays $160 million to settle drug money probe

MIAMI (Reuters) - The Wachovia Bank unit of Wells Fargo & Co has agreed to pay $160 million to settle U.S. allegations that it laundered ...

Tue, March 16, 2010

Long-term safety of drug-coated stents questioned

By Debra Sherman and Bill Berkrot

ATLANTA (Reuters) - New research shows more patients who got drug-coated stents right after suffering a severe heart attack ...

Tue, March 16, 2010

Novartis drug fails to help after heart attack: study

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The addition of the Novartis blood pressure medicine Tekturna to current standard drugs in patients who had a heart attack failed to ...

Mon, March 15, 2010

Killing of Americans pressures Mexico in drug war

By Julian Cardona

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - The killing of three people linked to the U.S. consulate in Mexico's bloodiest drug war ...

Mon, March 15, 2010

Adding fat-lowering drug no help for diabetic hearts

By Bill Berkrot and Debra Sherman

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Adding a drug that lowers blood fats known as triglycerides to cholesterol-fighting statins provided no additional ...

Mon, March 15, 2010

China drug list seen boosting Western firms' sales

LONDON (Reuters) - Chinese plans to broaden the list of medicines eligible for a rebate from July will benefit Western drugmakers such as AstraZeneca and ...

Wed, March 10, 2010

Despite law, drug safety still a concern at FDA

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Recent new powers have helped the U.S. Food and Drug Administration combat contaminated medications, counterfeit pills and other ...

Tue, March 09, 2010

Few U.S. studies compare one drug to another: report

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Comparing medical treatments to find the best and the cheapest may be a pillar of ...

Tue, March 09, 2010

Home abortion drug use effective, safe for most

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Medication-induced home abortions are safe for women who are 50 to 63 days pregnant, a new study from Sweden shows ...

Mon, March 08, 2010

Roche, Biogen suspends arthritis drug after deaths

By Katie Reid

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG and U.S. biotechnology company Biogen Idec are suspending experimental rheumatoid arthritis and lupus ...

Sat, March 06, 2010

Cambodia drug-resistant malaria stirs health fears

By Thin Lei Win

PAILIN, Cambodia (Reuters) - In a dusty village near the Thai-Cambodia border, 24-year-old Oeur Samoeun sits on a dark green hammock ...

Fri, March 05, 2010

Clinton pledges Central America help on drug fight

By Sarah Grainger

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday pledged more U.S. help for Central America's fight against ...

Wed, March 03, 2010

Accused Mexican drug trafficker extradited to U.S.

DENVER (Reuters) - A Mexican accused of being a major supplier of cocaine to the United States has been extradited to Colorado to face narcotics ...

Wed, March 03, 2010

Child seizure study finds oldest drug works best

By Gene Emery

BOSTON (Reuters) - A large-scale comparative test of three anti-epilepsy drugs found the oldest was best for treating childhood absence epilepsy, in ...

Tue, March 02, 2010

U.S. Treasury acts against Colombia drug traffickers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some of Colombia's most-wanted drug traffickers were among 78 people the U.S. Treasury Department took action against on Tuesday because ...

Mon, March 01, 2010

FDA panel backs Bristol transplant drug

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's experimental kidney transplant drug belatacept should be approved to give doctors and patients more treatment ...

Mon, March 01, 2010

Failure to aid drug users drives HIV spread: study

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 90 percent of the world's 16 million injecting drug users are offered no help to avoid ...

Sun, February 28, 2010

Brain images suggest Alzheimer's drug is working

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - New imaging technology suggests an experimental drug for Alzheimer's reduces clumps of plaque in the brain by around ...

Sun, February 28, 2010

Gene links to celiac disease may help drug search

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have identified new genetic links to celiac disease and say their findings could speed the search for better ways to diagnose ...

Thu, February 25, 2010

New inhaled drug protects from flu in single dose

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A single dose of an experimental influenza drug saves more mice from H5N1 avian influenza ...

