Defective Drug Watch - February 2007

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Defective Drug Newsletter - February 2007- Providing Unbiased Information on Controversial DrugsFeatured Stories Study Questions TV Drug Ads- February 1, 2007Drug companies are spending exorbitant sums of money on television advertising, and their efforts are not in vain. Nowadays, consumers go to their physicians requesting prescriptions for drugs they've seen advertised on TV. But is drug advertising misleading consumers, asks a new study in the Annals of Family Medicine . read full article Eye-Drug Maker Warns of Stroke Risk- January 31, 2007The maker of a drug used to treat age-related blindness issued a warning letter last Wednesday to a group of 1,500 eye specialists, alerting them to the increased risk of stroke. Genentech Inc. sent the letter after results from a clinical trial of its eye-drug Lucentis showed that patients taking the recommended dose of the drug had a higher incidence of stroke. read full article Woman Wins $1.5 Million in Prempro Trial- January 30, 2007A Philadelphia jury awarded $1.5 million in compensatory damages to a woman who developed breast cancer as a result of Wyeth's popular hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drug Prempro. Mary Daniel, 60, was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2001—less than two years after she began taking Prempro. Since her diagnosis, Daniel has undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as two surgeries. read full article Study: Antidepressants Double Bone Fracture Risk - January 23, 2007New safety concerns are being raised about a particular class of widely prescribed antidepressants, which are now being linked to a twofold risk of bone fracture in users over the age of 50. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that patients taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, experienced a 10 percent bone fracture rate over a five-year period compared with a 5 percent rate in those who did not use antidepressants. read full article If you have any questions, concerns or comments regarding this newsletter please contact us. View our newsletter archiveConsumer Drug Safety Anemia Drug Linked to Death Risk The anemia drug Aranesp is now being linked to an increased risk of death in certain cancer patients. In November, Aranesp and two other anemia drugs—Epogen and Procrit—were found to greatly increase the risk of heart problems and death in kidney disease patients. Amgen, the maker of both Aranesp and Epogen, conducted the most recent study, which was focused on expanding the use of Aranesp to patients with cancer-induced anemia. Currently, the drug is approved to treat anemia caused by chemotherapy, not cancer. Read More... Research a DrugAsk A Legal QuestionAre you concerned about a drug you are currently taking? Would you like expert advice on your legal rights regarding a particular drug? Free Legal Consultation.Breaking News Study: Avastin Ineffective for Pancreatic Cancer January 24, 2007 Researchers have announced that the cancer drug Avastin is ineffective for increasing the life span of people with pancreatic cancer. The Study The clinical trial, sponsored by Genentech, the company that markets the drug, looked at about 600 patients who had advanced pancreatic cancer. read full article ------------------------------