Latest News For 'Generic Pharmacy'
July 19th, 2007
With the increase in obesity among children, some parents are turning to a relatively unexplored solution with their offspring: stomach stapling. Stomach surgeries have been around for years, and its popularity has surged among adults in recent years – going from 12,775 to 70,256 surgeries in the U.S. from 1998 to 2002, according to the monthly Archives of Surgery journal. More recently, that number has increased to more than 120,000 a year.
But what about children? In 2004, only 350 kids in America had such an operation, according to federal statistics. Doctors have been hesitant to do the surgeries for more than one reason: for one, most stomach surgeries cut the stomach to make it operate as smaller “pouch,” which has unknown health risks to a developing child — the death rate among kids who do the surgery is around 1 in 50, which is twice the death rate among adults who have bariatric surgery.
As well, childhood obesity was not nearly as prevalent in American society compared to today. However, while bellies have grown, so has interest in the surgeries.
Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate who has written numerous health books, says the increase in bariatric surgery is a disappointing barometer regarding the future of America’s health.
“It’s disgusting that surgeons are now targeting young teens for bariatric surgeries, given that the real solution to childhood obesity can never be addressed by maiming a child’s digestive system,” Adams said.
“The way to deal with obesity is to teach nutrition, ban junk food advertising, remove vending machines from schools and end the manipulation of our children’s health by food and soda companies.”
In July, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality hat said four in 10 weight-loss surgery patients develop problematic complications within six months after the surgery.
Incidentally, with the increase in surgeries comes an increase in cost to private health insurance companies – according to the University of Michigan Health System, in the year 2002 hospitals charged roughly $2 billion for the cost for more than 70,000 surgeries. Health insurers picked up the tab for 80 percent of that cost.
These costs are then often spread to other policyholders covered by the insurer.
Going to a hospital for stomach surgery costs an average of $29,000, a study by the UMHS showed.
July 18th, 2007
Question: I have heard a lot about a new over-the-counter weight-loss drug. Is it safe and how do I know if I am a good candidate?
Answer: The new drug on the market is Alli. It is the first over-the-counter weight-loss drug.
However, this new drug has been tested. I still warn you to be cautious since many drugs have side effects and interactions that are not found until the drug has been used for some time.
The drug, Alli, claims to help you lose 50 percent more weight than what you would lose on just exercise and diet alone. It is not suggested for use by those who need to lose only a few pounds. Alli is a drug that blocks the absorption of fat by the body. This can lessen the amount of calories that your body absorbs and thus, helps you lose weight.
It works as an enzyme that attaches to the fat molecules that enter your body. It blocks about a quarter of the amount of fat absorbed as calories.
What isn’t absorbed is carried out of the body. Therefore, if you eat too much fat in your diet, the excess fat can leave your body in a not-too-pleasant way.
There are side effects to this weight-loss plan. These are some of the side effects that lists: Gas with oily spotting, loose stools and more frequent stools that may be hard to control.
Those effects may not be worth the added weight loss. So I highly recommend that you try a reduced-calorie diet and a healthy dose of exercise first. The Alli weight loss plan includes daily pills as well as tailored eating plan found on the Web site.
Once you purchase the package, you will be able to register for myalliplan for free. You can also take a quick quiz on the Web site to see if you are a good candidate.
General questions are if you are: willing to try to lose weight gradually, committed to eating a low-calorie, low-fat diet (15 grams or less a day), committed to eating smaller portions, understand the possible side effects, make more time to be physically active and if you will read the label and follow directions properly. It is also recommended that you only do this program if you have significant weight to lose.
As with any weight-loss program, you should consult with your physician before starting.
There are other fat blocking-supplements and drugs, including Orlistat, that you have to get through a prescription, and chitosan, which is derived from shellfish. Do your research and remember that many weight-loss supplements are not tested and have a greater risk for side effects and improper ingredients.
Another thing to consider is the cost. You can take up to three capsules a day and the starter pack contains 90 capsules. The starter pack costs roughly $60 and the refill container contains 60 capsules at about $50. That between $2 and $2.50 a day.
If you decide to try this plan, then make sure you change your lifestyle habits so that when you quit the program, you can maintain your weight loss and control the things that got you where you are.
It is imperative that you find ways to change lifestyle habits and if a program like this can help you lower your calories and fat intake, then it is helping you gain some control and balance. Make sure that the program leads you be to a healthier person inside and out.
