THURSDAY, Aug. 30 -- People who suffer a cardiac arrest during or shortly after exercise are three times more likely to survive than those who have a cardiac arrest not linked to exercise, a new study finds.Sudden cardiac arrest results from an... read more..
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 -- Thirty minutes of daily exercise achieves the same amount of weight loss as 60 minutes, according to a small new study.The research included 60 heavy but healthy Danish men who exercised for either 30 or 60 minutes a day... read more..
WellPoint Chairman and CEO Angela Braly resigned yesterday amid increased investor concern over the health insurer’s performance. She was tapped as chief of the $61-billion (sales) company, the second largest health insurer in the U.S., in 2007. Braly was recently named No. 24 on the FORBES list of the world’s most powerful women and is one of many prominent businesswomen who have stepped down or been pushed out of their companies in the last year. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News) read more..
THURSDAY, Aug. 30 -- Women who've had three or more abortions are at increased risk for premature and low birth-weight babies when they first give birth, a new study indicates.Researchers looked at more than 300,000 Finnish mothers and found that... read more..
THURSDAY, Aug. 30 -- Women with breast cancer who are treated with the cancer drug Herceptin may have more long-term cardiac problems than experts have thought, new research suggests.It has been known that women treated with anti-cancer drugs... read more..
Be prepared to buy another dictionary next year because the one you have is going to be obsolete. Today, physiotherapy is defined as "the treatment of disease by physical exercise, massage etc., not drugs." This definition; however, will need to be amended to indicate... (Source: NaturalNews.com) read more..
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 -- A "happy" gene that affects females but not males may explain why women are often happier than men, research suggests.In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 193 women and 152 men who were assessed for happiness and... read more..
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 -- Mental deterioration occurs more quickly in women with Alzheimer's disease than in men with the devastating brain illness, a new study finds.British researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 15 published studies of Alzheimer's... read more..
-- Fibromyalgia is a little-understood disorder that causes pain and other symptoms throughout the body.The womenshealth.gov website offers these suggestions for better living with fibromyalgia:Get plenty of sleep.Exercise as much as you can.... read more..
CORAL GABLES, Fla., Aug. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPRX) announced today that it has entered into definitive agreements to sell (i) 4.0 million shares of the Company's common stock, and (ii) common stock purchase warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1.2 million shares of the Company's common stock, in a registered direct public offering. The aggregate offering price for each share and corresponding warrant is $1.50, resulting in gross proceeds of $6 million. The common stock purchase warrants have a five year-term and an exercise price of $2.08 per share. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE)) read more..
TUESDAY, Aug. 28 -- Older women who want to keep off weight -- no small feat for many after menopause -- might consider four specific eating behaviors, according to new research."Losing weight and maintaining a weight loss is incredibly... read more..
Women with abnormal eating behaviors misinterpreted facial expressions in others, especially anger and fear. (Source: WSJ.com: Health) read more..
Palmer Physical Therapy for Women is now in a new space, and with that comes aspirations of growth.Owner Pam Palmer says moving her clinic to a 3,300-square-foot suite in Remington Place Executive Park at 10333 E. 21st St., near Greenwich Road, gives it room to grow. Palmer says that now the move is complete she can focus on adding two more physical therapists. The new space, Palmer says, also has more parking.Palmer Physical Therapy had been in a 2,500-square-foot space next to Cambridge Family… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines) read more..
MONDAY, Aug. 27 -- Staying physically fit in middle age makes it less likely that you'll develop chronic diseases ranging from heart disease to certain cancers in old age, new research finds."Not only do the people with higher fitness live a... read more..
A federal appeals court has overturned an injunction by a district judge that was keeping Texas officials from barring Planned Parenthood from a health care program that serves low-income women, the Austin American-Statesman reports.Planned Parenthood has been the largest provider of services for the program since it began in 2006, serving more than 40 percent of the 130,000 uninsured patients who receive screenings for cancer, hypertension and sexually transmitted diseases.The state of Texas… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines) read more..
MONDAY, Aug. 20 -- Mothers who work full time report better mental and physical health than stay-at-home moms or women who work part time, according to a new study.Researchers from University of Akron and Penn State University found that women who... read more..
New York City fertility clinic Center for Human Reproduction is initiating a new clinical trial to study testosterone supplementation as a treatment for poor ovarian reserve.(PRWeb August 20, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/diminishedovarianreserv/prweb9813285.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
MONDAY, Aug. 27 -- Women who are overweight or obese when diagnosed with the most common form of breast cancer have a higher risk of recurrence than slimmer patients, according to a new analysis."Patients who are obese are significantly more... read more..