Thu, February 25, 2010

U.S. indicts Colombian drug kingpins' relatives

MIAMI (Reuters) - Authorities indicted six associates of Colombia's Cali drug cartel on Thursday on charges they failed to disclose the assets of two ...

Thu, February 25, 2010

U.S. agencies join in bid to speed drug development

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With an aim of getting experimental new drugs to people quicker, the U.S. Food ...

Thu, February 25, 2010

Lundbeck says stroke drug positive in phase-3 test

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish pharmaceutical group Lundbeck said on Thursday a new analysis of a clinical phase III trial with its candidate stroke drug Desmoteplase ...

Wed, February 24, 2010

Agencies join in bid to speed drug development

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With an aim of getting experimental new drugs to people quicker, the U.S. Food ...

Wed, February 24, 2010

U.N. narcotics board warns of prescription drug abuse

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Abuse of prescription drugs is growing rapidly around the world, with more people abusing legal narcotics than heroin, cocaine ...

Tue, February 23, 2010

FDA warns of heart problem with HIV drug combo

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that HIV drugs Invirase and Norvir might lead to an abnormal ...

Mon, February 22, 2010

U.S. backs Novartis vaccine, MS drug wins priority

By Katie Reid

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis has won U.S. approval for its key Menveo meningococcal vaccine and got priority review for its oral ...

Thu, February 18, 2010

New drug class offers hope against "superbugs"

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Swiss scientists have found a new class of antibiotics, offering drug developers a fresh weapon in the fight against ...

Thu, February 18, 2010

FDA raises safety warning on Novartis iron drug

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A boxed warning highlighting serious safety concerns, including reported deaths, with the use of Novartis AG's Exjade drug to remove ...

Tue, February 16, 2010

J&J drug helps in last-ditch prostate cancer fight

LONDON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's experimental drug abiraterone can help men with advanced prostate cancer who have run out of standard treatments options, according ...

Tue, February 16, 2010

Astra pays up to $1.2 billion for Rigel arthritis drug

By Ben Hirschler and Vidya L Nathan

LONDON/BANGALORE (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc waded into the competitive rheumatoid arthritis market on Tuesday by buying rights ...

Fri, February 12, 2010

Top drug lobbyist resigns, clouds health reform

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The resignation of big pharma's top lobbyist could deal a setback to President Barack Obama's ability to ...

Thu, February 11, 2010

Head of U.S. drug trade group resigns: reports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Representative Billy Tauzin, a major player in the healthcare reform debate, resigned as head of the Pharmaceutical Research and ...

Wed, February 10, 2010

Colombia says U.S. committed to anti-drug help

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. remains committed to helping Colombia fight drug trafficking and a planned $55 million cut in aid won't undermine ...

Wed, February 10, 2010

Single-shot of drug cures leishmaniasis: study

By Gene Emery

BOSTON (Reuters) - A single large infusion of the Gilead Sciences drug AmBisome cured nearly every case of the deadly parasitic infection ...

Wed, February 10, 2010

Scientists find clue to anxiety drug addiction

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Valium-like drugs use the same potentially addictive "reward pathways" in the brain as heroin and cannabis, scientists said on ...

Tue, February 09, 2010

Mother found guilty in 4-year-old's drug death

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Boston-area woman was convicted on Tuesday of second-degree murder in the 2006 death of her 4-year-old daughter from an overdose of ...

Tue, February 09, 2010

Luxury Mexican drug rehab clinic lures U.S. addicts

By Robin Emmott

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - A Mexican entrepreneur is luring U.S. drug addicts to plush rehabilitation centers south of the border, even ...

Mon, February 08, 2010

Drug shows promise against river blindness: study

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Closantel, an older drug used to treat a parasitic liver disease in animals, may prove effective at combating river ...

Mon, February 08, 2010

Popular antidepressant interferes with cancer drug

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The popular antidepressant drug Paxil may interfere with breast cancer treatments, making patients more likely ...

