The FDA Continues to Fail to do its Job

There can be little doubt that over the years the federal Food and Drug Administration has been controlled to a great extent by the politically powerful pharmaceutical industry.

Doctors Hesitate to Prescribe Ortho Evra

A group of doctors in Tennessee has decided to stop prescribing the Ortho Evra patch to patients over concerns that the device could increase their risk of blood clots or other problems

Avandia, Other Diabetes Drugs to Add Boxed Warning

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has agreed to add a boxed warning about the risk of heart failure to the label of its Type 2 diabetes drug Avandia.

A Most Significant Vioxx Ruling

U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a drug label doesn't release the manufacturer of claims that its warnings are inadequate.

Timing of FDA Notice on Diabetes Meds Leads to Confusion

FDA notice of black-box warnings for GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia, and drugs like it, for congestive heart failure came as a surprise to many.

Breast-Cancer Study Chips away at Hormone Therapy

When reports linked a remarkable decline in nationwide breast-cancer cases to falling numbers of women taking menopausal hormones, skeptics said it could just be that it was actually a drop in mammograms that meant fewer cancers were being detected.

Decline in Breast Cancer Tied to Less Hormone Use, Study Says

A rapid decline in the use of hormone drugs in 2002 probably explains the drop in breast cancer cases in recent years, according to a University of California study.

End Conflicts on FDA Approvals

In the coming weeks, the U.S. House and Senate will have to reconcile bills they passed that give the Food and Drug Administration more money and authority to guarantee the safety of prescription drugs.

Avandia's Heart Attack Risk

New England Journal of Medicine published a study by heart expert Dr. Steven E. Nissen showing that patients taking the drug had a 43% increase in heart attack risk.

Avandia Remains on Market Despite Health Risks

Despite expert testimony about its side effects risk, a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee has recommended that the diabetes drug Avandia should be allowed to stay on the market.