-- Some people are more likely than others to develop osteoporosis, since their bone cells don't replenish themselves quickly enough.The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says exercise can help, but it may not thwart osteoporosis entirely.... read more..
InControl Medical has certified Troy Robbin Hailparn, M.D., to prescribe InTone for women with bladder leakage(PRWeb August 24, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9830716.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
FRIDAY, Aug. 24 -- Along with adult women, teen girls should receive medical advice about bone health and the lifestyle factors that could affect their risk for fractures or osteoporosis, such as smoking, poor eating habits and too much weight loss,... read more..
FRIDAY, Aug. 24 -- Lack of exercise and obesity are the top two health concerns for U.S. children, according to adults who took part in a newly released national survey.The respondents were asked to identify the 10 biggest health concerns for... read more..
-- Dancing is a fun way to exercise, and it can offer many health benefits for people of any size.The U.S. National Institutes of Health says the health benefits of dancing could include:Better muscle tone.Improved flexibility.Improved... read more..
THURSDAY, Aug. 23 -- Having a wide circle of friends helps middle-aged men and women have a greater sense of well-being, according to new research.A network of relatives is also important, they found, but only for men.Study author Dr. Noriko... read more..
The "DDR on DTC" column in the August 2012 issue of MM&M magazine ripped into a print ad that showed a woman migraine sufferer being able to mop the floor after taking the Pfizer anti-migraine headache drug Replax.
"DTC ads used to be over-aspirational," said the author, Deborah Dick-Rath, "we saw relieved arthritis sufferers running marathons or playing Frisbee. With Relpax, the insight seems to be that sufferers just aspire to do such everyday activities as mopping the floor...We hope that Relpax is a success for Pfizer and that migraine sufferers find relief. We also hope they get (strictly aspirationally) excused from swabbing the deck" (see "DDR on DTC: Relpax").
Here's the ad that DDR reviewed:
This is probably the result of Pfizer's conservative view of what modern women aspire to at 11:00 Am in the morning (note the clock).
I couldn't find this ad in a recent issue of People Magazine, which is the publication in which DDR found the above ad. Instead I found this much more politically correct, although still not too inspirational, ad:
In this version, two hours after taking Replax, the migraine sufferer is able to go out and do whatever her business is -- probably commuting to work given that the clock is showing 8;00 AM (or is it PM?).
Perhaps Pfizer read DDR's column and revised the print ad campaign, at least as far as image is concerned. Surprisingly, however, the Replax.com Web site still portrays the woman mopping the floor:
It appears that it takes longer to swap out a Web image that a print ad image.
Pfizer is asking Replax.com visitors to tell their "stories" by submitting photos or video. "Tell us about your experience with migraines by submitting a story," says the promo page (here). "Your story can include a photo or video. If chosen, your submission could be featured on RELPAX.com."
I don't imagine a single submitted photo or video will feature a woman mopping the floor. Do you?
You can tell that pharma marketers are getting desperate when they have to beg consumers to submit stories to compensate for the fact that their image of the modern consumer dates back to the 1950's. read more..
WINCHESTER, CALIF., Aug. 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In today's fast-paced world, modern medicine has seen rapid advancements and undergone enormous changes. Many procedures that used to require hospitalization are now done on an outpatient basis, and high tech medical equipment has aided in saving countless lives that otherwise would have been lost to massive injury.There is one thing, however, that hasn't changed, and that's the therapeutic value arts and crafts can have on veteran patients during injury recuperation or rehabilitation.In VA and military hospitals everywhere, young men and women injured and disabled in Iraq and Afghanistan are utilizing this different kind of medicine--medicine sometimes referred to as "medicine in a box." Many of these patients have sustained hand, arm ... read more..
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22 -- A new study finds that spouses of heart attack victims are at increased risk for depression, anxiety or suicide, even if their partner survives.The researchers also found that men are more susceptible than women to depression... read more..
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22 -- Black and Latino fifth graders in the United States are more likely than white students to be obese, to get too little exercise, to witness violence and to ride without seatbelts and bike helmets, all signs of significant... read more..
The Tip Sheets Include Reassuring Advice and Tips that Can Help Women Get Rid of Vaginal Odor, Itch, and Other Issues(PRWeb August 23, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9825211.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
TUESDAY, Aug. 21 -- Stem cells from amniotic fluid might one day help treat stress urinary incontinence, a condition caused by damaged pelvic floor muscles in which bladder leakage is brought on by exercise, coughing or simply laughing, a new study... read more..