July 16th, 2007
On one hand, GlaxoSmithKline really, really wants you to take their new over-the-counter diet pill, alli. On the other hand, they don’t want you to abandon healthy habits in favor of pill popping.
Unfortunately, according to a recent study, that’s what happens: Consumers considering taking a drug for a condition are likely to give up on the healthy habits that are also necessary to change that condition. They tend to think that they needn’t bother with a healthy lifestyle because the pill will do the job for them.
Even worse, the idea of drugs appears to weaken their conviction that they can actually manage a healthy lifestyle. (Oddly enough, health supplements don’t cause the same erosion of healthy habits, apparently because people take them on faith and see them as natural, not as scientific panaceas.)
So while the company wants to convince you that their pill’s a wonderful thing, they dare not market it as a cure-all for fear that consumers will just rest on the pill’s laurels and head for McDonald’s. They are addressing this by describing alli as a “pill with a plan,” a whole program that “requires a commitment to living your life in a new way as you learn to change your eating and activity habits.”
The study authors, from the Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Wharton School of Business, believe that other pharmaceutical companies may follow Glaxo’s lead, playing up the role of lifestyle changes as a necessary companion of drug-taking instead of marketing their pills as the magic solution to every problem. We’ll see.
July 13th, 2007
A recently approved anti-smoking medication could also serve to repress an alcoholic’s desire for drink, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California-San Francisco.
Varenicline, manufactured by Pfizer and approved as a smoking cessation aid in the United States & Europe in 2006, has been shown to reduce nicotine consumption by affecting the brain’s reward system for addictive substances.
The research team, noting that cigarettes and alcohol are often abused together, wanted to see if the drug had the same affect on drinking.
The researchers tested the impact of varenicline — know by its trade names Chantix in the United States and Champix in Europe — on laboratory rats which had consumed high amounts of ethanol over a long period.
Rats were trained to drink ethanol in consistent amounts over five months before they were given varenicline. After the drug was administered steadily, the rats consistently showed less interest in the ethanol.
The results suggested the drug helped in modulating the rats’ desire to consume the ethanol or to enjoy its effects, the study said.
The scientists also found that, when the rats were later cut off from varenicline, they did not resume the intake of ethanol at previous levels.
“Chronic treatment with varenicline suppressed the ethanol consumption without any subsequent rebound increase in drinking,” it said.
This finding “suggests that varenicline may serve as a therapeutic treatment to reduce alcohol consumption in alcoholic subjects.”
The study was published in the newest edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
July 11th, 2007
As a patent is about to expire, generic drug makers can request approval for their drug if it is a bioequivalent of the patented version. The brand-name companies obviously do not want the generic drugs to be approved because they will lose money.
One way companies have found to delay the release of generic drugs is through “citizen petitions”. These petitions allow anyone to express safety concerns about a drug and request that their information be further investigated.
The brand-name companies generally file the petitions to look over when the brand-name drug is set to expire, which is when the generic companies are seeking approval. No petition that was filed on the eve of a generics’ approval has been approved. During one dispute , U.S. magistrate Judge Rosalyn Chapman said to one drug company about it’s petition, “This is all about money…Maybe they think I think it’s about safety, but I think it’s all about money.”
If the company is successful in delaying the release of the generic drug for only a few months, the drug company has still made millions of dollars from exclusive sales of their drug.
July 10th, 2007
New smoking statistics show what a difference one city can make in a few years in quitting smoking.As of last year, New York City had 19% fewer adult smokers than it did in 2002, according to a study published today in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
That translates to 240,000 fewer adult smokers among New York City residents — and perhaps 80,000 lives saved over time.
“Since one-third of smokers die from a smoking-related disease, when 240,000 people quit, we prevent 80,000 smoking-related deaths,” writes Sara Markt, deputy press secretary for New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in an email to WebMD.
Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., notes the CDC.
New York’s Antismoking Efforts
The CDC points out three ways New York City targeted smoking.
In 2002, the city raised its tax on cigarettes a few months after New York state hiked cigarette taxes. That made cigarettes more expensive.
In 2003, the city implemented a smoke-free workplace law covering virtually all indoor workplaces, including restaurants and bars.
Those two steps cut New York City’s adult smoking rate for the first time in a decade. From 2002 to 2004, the city’s estimated adult smoking prevalence fell from 21.5% to 18.4%.
