Prialt (ziconotide), a painkiller that contains a synthetic version of a toxin extracted from marine snails, is suspected to have a causal relationship to increased suicidal ideation.
Continue reading " Painkiller Linked to Suicide Risk " »
On November 19, 2010, the FDA sent letters to the makers of the controversial prescription painkillers Darvon, generically known as propoxyphene, and Darvocet to request that the products be voluntarily removed from the U.S. market. The request for withdrawal comes after additional data supported the conclusion that the drugs cause significant changes to the electrical activity of the heart thereby putting patients at risk for potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormalities. The new evidence confirms that the risk is present even at recommended doses. Since the release of propoxyphene under the brand name Darvon in 1954, this was the third and final push to have the drugs banned due to evidence of side-effects ranging from cardiac events to overdose.
Continue reading " Third Time is the Charm? Darvon and Darvocet Pulled From Market " »
Today, the FDA unveiled 36 new proposed cigarette warning labels, many of which contain blunt language and graphic depictions of the effects of smoking.
Continue reading " FDA Proposes New Cigarette Warning Labeling " »