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd has launched authorized generics of products indicated for use with diet and exercise to improve blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes. (Source: Drug Topics - Pharmacy News) read more..
MONDAY, Aug. 20 -- Men are at greater risk for kidney failure during their lifetime than women, according to a new Canadian study.Researchers from the University of Calgary followed 2.9 million adults in Alberta, Canada from 1997 to 2008. When the... read more..
To assess the efficacy, safety and acceptability of pericoital use of oral levonorgestrel over 6.5 months in women who have infrequent sex. Healthy women who expected to have sex 1–4 days per month and who agreed to rely solely on the experimental contraceptive for 6.5 months were recruited at three sites in Brazil and the United States. We instructed each participant to take one tablet containing levonorgestrel 0.75 mg (HRA Pharma, Paris, France) within 24 hours before or after each sex act. Urine pregnancy testing was conducted at each of three scheduled follow-up visits (2.5, 4.5 and 6.5 months) and at home between scheduled visits. (Source: Contraception) read more..
SATURDAY, Aug. 18 -- Can marriage -- or divorce -- drive people to drink?A new study suggests the answer depends a great deal on gender: Marriage appears to lead to more drinking among middle-aged women, while divorce seems to drive middle-aged men... read more..
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 -- Engaging in more than two hours of physical activity per week appears to help pre-menopausal women maintain healthy bones, new research suggests.The finding is based on the impact that even small amounts of exercise seem to... read more..
FDA approved Mylan Pharmaceutical's 15-mg, 30-mg, and 45-mg pioglitazone hydrochloride tablets, the first generic version of Actos (Takeda), along with diet and exercise to improve blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes. (Source: Drug Topics - Pharmacy News)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors read more..
Florida Coastal Dermatology is thrilled to be offering Allumera as a new photodynamic cosmetic treatment that produces dynamic results for timeless skin and offers a new way for women & men to...(PRWeb August 17, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9803626.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Anti-aging website, AntiAgingProductsReviewed.com, is announcing new anti-aging reports on Alzheimer’s prevention to help women not only combat the signs of physical facial signs of aging but with...(PRWeb August 16, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/MarineD3/Seanol/prweb9809170.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
TUESDAY, Aug. 14 -- Thyroid hormone is critical for normal fetal brain development, and hormonal problems among pregnant women must be properly managed, according to the Endocrine Society, which just revised its guidelines on treating... read more..
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 -- College students who "hook up" too much lose the respect of other students, a new study indicates.Although there is less of a double standard for women, nearly half of students have negative attitudes toward other students who... read more..
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 -- Treatment for cervical disease does not necessarily increase a woman's risk for preterm delivery, according to a new study.The British researchers noted their findings are significant because about 40,000 women in England... read more..
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 -- Girls diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide as young women, a new study suggests.Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley also found these... read more..
Once again I am responding to a Pharmaforum guest blogger post that was promoted by the author (Kelley Connors) on Twitter: "How Pinterest Creates the Love for #Healthcare #Marketers #hcsm #pharma #womenshealth #socialmedia @pharmaforum ow.ly/c8jiF"
Connors' post, entitled "Understand the rules of engagement with Pinterest" (here), starts out with this observation:
"Since healthcare is such a personalized experience, and 90% of healthcare decisions are made by women, I find it interesting that more healthcare marketers aren’t exploring Pinterest."
She forgot to add that 82% of Pinterest users are women (see data in this infographic).
Pinterest, according to Connors, beats Twitter hands down in terms of "engagement" and "virality."
"Remarkably," says Connors, "over 80% of pins are repins, demonstrating the impressive level of virality at work in the Pinterest community. By contrast, a study conducted by HubSpot at a similar point in Twitter’s history found roughly only 1.4% of tweets were retweets."
From my experience, Twitter drives much more traffic to websites than does Pinterest. I learned about Connors and her post, for example, via Twitter, not Pinterest. What's the purpose of "virality" if it doesn't drive people to your website where you can "close" the deal (ie, get subscriptions, distribute coupons, etc.)? Maybe it's different for shoes than for Rx drugs or B2B pharma marketing news items.
There is one other very important reason why pharmaceutical marketers do not use Pinterest: they cannot turn off or moderate comments like they can with Facebook and YouTube. The only Pinterest comment editing option -- as far as I know -- is to delete the pin and repin it without the comments. That is draconian (it deletes ALL comments, not just offending one) and labor intensive. Pharma is not only worried about possible adverse events mentioned in comments, but also off-label claims. For more on this, read "What's Your Infographics Strategy?" (use discount code 'pgpin4').