But that trend leveled off in 2005. So New York launched a quit-smoking media campaign in 2006.
In 2006, New York City’s overall adult smoking rate didn’t change. But smoking decreased among men and Hispanics.
Young adults aged 18-24 had the city’s biggest drop in smoking — 35% — from 2002 to 2006.
Smoking data came from annual surveys, conducted by telephone, of about 10,000 adults living in New York City.
Tips to Quit Smoking
No matter where you live, it’s possible (and worthwhile) to quit smoking. Here are 14 tips from the CDC on smoking cessation:
- Set a quit date.
- Get rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays at home, work, and in your car.
- Don’t let people smoke in your home.
- If you’ve tried to quit before, review those attempts. What worked and what didn’t?
- Once you quit, don’t smoke at all.
- Ask your family, friends, and co-workers for encouragement.
- Talk to your doctor or other health care provider.
- Get counseling to help you quit smoking. The CDC notes that telephone counseling is available at (800) QUIT-NOW.
- Try to distract yourself from urges to smoke.
- Do something to reduce your stress.
- Plan something enjoyable to do daily.
- Interested in quit-smoking medications? Ask your health care provider about them.
- Be prepared for situations where you may be tempted to smoke.
- If you start smoking again, don’t give up. Most people try several times before they quit smoking for good.
July 9th, 2007
For men, the risk of colon cancer increases with body weight in a nearly linear manner, a study shows. For women, the risk is more variable but still trends upward, particularly for those younger than age 67.
The findings highlight the importance of weight control for colon cancer prevention, Dr. Kenneth F. Adams, of the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland, and colleagues conclude in a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
They examined the association between body mass index (BMI) and colorectal cancer incidence in 307,708 men and 209,436 women enrolled in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. BMI, a standard measure to determine obesity, is calculated using weight and height. A BMI of more than 25 is considered overweight, and more than 30 is obese.
The men and women were followed from 1995 to 2000. During that time, a total of 2,314 men and 1,029 women developed colorectal cancer. An association was observed between BMI and an increased risk of colon cancer, but not rectal cancer, for both men and women.
For example, men who were overweight with a BMI of 25 to less than 27.5 had a 22 percent increased risk of developing colon cancer, compared to men of normal weight. Overweight men with a BMI of 27.5 to less than 30 had a 44 percent increased risk of colon cancer.
In obese men with BMIs of 30 to 32.5, 32.5 to less than 35, 35 to less than 40, and 40 or more, the risk of colon cancer was 53 percent, 57 percent, 71 percent, and more than 2-fold higher, respectively, relative to normal weight men.
For women, being overweight with a BMI of 25 to less than 27.5 was associated with a 29 percent increased risk of colon cancer. Overweight women with a BMI of 27.5 to less than 30 had a 31 percent increased risk of developing colon cancer.
In obese women with BMIs of 30 to 32.5, 32.5 to less than 35, 35 to less than 40, and 40 or more, the risk of colon cancer was 28 percent, 13 percent, 46 percent and 49 percent higher, respectively, relative to normal weight women.
“Age did not significantly modify the BMI-colon cancer association for men,” Adams and colleagues report. “By contrast, colon cancer was associated with BMI in women aged 50 to 62 and 63 to 66 years, but not in those aged 67 to 71 years,” they note.
The association was not modified by hormone replacement therapy in women, or by physical activity in men or women — “indicating the importance of weight control as a prevention strategy for this very common malignancy.”
July 7th, 2007
Sometimes, you can’t stop your weight-loss secrets from leaking out.
Dieters have been flocking to drugstores to pick up Alli, the first over-the-counter weight-loss pill to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, despite the scary warning: Stray too far from your low-fat diet and you just might poop your pants.
Still, it seems there’s no shortage of people willing to risk public humiliation to shed a few pounds. At one Los Angeles-area Walgreens, pharmacist Susie Uyu’s seen customer after customer march directly through the store toward the prominent Alli display. “I think they’re excited that it’s an over-the-counter product,” Uyu says. And even though pharmacist Miyuki Anderson, who works at a Bartell Drugs in Seattle, warns everyone who eyes the Alli display about the messy side effects, it doesn’t stop most of them from buying the diet pill.
