Posted today in New Drug Approvals

FDA Approves Xuriden (uridine triacetate) to Treat Hereditary Orotic Aciduria

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Xuriden (uridine triacetate), the first FDA-approved treatment for patients with hereditary orotic aciduria. Hereditary orotic aciduria is a rare metabolic disorder, which has been reported in approximately 20 patients worldwide. Hereditary orotic aciduria is inherited from a recessive gene. The...

Posted today in Medical

Health Tip: Spot the Signs of Hypothyroidism

-- When the thyroid doesn't produce enough hormone, your metabolism slows, which may lead to dangerous side effects. The University of Maryland Medical Center says symptoms of hypothyroidism include: Feeling tired. Being sensitive to cold. Developing a hoarse voice and slowed speech. Having a slower pulse. Developing hair that is thicker, scaly,...

Posted today in Medical

Health Tip: Weigh Yourself Regularly

-- Self-monitoring is an important part of losing and maintaining a healthy weight. Weighing yourself regularly can help you stay on track. The Obesity Action Coalition suggests: Weigh yourself once weekly. Use the same scale each time. If possible, use a scale at home or a gym, which may be more accurate. Weigh yourself on the same day of the...

Posted 2 days ago in New Drug Approvals

FDA Approves Pediatric Indication for Emend (aprepitant) Capsules in Combination with Other Antiemetic Agents

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Emend (aprepitant) capsules, a substance P/neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor antagonist. With this expanded indication, Emend capsules are now approved...

Posted yesterday in New Drug Approvals

FDA Approves Expanded Indication for Brilinta to Include Long-Term Use in Patients with a History of Heart Attack

AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Brilinta (ticagrelor) tablets at a new 60mg dose to be used in patients with a history of heart attack beyond the first year. With this expanded indication, Brilinta is now approved to reduce the rate of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI, also known...

Posted 3 days ago in Clinical Trials

Amgen And UCB Announce Positive Top-Line Results From Open-Label Phase 3 Study Of Romosozumab Compared With Teriparatide

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. and BRUSSELS, Sept. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) and UCB (Euronext Brussels: UCB) today announced top-line results from the STRUCTURE trial (STudy evaluating effect of RomosozUmab Compared with Teriparatide in postmenopaUsal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture pReviously treated with bisphosphonatE...

Posted today in Medical

Seniors Getting Smarter, Research Shows

Older adults are getting smarter, but their mental health and physical fitness levels are falling, new research from Germany suggests. The study found that people from Germany scored increasingly better on tests of brain processing speed done between 2006 and 2012. But, during the same time, the mental health and physical abilities of the study participants...

Posted today in Medical

Health Highlights: Sept. 4, 2015

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: Lab Operations Suspended, Reviews Under Way After Anthrax Mistake Operations have been suspended at four U.S. Defense Department laboratories that handle biological toxins as investigators try to determine how live anthrax samples were mistakenly...

Posted today in Medical

Researchers Explore Memory Problems Related to Parkinson's

Many people with Parkinson's disease have memory problems, researchers report. The study included 40 people with early stage Parkinson's disease and 40 healthy older adults. While the disease is generally viewed as a movement disorder, about half of the Parkinson's patients had difficulty with some aspect of memory, such as learning and retaining information,...

Posted today in Medical

Antipsychotic Drugs Will Become More Affordable, Study Predicts

Patent expirations on several leading antipsychotic drugs could save Medicaid billions of dollars a year as the medications become available in cheaper generic versions, a new study finds. Patients covered by Medicaid -- the publicly funded insurance program for the poor -- account for 70 to 80 percent of all antipsychotic prescriptions in the United...

Recently added consumer and prescribing information: Varubi, Repatha, Synjardy, Addyi, Daklinza, Praluent, Odomzo, Technivie, Rexulti, Entresto

Posted in Blog

Have you had a medication that you could not afford lately?

If you answered yes, you probably are not alone. The cost of certain prescriptions, like those for hepatitis C, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, have skyrocketed. Many of these special drugs cannot be accessed from a regular retail pharmacy. The patient must acquire the treatment from a “specialty pharmacy”, that may not even be in their […]

Posted in Blog

Drugs.com Reaches 500,000 Facebook Likes

Drugs.com has topped the 500,000 likes mark on our Facebook page. A huge thank you to the half million dedicated fans who follow our page, like our articles and share our links. We appreciate every single one of you. It is our aim to keep you up-to-date on all things drug related through our daily […]

Posted in Blog

Drug Shortages: Has the FDA Response Made an Impact?

Rationing of much needed medications for patients is a scary thought for me as a healthcare professional. I can understand when an orphan drug may go in short supply for a rare disease, but when commonly used medications like antibiotics and intravenous fluids become scarce, I wonder what the forces are that cause this to […]