Mon, February 08, 2010

Alzheimer's drug Dimebon helps Huntington's: study

By JoAnne Allen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dimebon, a pill being developed for Alzheimer's disease, helped people with Huntington's disease improve their thinking, learning ...

Mon, February 08, 2010

Few high-risk women in U.S. take breast cancer drug

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Only a small number of U.S. women at high risk of breast cancer have chosen to ...

Mon, February 08, 2010

FDA staff questions Cell Therapeutics drug data

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug reviewers questioned effectiveness data from Cell Therapeutics Inc for an experimental lymphoma drug and said the medicine carried substantial ...

Sat, February 06, 2010

Astra, UK charity hunt new kind of cancer drug

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has struck a deal with the commercial arm of a British charity to try and develop a new class of a ...

Thu, February 04, 2010

Border inspectors to check for risky food, drug imports

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Border inspectors nationwide will soon start using a new computer system to identify risky food and medicine from abroad ...

Wed, February 03, 2010

Drug makers Pfizer, Roche disappoint with forecasts

By Ransdell Pierson and Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top global drugmakers Pfizer Inc <PFE.N> and Roche Holding AG <ROG.VX>, posted disappointing ...

Wed, February 03, 2010

Lackluster cancer drug sales hit Roche profit

By Katie Reid and Sam Cage

BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) - Roche Holding AG missed full-year profit forecasts due to disappointing sales of key cancer drugs ...

Mon, February 01, 2010

Cheap drug prevents kidney damage from injury

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The common painkiller acetaminophen can protect the kidneys from damage caused by crushing wounds such as those seen in earthquake victims or ...

Fri, January 29, 2010

"Club drug" ecstasy risky for healthy youth

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - The so-called "club drug" ecstasy is more likely than other stimulants like speed or crystal meth to kill young ...

Wed, January 27, 2010

Michael Douglas' son pleads guilty to drug dealing

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The son of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas admitted in a New York court on Wednesday to possessing heroin and dealing large ...

Mon, January 25, 2010

Fake forms of Glaxo diet drug can be dangerous: FDA

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fake versions of GlaxoSmithKline's over-the-counter diet pill were contaminated with dangerously high levels of a prescription weight loss ...

Sat, January 23, 2010

Fake forms of Glaxo diet drug can be dangerous: FDA

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fake versions of GlaxoSmithKline's over-the-counter diet pill were contaminated with dangerously high levels of a prescription weight loss ...

Fri, January 22, 2010

FDA objects to GE unit's imaging drug claims

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Electric Co's healthcare unit made misleading claims about an imaging drug on a company website, U.S. health officials said ...

Thu, January 21, 2010

EU agency urges ban on Meridia diet drug

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European authorities urged a halt to sales of an Abbott Laboratories Inc diet pill on Thursday after concluding heart-related ...

Thu, January 21, 2010

Roche drug keeps patients cancer-free longer

ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche's cancer drug Xeloda enabled elderly patients being treated for colorectal cancer to live free of the disease for longer, the ...

Wed, January 20, 2010

"Silent pandemic" will force drug price rethink

By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent

LONDON (Reuters) - A "silent pandemic" of chronic disease is creeping up on poor countries and will force ...

Fri, January 15, 2010

Mexico army hands control to police in drug war city

By Julian Cardona

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexico's army, facing accusations of rights abuses, will give federal police control of security in the ...

Fri, January 15, 2010

Canadian drug-injection site allowed to stay open

By Allan Dowd

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - The Canadian government must allow Vancouver's Insite facility, North America's only sanctioned drug-injection site, to ...

Thu, January 14, 2010

Suits allege harm from Pfizer quit-smoking drug

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three personal injury lawsuits were filed against Pfizer Inc on Thursday, claiming its smoking-cessation drug Chantix caused attempted suicides or death ...