These problems may never arise if pharma pins only innocuous images and videos on Pinterest. That is, pins whose purpose is to generate goodwill, share disease information, promote corporate responsibility, and broadcast other non-branded messages. All of which are of no interest to pharmaceutical marketers who want to promote brands.
For some reason, however, Pinterest is of interest to a few pharma corporate communicators and PR preople. Therefore, you do see a few Pinterest sites that obviously are corporate PR campaigns. Unfortunately, however, the demographics of Pinterest (82% women and mostly consumers) is NOT the target demographic of PR people who want to reach mostly reporters and investors.
Ergo, IMHO, as long as Pinterest does not have a pharma-friendly commenting policy, it will not interest pharma marketers even though its "women's world"/consumer demographic and virality is enticing to them. In addition, Pinterest will not generate much ROI on pharma PR investment. Eventually, the pharma Pinterest pioneers, few though they may be, will drop out even though, as Connors surmises, the Pinterest net "attrition rate" overall is "close to 0%." read more..
-- When it comes to exercise, as with any other activity, it's possible to overdo it.The American Council on Exercise says if you feel more exhausted than energized after a workout, you may be overtraining. The council offers these additional... read more..
THURSDAY, Aug. 16 -- Although sleep apnea is a condition often associated with men, new research reveals that many women also have the disorder, especially those who are obese or have high blood pressure.Sleep apnea causes frequent pauses in... read more..
The Nike ad that launched during the Olympics, featuring an obese boy running down a dirt road, gave me goose-bumps. Maybe I?m a sucker for those ads that try to knock you in the gut with modest cinematography and a British voiceover (or perhaps it?s because I spent a good portion of my younger life overweight), but I found it incredibly powerful. I can?t imagine it didn?t get a few people off the couch and onto the road, or at least into a less grueling form of exercise than distance running. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News) read more..
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 -- Routine, computer-based doctor's office screening for domestic violence does not improve women's health or safety, a new study indicates.Researchers led by Dr. Joanne Klevens, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and... read more..
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 -- Women who need chemotherapy for breast cancer during pregnancy should not compromise their treatment or deliver their babies early, a new study says.In the study, published online Aug. 15 in The Lancet Oncology, researchers... read more..
THURSDAY, Aug. 16 -- New high-potency marijuana and synthetic "weed" can interfere with early brain formation in developing fetuses, according to a new study, and many pregnant women may be unaware of the heightened risk.Harmful effects of... read more..
TUESDAY, Aug. 14 -- Pregnant women are at higher risk of bleeding in the brain from vessel abnormalities known as arteriovenous malformations, a new study indicates.Arteriovenous malformations are tangled bits of veins and arteries that can affect... read more..
-- No one is too young to exercise. Even for infants, it's a key way to become stronger and healthier.The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers this advice about how parents can help their young ones get moving:Take time each day to play... read more..
OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 6, 2012, the Oakland-based media entrepreneur is leading her Pink Access Foundation – www.pinkaccessfoundation.org – team in the Swim-A-Mile for Women with Cancer fundraiser. When Scott founded... read more..
Warner Chilcott Ends Sale Effort, Announces Dividend
Warner Chilcott Plc (WCRX), a drugmaker specializing in women’s health and dermatology, said it has ended efforts to find a buyer for the company.
The drugmaker said in April it was weighing options including a possible sale. Bloomberg News reported the company had received interest from strategic and private-equity buyers.
Warner Chilcott now will renew a $250 million share buyback program and expects to pay a special cash dividend of $4, the Dublin-based drugmaker said yesterday in a statement.
“It seemed clear that the attempts to be bought by someone had stalled,” said James Molloy, an analyst with San Francisco- based ThinkEquity LLC. The drugmaker paid a special $8.50 dividend in 2010, so Molloy said he wasn’t that surprised by the announcement.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-07/warner-chilcott-ends-effort-to-sell-itself-announces-dividend.html? read more..
MONDAY, Aug. 13 -- Giving radiation treatment to older women with early-stage breast cancer who have undergone a lumpectomy could lower their risk of needing a mastectomy later on, new research shows.This suggests that current guidelines... read more..
MONDAY, Aug. 13 -- Keeping up a leisure-time physical activity regimen for a decade or more could help middle-aged adults improve their heart health, researchers report.Over time, routine activities -- such as brisk walking, biking, or even doing... read more..