The drugmaker states very clearly that it’s no miracle drug, and only promises to help people toward moderate weight loss. For example, if someone were to lose 10 pounds from dieting, they’d lose 15 by combining their diet with Alli.
The diet pill works by blocking 25 percent of fat from being digested. Alli users take one pill with every meal, and to avoid an “Alli oops,” they should eat less than 42 grams of fat a day, or about 15 grams per meal. But those fat grams can be sneaky. One grande Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino contains 15 grams of fat, and if an Alli user adds even a low-fat muffin to that meal, it could get icky.
“It’s so important to understand that you must adopt a low-fat, healthy lifestyle,” Jones says. “We call them treatment effects — that’s a signal for you that you’re not staying in the guidelines. What Alli will not do is make up for not living a healthy lifestyle.”
Some Alli enthusiasts have been conscientious enough to avoid any side effects. Carole McMahan, who’s trying to lose 10 pounds, started taking Alli the day the product hit drugstore shelves on June 15, and has been careful to follow the low-fat diet.
“No pun intended, but I’m very anal about it,” says McMahan, who’s 44 and lives in Greensboro, N.C. She appreciates the way Alli holds her accountable to her eating habits.
“I started very cautiously, and I’ve just grown more and more comfortable with it,” McMahan says. “I just follow the diet. I knew I couldn’t go out and order hot fudge cake.”
But some Alli fans, like 25-year-old Rachelle Beaini, are just asking for it. Beaini, who lives in Henderson, Nev., and wants to lose 20 pounds, has lost 6 pounds in two weeks without a single side effect. Inspired by her success, last week she dared to eat a meal of chicken nuggets — while wearing white pants. (Still no unpleasant consequences, she swears.)
July 6th, 2007
Any magazine that dares to print the line, “When your clitoris gets frostbite, the terrorists win” is A-okay with us.
Women’s Health, sister publication to six-pack showcase Men’s Health, visibly outpaces sleepy competitors Self and Shape in the field of female-oriented fitness magazines. A hybrid of Vogue, Bust, Outside and the science journals at your nutritionist’s office, Women’s Health launched in late 2005 and may still be flying under the radar because it puts anonymous hotties on the cover and saves the celebrities—such as Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Jenna Fischer (The Office)—for the inside pages. This is no doubt an effort to save us from our own neuroses about skinny women of stage and screen, but it also gives the mag a welcome approachability.
But let’s talk about the sex. In addition to coverage of familiar and safe topics like nutrition, medicine, exercise and weight loss, Women’s Health dares to discuss female sexuality with a certain bright boldness that is neither too clinical nor too skanky. The frostbitten clitoris was the result of a feature testing out some oft-prescribed erotic experiments; another recent story about the world “down there” was illustrated with an oyster, a live beaver and a taco. Not that any of those are, you know, anatomically correct, but we love the moxie anyway. Check it out.
Source: http://www.eonline.com/coolstuff/detail/index.jsp
July 6th, 2007
Hedex Extra was meant to be the drug that pushed the envelope for millions of low-income Kenyan blue-collar workers shopping for a pain reliever.
It was heavily marketed as one of the country’s most potent painkillers, but now global pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is having a headache over the recall of this product.
Yesterday, it emerged that GSK is investigating a possible factory slip up that resulted in an error in its formulation—under the watch of the industry regulator, Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
But GSK said in a faxed statement that the product had been incorrectly stored in excessive temperatures above 30 degrees, causing the breakdown of the ingredient aspirin to form crystals of salicylic acid.
“Ingesting a dose of Hedex Extra damaged through incorrect storage may cause irritation to the mouth, throat and stomach.”
Hedex Extra was also meant to turbo-charge the growth of GlaxoSmithKline’s block-buster painkiller, Hedex, which was facing intense competition in the low end of the market, a category that was increasingly coming under competition from lower price name brand drugs, a host of generics and even fakes.
Just like GSK’s other pain relief brand, Panadol and Panadol Extra that targets more affluent consumers, Hedex Extra was launched as a product extension to Hedex, a companion and fighter brand against the likes of Beta Healthcare’s Mara Moja and Action in a bid to carve a bigger share of Kenya’s Sh2 billion analgesic drug market.
However, by the time Hedex Extra was brought to the market in January 2006, insiders knew that there were problems with the product’s formulation and there had been consumer complaints over the side effects of the drug.
