In 1992, a University of Rochester pharmacologist named Michael Weintraub published a study on a drug combination that appeared to produce never-before-seen weight loss. By week 34, his subjects — 121 volunteers — lost, on average, 30 pounds. What’s more, they rated the fenfluramine-plus-phentermine regimen not only more helpful than placebo, but also not terribly “bothersome.” The tiny study… Read More »
Valisure: “Valisure Citizen Petition on Ranitidine.” Sandoz Inc.: “Sandoz Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall of Ranitidine Hydrochloride Capsules 150mg and 300mg Due to an Elevated Amount of Unexpected Impurity, N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), in the Product.” Bloomberg: “Carcinogen in Zantac Leads to Another Shipment Halt, Recall.” Health Canada: “Health Canada requests that companies stop distributing ranitidine drugs in… Read More »
Cancer drugs currently account for 27% of all new drug approvals in the U.S. since 2010, a dramatic increase from the 4% share of the 1980s, a newly completed analysis from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development shows. From 1980 through 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved a total of 126… Read More »
More than half of new drugs entering the German healthcare system have not been shown to add benefit, argue researchers in The BMJ today. Beate Wieseler and colleagues at the German health technology assessment agency IQWiG (Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care) say that international drug development processes and policies are responsible and… Read More »