PHARMAC forming national hospital medicines list
Monday, 6 August 2012, 10:36 am
Press Release: PHARMAC
PHARMAC takes next step in forming national hospital medicines list
National pharmaceuticals funder PHARMAC has begun a significant step towards standardising hospital medicines throughout the country.
PHARMAC has released two lists of medicines that it proposes every District Health Board hospital would fund. Once finalised, these lists will form a hospital version of the community Pharmaceutical Schedule. The first lists relate mainly to cardiovascular (heart disease) and rheumatology (arthritis) treatments.
Medical Director, Dr Peter Moodie, says the ultimate objective of the current process is to give patients, clinicians, hospital pharmacists and DHB management certainty over what medicines are available in all hospitals.
“We want to avoid the situation where medicines are funded in some DHB regions but not in others,” says Dr Moodie. “A standardised national list would ensure people have the same access to the same hospital medicines regardless of where they live.”
“It would also mean a smoother transition of patients from hospital into the community, as it would ensure the medicines that are initiated in hospital will be also funded in the community.”
Dr Moodie says PHARMAC has been engaged in an extensive information-gathering exercise over the past two years, to find out what medicines DHB hospitals are currently providing for patients. PHARMAC has collated the information and used it to construct a list of the medicines that are commonly funded by all DHB hospitals at present.
As part of consultation on the draft lists to be nationally funded, PHARMAC is also including a list of medicines currently funded by some DHBs, but which it is proposing won’t be included on the national list.
“We want to know people’s views on the positive and negative lists. We also want people to think carefully about the things that aren’t there, to ensure we have all the information we need,” says Dr Moodie. “The proposals will affect different DHBs in different ways – for example the type of medicines currently available in big city hospitals may be different to those in provincial areas, even taking into consideration the differences in specialist services at each hospital. This may have different impacts on the clinicians within those hospitals. These are the sorts of views we want to hear through the consultation process.”
“This list will become the schedule of funded medicines that PHARMAC specifies for hospitals, just as we currently do for all medicines funded in the community.”
PHARMAC is releasing the consultation lists to all DHB hospitals, pharmaceutical suppliers, medical groups, patient groups and posting it to the PHARMAC website. In addition to issuing the document, Dr Moodie says PHARMAC will also be offering to meet with groups wanting to discuss the proposals face to face.
Consultation will run for five weeks until 7 September. read more..
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advanced Chiropractic Group in Santa Barbara announced that the practice has had success using the Impulse Activator for back and neck pain treatment. The Impulse Activator Technique utilizes a scientifically designed adjustment instrument to precisely deliver corrective impulses. According to the Santa Barbara chiropractors, because of the instrument's accuracy and controlled light force, it is suitable for patients of all ages, including athletes with sports injuries, pregnant women, seniors and children. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE)) read more..
The FDA is concerned that the use of sales promotions such as free trial offers, discounts, money-back guarantees, and rebates in direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug ads "artificially enhance consumers' perceptions of the product's quality" while also resulting in an "unbalanced or misleading impression of the product's safety." To test whether or not this is true, the FDA will soon start yet another study focused on Rx print ads: "Effect of Promotional Offers in Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Print Advertisements on Consumer Product Perceptions" (see Federal Register Notice archived here).
[I recently posted about another planned FDA study to determine if disease awareness information in branded ads confuses consumers. See FDA Concerned About Product (eg, Lyrica) Ads That are Too "Educational"]
The history of this study is long and mysterious. I first blogged about it 2006; read "FDA, Coupons, and Sleep Aid DTC Ads." Shortly after that the Federal Register notice regarding the study was "yanked" (see "FDA Backs Down on Coupon Study"). Also, the Advertising Age and Wall Street Journal articles cited in those posts can no longer be found in the archives.
In September, 2011, however, the proposed study re-emerged in the Federal Register (here). Whatever happened between 2006 and 2011 is anybody's guess, but I assume that the Bush era FDA leaders axed the proposed study when they learned of it. By September, 2011, these people were on the way out and the door was open again to propose the study anew.
Anyhoo, I want to focus here on comments that PhRMA made in response to the proposal. Alexander Gaffney (@AlecGaffney), Health wonk and writer of news for @RAPSorg, summarized the general attitude of PhRMA (see "US Regulators Move Ahead With Planned Study on DTC Marketing"):
In its statement to FDA, PhRMA wrote it was “concerned that the study, as currently envisioned, will not yield information that is relevant to FDA’s regulatory responsibilities to ensure that DTC advertising is truthful, accurate and balanced.”