Thu, January 14, 2010

U.S. imposes new sanctions on Colombian drug network

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury said on Thursday it imposed new sanctions against the network of an alleged Colombian drug trafficker and money launderer previously ...

Thu, January 14, 2010

IOC will weed out drug cheats: Rogge

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee will use a number of measures to weed out doping offenders at next month's Vancouver winter ...

Wed, January 13, 2010

U.S. panel urges approval of Recordati blood drug

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. medical advisory panel unanimously urged U.S. approval of Recordati SpA's proposed drug for a rare ...

Tue, January 12, 2010

US FDA warnings target four drug companies

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked Bayer AG, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, and Cephalon to stop ...

Tue, January 12, 2010

Mexico captures major Tijuana drug gang leader

By Lizbeth Diaz

TIJUANA, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican police captured a drug kingpin on Tuesday known for having the corpses of tortured rivals dissolved in ...

Tue, January 12, 2010

"Extraordinary" increases in drug prices: report

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prices for hundreds of brand-name drugs have soared since the beginning of the decade, especially those that treat depression ...

Mon, January 11, 2010

Proper drug-taking would greatly cut heart risks

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Encouraging more patients to continue taking their prescribed cholesterol drugs would stave off twice as many stroke and heart ...

Fri, January 08, 2010

U.S. dismisses drug case versus Broadcom's Nicholas

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Thursday moved to dismiss drug charges against former Broadcom Corp Chief Executive Henry Nicholas III but said ...

Thu, January 07, 2010

FDA staff against wider approval of Forest drug

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Forest Laboratories Inc hypertension drug should not be approved for people with heart failure, a U.S. drug ...

Wed, January 06, 2010

Three in al Qaeda drug case plead not guilty in NY

By Edith Honan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three West African men accused by U.S. prosecutors of plotting to transport cocaine through Africa with the ...

Wed, January 06, 2010

Use of psychiatric drug combos growing in the U.S.

By Rachael Myers Lowe

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - US adults being treated for mental illness are more likely to be prescribed two or more ...

Mon, January 04, 2010

AIDS drug cocktails saving lives: study

By David Douglas

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Taking a cocktail of powerful AIDS drugs appears to have cut the average death rate by half ...

Sat, January 02, 2010

Mexico detains brother of slain drug boss

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican forces have detained the brother of a powerful drug boss killed two weeks ago in a movie-like raid that landed ...

Mon, December 28, 2009

Compugen discovers cancer drug target, shares rise

(Reuters) - Compugen Ltd <CGEN.O> announced the discovery and experimental validation of a new drug target for the treatment of a type of cancer ...

Tue, December 22, 2009

Drug gang revenge attack kills Mexico marine's family

By Luis Manuel Lopez

QUINTIN ARAUZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Drug gang hitmen shot dead the grieving mother, brother, sister and aunt of an elite Mexican ...

Tue, December 22, 2009

Packers DT Johnny Jolly Indicted On A Felony Drug Charge

HARRIS COUNTY, Tex. (WTAQ) - A Texas District Court judge has found enough probable cause to charge Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly. The 26-year-old was ...

Sun, December 20, 2009

Obama seeks drug imports outside of health bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House pledged on Sunday to move forward on allowing imports of safe prescription drugs from nations like Canada where they ...

Fri, December 18, 2009

U.S. charges 3 accused of al Qaeda link in drug case

By Edith Honan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three West African men accused by U.S. law enforcement of having ties to al Qaeda were extradited ...

Fri, December 18, 2009

Celgene's cancer drug Revlimid succeeds in trial

By Toni Clarke

BOSTON (Reuters) - Celgene Corp said on Friday that initial results from a clinical trial showed multiple myeloma patients who took its ...

Thu, December 17, 2009

U.S. rolls back AIDS drug prevention trial in Botswana

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials said on Thursday they will give up on a trial in Botswana ...