It had been specially formulated for the Kenyan market with an extra pain relief strength than is usually marketed in Europe and other African markets.
Yesterday, it emerged in media reports that GSK had recalled Hedex Extra from the market. Business Daily’s interviews with retailers and pharmacists reveal that GSK started withdrawing the drug from the market in March and as late as last month.
Kenya’s Poisons and Pharmacy Board, which regulates the manufacture and marketing of drugs, confirmed that GSK started recalling the product in March. Until yesterday, GSK had not issued a public announcement over the product recall as industry standards requires in global medical marketing.
“In March, it was brought to our attention that there was a problem with Hedex Extra,” said Dr Wilfred Ochieng, Head of the Inspectorate division at the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the governing body of the pharmaceutical industry.
However, on Thursday, GSK said the drug had been recalled because of Acetyl Salicylic Acid was breaking down too fast releasing a by-product in unusually high concentrations than was medically allowed. This was making consumers who take it to experience severe irritation in the mouth and throats and even causing stomach upsets. This was after the company says that it received complaints from Mombasa.
A super strong pain killer, it contained a heady mix of paracetamol, aspirin and caffeine and was marketed as providing extra fast relief for not just head aches, but also migraines, back aches and tooth aches.
“The issue is currently being investigated by its manufacturers. Just four batches had a problem. We decided in liaison with GSK that it would be best to withdraw the product pending investigations,” said Dr Ochieng, “The recall of the product does not mean Hedex Extra is bad for consumers, it just means there is a slight defect, which can be resolved in time.”
A possible problem in its formulation could be to blame for the drug manufacturers latest headache with the product.
Dr Ochieng said factors leading up to the recall could be rooted in factory issues, confirming it was a stability issue, a phenomenon that makes Asprin start degenerating turning a normally harmless drug into a toxic one.
The Kenyan version of the drug — it is sold in varying strengths in different countries around the world — was specially formulated for the local market.
Industry players say it contained the largest admissible amounts of its various components allowed under the law.
“I believe it should have been offered in a single dose rather than in the usual double pack. It was really powerful,” said a pharmacist, who declined to be named.
The Kenyan version of Hedex Extra was the result of several years of research for the multi-national drug company. It was however more powerful than a similar product sold in other markets.
The drug was slated to be a front-runner for the British pharmaceutical firm in the highly competitive analgesics market, where generics are taking a bite out of GSK’s profits from its flagship Panadol.
The struggle to gain a share in Kenya’s Sh2 billion over-the-counter painkillers market has occupied both international and local manufacturers, who are competing against counterfeits and a growing generic presence.
In a country where 60 per cent of the population self-medicates, Hedex Extra was positioned to take on Mara Moja — produced by locally based competitor Beta Heathcare — and the growing generic segment on its strong formulation claim.
Kenya’s over the counter (OTC) market has attracted several major international pharmaceutical firms such as: GSK, AstraZeneca Group Plc, Novartis Consumer Health SA, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Inc, Aventis SA, and Sanofi Winthrop Industries. There are also a number of local manufacturers such as Beta Healthcare and Dawa Pharmaceuticals.
Within the pain relief category, local firms now control over 80 per cent of sales. Companies like GSK manage to maintain their share through a mix of higher pricing models, guarantees on quality and aggressive marketing.
Hedex Extra rode the back of a localized marketing campaign Boda Boda (bicycle taxi) challenge after sponsorship of its successful soccer fiesta, Hedex Cup was cancelled.
GSK is the oldest company in OTC health care in Kenya, with annual sales said to total over US$400 million per year, according to research firm, Euromonitor. The company is aggressively fighting off the rising generic wave with market share figures reportedly falling from 52 per cent in 2005.
Last year, the British pharmaceutical firm staved off a potential recall of its famed Panadol brand, which was under scrutiny in other countries after one batch was withdrawn from the market.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board have withdrawn two other products from the market in the last two years.
One, nimesulide, was a key component of children’s cold and flu medications and was withdrawn following an international ban of the product. The other was an infection depressant.
Globally, other big pharmaceutical firms have recalled back their painkillers after disastrous accidents. In the early 1980s, seven people in the Chicago area died after they took Extra-Strength Tylenol, an analgesic. Johnson & Johnson, its manufacturers, immediately pulled 31 million bottles of the painkiller, with an estimated retail value of more than US$100 million.
Source: http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php
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