“Although the study may provide interesting information about the effect of promotional offers on consumer attitudes toward a brand,” explained PhRMA, “it likely will provide little information on whether promotional offers create or contribute to false or misleading advertising, particularly under real-world circumstances or whether additional regulatory requirements are warranted.” PhRMA: The Physician is the Decider
I dug a little deeper into PhRMA comments (here) and was surprised to learn that PhRMA's position is that "it is the physician, not the patient (my emphasis), who ultimately must decide whether the benefits of the advertised drug outweigh its risks for any particular patient." Thus, says PhRMA, "the risks of 'misperceptions' ... should be even lower [PhRMA's emphasis] for prescription drugs than for experience goods [i.e., a product or service where product characteristics, such as quality or price are difficult to observe in advance, but these characteristics can be ascertained upon consumption] because any potential misperception, of necessity, will be quickly corrected prior to use through consultation with the patient's treating physician."
This is a very paternalistic POV in this day and age of social media and patient empowerment. Actually, it is the old "learned intermediary" defense that the drug industry often raises (in the past, less so these days) to shield itself from blame when things go wrong.
FDA must respond to comments submitted, but I couldn't find a direct response to PhRMA's comments cited above. I did find, however, the following comments and FDA's response that addressed the issue of the patient-physician relationship generally:
(Comment 22) Two comments mentioned that the study does not assess how consumer perceptions of product risks and benefits are translated into a discussion with their health care provider. read more..
SATURDAY, Aug. 11 -- Many Americans enjoy outdoor summer sports and exercise, but they need to take precautions to prevent health problems, a sports medicine expert warns."The warm summer weather draws people outdoors and young athletes are also... read more..
Tree Of Wellness dispensary in Colorado Springs grows all its plants under 100% LED grow lights from Prosource Worldwide.(PRWeb August 10, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9787116.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
iPatientCare Expands on ‘Prescribing Decision Support’ by Integrating PDR Brief to iPatientCare EHR with the Existing Patient Education Resources and Drug Monographs.(PRWeb August 10, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9788262.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
The Rottenstein Law Group, which represents clients whose children have suffered birth defects allegedly caused by the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant Paxil, applauds four...(PRWeb August 10, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9787268.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
At Merck, we've always worked hard to reduce our environmental impact and conserve key resources. Not only because doing so is consistent with our values as a good corporate citizen, but also because it makes good business sense. By operating in a sustainable manner, being careful about energy, water and raw material consumption, and minimizing our environmental impact, we are able to operate more efficiently - as well as more responsibly. read more..
Elaine Whitefeather, director of the Domestic Violence Intervention Center in Citrus Heights, recently celebrated her 60th birthday — and “celebrated” isn’t too strong a word, to hear her tell it. “Sixty is my signature age,” she says. “I’ve been waiting for it since I was a little girl. It meant I would become a ‘gray hair.’ The idea is that by then I’d have learned from my experiences, not just survived them. If you don’t think of life that way, then all you’ve done is… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines) read more..
President Barack Obama, campaigning in Denver Wednesday, said opponent Mitt Romney’s views on women’s health issues are “more suited to the 1950s than the 21st century.”Appearing at the downtown Auraria Campus’ event center to open a two-day campaign swing through Colorado, Obama spoke to a mostly-female crowd of about 4,000 behind a sign touting “Women’s Health Security.”“The decisions that affect a woman’s health — they’re not up to politicians; they’re not up to insurance… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines) read more..
-- Jumping rope is no longer just for 6-year-old girls. Experts say it's a great way to exercise your heart, and it can improve eye-hand-foot coordination.The American Council on Exercise offers these suggestions for jump ropers who are just... read more..
CDC's Support for Gilead's HIV Prevention Pill for Women is Reckless Says AHF
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the ...
AIDS Healthcare Foundation read more..
Short-term hormone replacement therapy is a relatively safe treatment for healthy, recently postmenopausal women, according to a new consensus statement. (Source: Drug Topics - Pharmacy News)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors read more..
MONDAY, Aug. 6 -- People with diabetes who boost their level of physical activity can reduce their risk of premature death, according to a new study.And a separate study found that weight training alone may reduce the risk of developing diabetes... read more..
FRIDAY, Aug. 10 -- Active video games, or "exergames," are not as good as actual exercise, but they can help sedentary people become more active, a new study suggests.While not a cure-all for the nation's lack of physical activity, the researchers... read more..
FRIDAY, Aug. 10 -- Babies with overweight or obese mothers appear to gain less weight and grow more slowly during the first three months of life than babies born to normal-weight women, according to a new study.Researchers from the University of... read more..
