Tag:
Statins
Latest Headlines
Latest Headlines
Merck gets green light to continue Vytorin outcomes trial
The Vytorin outcomes trial will go on. That's all the information we're getting out of the enormous Improve-It study for now. An independent data monitoring board looked at the trial's results so far and recommended that it continue.
New statins study sorts out diabetes risks
For years now, statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs, have been a major pillar of the drug industry. But a little cloud is forming over the category. Links to muscle injury were already documented, and now there is a growing body of evidence tying their use to the development of diabetes.
Researchers eye biomarkers for safer Cox inhibitor use
Could biomarkers tailor the use of pain drugs? Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania hope to determine whether common painkillers such as Celebrex and Aleve can be used more effectively by identifying patients most likely to benefit--and least likely to suffer serious side effects.
Docs riled by FDA's proposal to open up drug access
The FDA would free up some treatments for chronic conditions, such as asthma and diabetes, so patients could obtain them without a prescription.
Vytorin outcomes study barrels on without a peek
The Vytorin outcomes study is going ahead without a hint about how things are faring. The safety monitors of Improve-It, which is testing Merck's ( $MRK ) cholesterol-fighting drug Vytorin, say no new dangers have cropped up among the 18,000 patients enrolled.
Treatment gap: Women get fewer standard heart drugs
Women still aren't paid as much as men for the same job. Turns out they aren't prescribed the right drugs as often, either--unless you're talking about psychiatric drugs. In that case, women get more scripts than men do.
How worrisome is the statin-diabetes link?
The FDA's cautionary word on statin use has stirred up a back-and-forth risk-benefits debate. When the agency announced last week that it would highlight the risk of Type 2 diabetes on the cholesterol drugs' labels, some prominent heart doctors issued their own warnings: Don't worry too much about that risk. For most patients, the heart benefits of statins outweigh the "small" risk of developing diabetes.
FDA flags diabetes risks with statin drugs
Big-selling cholesterol drugs got new warnings on their labels, but the cautionary language about blood sugar and memory loss isn't expected to diminish their popularity much.
Experts debate preventive use of statins
No question, the cholesterol-fighting statin drugs have been a powerhouse class for Big Pharma. One of them--Pfizer's ( $PFE ) Lipitor --was the best-selling branded medication of all time, and plenty
Statin meds safe for long-term use, study finds
Long-term use of statin drugs offer continuing benefits without serious safety issues, such as increased cancer risk, that some data had suggested could be a problem, a new 11-year study found. Report