Thu, December 17, 2009

U.S. panel narrowly backs Photocure cancer test drug

By Lisa Richwine

GAITHERSBURG, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. advisory panel on Thursday narrowly backed Photocure ASA's proposed imaging drug to help detect ...

Thu, December 17, 2009

Anadys says hep C drug shows positive results in trial

(Reuters) - Anadys Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental hepatitis C drug, ANA598, showed positive preliminary results in a mid-stage trial, sending its shares up as ...

Wed, December 16, 2009

Mexico drug war raids endanger residents

By Patrick Rucker

CUERNAVACA, Mexico (Reuters) - With its manicured gardens and outdoor pools, the trendy "Altitude" apartment complex in this colonial city is a ...

Wed, December 16, 2009

Afghan surge troops won't target drug crops

By Yara Bayoumy

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Thousands of extra Marines pouring into Afghanistan's opium-growing heartland will go after those who process drugs ...

Tue, December 15, 2009

Packers' Jolly Indicted for Drug Possession

HOUSTON, Tex. (Midwest Communications) - Packers defensive tackle Johnny Jolly was indicted today on drug possession charges for a second time by a Harris County ...

Tue, December 15, 2009

Combo drug therapies best for helping smokers quit

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Nearly one in five smokers offered help in kicking the habit while visiting their doctor's office for a check-up ...

Tue, December 15, 2009

U.S. sanctions drug lords, to give Mexico more aid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States blacklisted on Tuesday two Mexicans and one Colombian accused of working for the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel and said ...

Mon, December 14, 2009

Drug data mining ban unlikely in Senate bill

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Democratic proposal to ban the collection of doctors' prescription records for marketing purposes is unlikely to be included ...

Mon, December 14, 2009

Seizure drug limits aggression in kids with ADHD

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If your child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is having trouble controlling his aggressive behaviors, adding a drug commonly ...

Mon, December 14, 2009

Experimental drug kills breast cancer stem cells

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental drug was effective at killing breast cancer stem cells -- a kind of master cancer cell that resists ...

Fri, December 11, 2009

Senate Democrats seek compromise on drug imports

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats scrambled on Friday to resolve a stalemate over whether to permit imports of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada ...

Fri, December 11, 2009

Roche arthritis drug effective in late-stage study

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding said a late-stage study found its arthritis drug ocrelizumab helped ease symptoms of a type of rheumatoid arthritis ...

Wed, December 09, 2009

Safety data from kid drug trials often unpublished

By Megan Brooks

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When drugs approved for adults are studied in youngsters, the research yields important safety data that could ...

Tue, December 08, 2009

Drug mistakes common in U.S. kidney dialysis patients

CHICAGO (Reuters) - About 20 percent of kidney dialysis patients who undergo a procedure to open a blocked artery are given the wrong blood clot ...

Tue, December 08, 2009

New review questions benefit of Roche drug Tamiflu

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - There is no clear evidence that Roche's widely used drug Tamiflu prevents complications such as pneumonia in people ...

Thu, December 03, 2009

Hepatitis C drug fights virus in new way

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A drug that targets hepatitis C in an entirely new way was highly effective at suppressing the virus in ...

Thu, December 03, 2009

U.S. freezes assets linked to Mexican drug gang

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has frozen the U.S.-based assets of 22 individuals and 10 companies linked to one of Mexico's ...

Thu, December 03, 2009

U.S. consumer group asks FDA to ban Abbott diet drug

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories Inc's weight-loss drug Meridia should be banned immediately because of heart-related risks, a consumer group said ...

Wed, December 02, 2009

U.S. court jails Mexico drug kingpin for 27 years

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge sentenced a kingpin of Mexico's powerful Juarez drug cartel to 27 years in prison for smuggling ...

Mon, November 30, 2009

New WHO guidelines urge phase-out of major HIV drug

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Countries should phase out the use of Stavudine, the most widespread antiretroviral, because of "long-term, irreversible" side-effects in HIV ...