THURSDAY, Aug. 9 -- New research suggests that stress makes men more likely to be attracted to slightly heavier women, possibly because evolution has programmed them that way.The study is small -- it tracked just 81 male college students -- and... read more..
K-V Pharmaceutical Files For Bankruptcy Protection
K-V Pharmaceutical Co. (KV/A), a provider of women’s health-care products, filed for bankruptcy after it said lax federal enforcement and state Medicaid restrictions prevented it from attaining the “full value” of a medicine intended to help pregnant women avoid premature births.
The drug company, which sought court protection along with several subsidiaries, listed debt of $728 million and assets of $237 million in a Chapter 11 petition filed today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. Based in Bridgeton, Missouri, K-V said it will keep operating as it seeks to reorganize.
“The company has been unable to realize the full value of its most important product, Makena, because of a lack of enforcement of the orphan drug marketing exclusivity granted to K-V for Makena by the Food and Drug Administration,” Greg Divis, chief executive officer of K-V, said in a statement. “The lack of enforcement has also led certain state Medicaid agencies to impose barriers to access to Makena on low-income pregnant women at high risk for recurrent preterm birth, despite those states’ legal obligation to cover FDA-approved drugs.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-04/k-v-pharmaceutical-files-for-bankruptcy-protection.html? read more..
THURSDAY, Aug. 9 -- New Canadian research finds that male partners of women with breast cancer aren't big fans of spousal support groups and instead choose to de-stress by exercising or hanging out with friends.For the study, published in the July... read more..
THURSDAY, Aug. 9 -- Waitresses who wear red receive bigger tips from their male customers, researchers have found, noting that the color red has been shown to increase women's physical and sexual attractiveness to men.In conducting the study,... read more..
As Businessweek reported on July 31st, 2012, Bayer said settlements of U.S. lawsuits over claims that its Yasmin line of birth-control pills caused blood clots in women have increased to more than...(PRWeb August 08, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9762629.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
-- Expectant moms and their growing babies are more susceptible to the dangers of food poisoning.The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says pregnant women should avoid these foods to help reduce their risk:Don't eat raw or undercooked fish,... read more..
TUESDAY, Aug. 7 -- Almost two-thirds of Americans now say they take regular walks, a significant jump upwards, a new study finds.However, experts add that far too many people are still not getting enough exercise to improve their... read more..
-- Having diabetes need not confine you to the couch or park bench. But before you begin an exercise program, speak with your doctor.The American Diabetes Association offers these suggestions before you start working out:Talk to your doctor about... read more..
via bloomberg.com Bayer AG (BAYRY) said settlements of U.S. lawsuits claiming that its Yasmin line of birth-control pills caused blood clots in women have increased to more than $402 million.
Bayer, based in Leverkusen, Germany, has resolved almost 1,900 cases alleging its Yasmin and Yaz contraceptives caused clots that can lead to heart attacks and strokes, the company said today in a stockholders’ newsletter. Bayer said it has paid out $402.6 million in settlements of one category of clot cases, for an average of about $212,000 a case.
Bayer also more than doubled its reserve for Yaz cases, setting aside 496 million euros ($610.5 million), the company said. The drugmaker had set aside a total of about 200 million euros in 2010 and 2011, according to securities filings.
“We believe we have made appropriate provisions for most of the cases we consider to be worthy of settlement with these accounting measures,” Bayer officials said in an e-mailed statement.
Drug-industry analysts, such as JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Richard Vosser, have said Bayer may be forced to pay more than 2 billion euros to resolve all the cases over the contraceptives.
In April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered Bayer and other contraceptive makers to strengthen blood-clot warnings on their products. Posted via email from Jack's posterous read more..
-- The weight-loss battle isn't over once you lose the extra pounds. The challenge becomes keeping it off.The American Council on Exercise offers these suggestions to help you maintain a healthy body weight:Weigh yourself weekly, so weight gain... read more..
Many women aren't told their breast type may cloud cancer screening. More states consider notification. (Source: WSJ.com: Health) read more..
More effective ways of combating pertussis in young infants – such as vaccinating pregnant women – should be considered, according to the authors of a new study. (Source: Drug Topics - Pharmacy News) read more..
WOONSOCKET, R.I., Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on its established record for clinical quality, MinuteClinic, the walk-in medical clinics inside CVS/pharmacy, has become the first retail clinic provider to achieve three consecutive accreditation awards from The Joint... read more..
SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd. (NYSE: NPD) ("China Nepstar" or the "Company"), the largest drugstore chain in China based on the number of directly operated stores, announced today that the Company will report its second... read more..
- IBA Molecular fabricará y distribuirá 18F-Florbetaben en Europa y Estados Unidos
DULLES, Virginia y BOMBAY, la India, 6 de agosto de 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IBA Molecular y Piramal Imaging SA (Piramal) han anunciado un acuerdo a través del cual IBA Molecular fabricará y... read more..
For the mothers2mothers organization, every day is Mother's Day. Each year millions of children in the developing world are born to mothers living with HIV. Without intervention, as many as 40 percent of them will transmit the virus to their newborns, and each year more than a 500,000 children under the age of 15 will die from HIV/AIDS-related illnesses, according to the World Health Organization. read more..
The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan are currently filing lawsuits on behalf of California women who have suffered injuries related to vaginal mesh complications...(PRWeb August 02, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9761600.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors read more..
SATURDAY, Aug. 4 -- For good health, be sure to eat fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and lie as seldom as possible.A Notre Dame researcher is hoping this tongue-in-cheek advice will someday take hold, based on results of a "science of... read more..
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 -- Exercise can help ease depression symptoms in people with chronic heart failure, according to a new study.Researchers randomly assigned more than 2,300 heart failure patients in the United States to receive either education and... read more..
From Targeted News Service (August 1, 2012)DAVIS, Calif., Aug. 1 -- The University of California at Irvineissued the following news release:Postmenopausal women with the most common type of metastaticbreast cancer now have a new treatment option... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please have a look at this new site driven by MedWorm: The Breast Cancer Daily read more..
Hyperion Therapeutics Completes Initial Public Offering and Announces Exercise of Underwriters’ Over-Allotment Option
Hyperion Therapeutics Inc. read more..
MedtechWomen Announces Open Registration for Second Annual Conference Designed By and For Women in Medical Technology
MedtechWomen read more..
Clark Construction Group has been selected by Inova Health System to build a 665,000-square-foot women and children's hospital, Virginia Business reports.The $215 million contract to the Bethesda-based construction firm is part of Inova’s efforts to upgrade its Fairfax campus, and it represents the largest phase of a capital improvement program. The 12-story hospital will include 192 patient rooms on four floors, a 108-bed neonatal intensive care unit, 33 labor and delivery rooms and eight operating… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines) read more..
MONDAY, July 30 -- Women and children first? It's actually been more like women and children last, according to a new study of ship disasters going back to the 19th century."'Women and children first' is a myth and human behavior in life-and-death... read more..
MONDAY, July 30 -- First-time use of a hookah (water pipe) to smoke tobacco is increasingly common among U.S. female college students in their freshman year, a new study finds.Researchers surveyed 483 female college freshman and found that 343 had... read more..
THURSDAY, Aug. 2 -- New research reveals that mutations to the DNA of the mitochondria cause men to age faster than women -- a finding that may explain why women, on average, outlive men.The researchers from Monash University in Australia examined... read more..
BlogHer 2012 starts this Thursday in New York, and Johnson & Johnson will be there this year again as a sponsor. For anyone who’s not familiar with BlogHer, it’s the world’s largest conference for women in social media. It’s a … Continue reading ? read more..
TUESDAY, July 31 -- The hormonal fluctuations associated with women's menstrual cycles could color their shopping habits, research suggests."Our goal was to investigate how a woman's menstrual cycle impacts consumption desires, product usage, and... read more..
THURSDAY, Aug. 2 -- Parents who want to increase the amount of exercise their children get should become more active themselves, according to a new study."It has long been known that parent and child activity levels are correlated," study author... read more..
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 -- Middle school students who are physically fit are likely to score higher on standardized tests measuring reading and math abilities, a new study has found.And, the average scores went up in correlation with levels of fitness, the... read more..
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 -- Girls who are sexually or physically abused may start menstruating earlier or later than average, according to a new study.After analyzing information on nearly 69,000 women, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine... read more..
TUESDAY, July 31 -- Think married men and women show their love in vastly different ways? Not necessarily.Although popular culture reinforces the stereotype that there's a gender gap when it comes to expressing affection, few studies have actually... read more..
Career-Building Initiative Focuses on Regulatory, Medical, Legal and Compliance Functions(PRWeb July 31, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/women_leadership/careers_medical_legal/prweb9751623.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Leading provider of Oracle’s drug safety and pharmacovigilance systems will conduct a tutorial and hands-on exercise using Empirica Topics at the annual conference.(PRWeb July 31, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/empirica-topics/signal-detection-system/prweb9742901.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