Mon, November 30, 2009

WI Seniors Have Help Finding Cheap Medicare Drug Plans

MADISON (WRN) - Many Wisconsin seniors say it’s too much work to compare the dozens of Part “D” prescription drug plans offered by Medicare ...

Sun, November 29, 2009

New WHO guidelines urge phase-out of major HIV drug

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Countries should phase out the use of stavudine, the most common AIDS drug, because of "long-term, irreversible" side effects ...

Wed, November 25, 2009

Cancer drug preserves insulin cells in diabetes

By Gene Emery

BOSTON (Reuters) - Rituxan, a drug used to treat cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, may help slow the development of newly discovered type ...

Wed, November 25, 2009

Swine flu kids getting faster drug treatment: U.S

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 80 percent of U.S. children severely ill with H1N1 flu have been ...

Tue, November 24, 2009

Consumer ads pump up prescription drug costs

By Anne Harding

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Medicaid pharmacy costs for the blood-thinning drug Plavix jumped at around the same time the drug's ...

Tue, November 24, 2009

Rock-star wife details drug mayhem in new book

By Dean Goodman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It could have been a great rock 'n' roll love story.

Sixteen-year-old model meets penniless future rock star ...

Mon, November 23, 2009

Drug-resistant bacteria on increase in U.S.: study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cases of a drug-resistant bacterial infection known as MRSA have risen by 90 percent since 1999, and they are increasingly being acquired ...

Mon, November 23, 2009

Consumer drug ads drive up health costs: study

CHICAGO (Reuters) - When consumer advertising began for the popular blood-thinner Plavix, Medicaid insurance programs for the poor and disabled spent millions more on the ...

Wed, November 18, 2009

Pain drug morphine may accelerate cancer growth

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Evidence is mounting that morphine, commonly used to manage pain, may accelerate cancer growth, but a newly-approved drug that ...

Wed, November 18, 2009

Democrats demand analysis of drug price hikes

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior Democrats in the House of Representatives are seeking a government investigation into recent price increases of brand-name prescription ...

Wed, November 18, 2009

Roche announces late-stage trial for heart drug

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG said on Wednesday it would conduct a new late-stage trial to evaluate the effect of one of ...

Tue, November 17, 2009

Chiefs wide receiver Bowe banned for violating drug policy

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing ...

Tue, November 17, 2009

Benefit of Merck heart drug remains after stopping

By Bill Berkrot and Ransdell Pierson

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - High doses of an experimental heart medicine being developed by Merck & Co MRK.N continued ...

Tue, November 17, 2009

Isis cholesterol drug meets all goals of key trial

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - An experimental drug for patients genetically disposed to extreme high cholesterol being developed by Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc and Genzyme Corp significantly ...

Mon, November 16, 2009

Boehringer drug shown to kindle female sex drive

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A once-daily pill developed by Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim increased female sex drive in late-stage trials, putting the group in the frame ...

Sun, November 15, 2009

AstraZeneca drug tops Plavix in sickest patients

By Bill Berkrot and Ransdell Pierson

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Heart attack patients in need of emergency procedures were less likely to suffer further serious ...

Thu, November 12, 2009

Allergy drug tackles nasal congestion: study

By Rachael Myers Lowe

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The "second generation" allergy drug desloratadine (brand name Clarinex) significantly reduces both the runny nose and ...

Thu, November 12, 2009

Justice Dept warns drug companies on corruption

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department plans to focus on prosecuting those in the pharmaceutical industry who try to bribe foreign officials for ...

Wed, November 11, 2009

Pablo Escobar's son apologizes in film about drug lord's crimes

By Luis Andres Henao

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The last phone call Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar made before he was gunned down on a ...

Thu, November 05, 2009

Agassi asks for compassion for drug use

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Andre Agassi, mired in controversy after admitting to using crystal meth, pleaded for compassion from his critics in a television interview ...

Wed, November 04, 2009

U.S. soldier dies in drug attack in Mexico strip bar