Articles Posted in 2013
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Amgen Paid $25M To End Kickback Case
The U.S. Department of Justice said that biotech drugmaker Amgen Inc. paid $24.9 million to resolve claims it paid kickbacks to increase sales of its anemia drug Aranesp. The Justice Department said Amgen paid kickbacks to Omnicare Inc. and PharMerica Corp., which sell drugs to long-term care providers like nursing homes and hospitals, and Kindred […]
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Merck kept mum on Fosamax’s fracture risks
A plaintiff’s lawyer in the latest lawsuit claims Merck ($MRK) was warned about the potential for spontaneous fractures 5 years before Fosamax made its debut. Merck faces 3,300 lawsuits alleging that the bone drug caused serious femur fractures. Pennock represents Fosamax user Bernadette Glynn, who used the drug for 7 years. She claims that Fosamax […]
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Twenty-Two Years Late: FDA Announces that the Antibiotic Zithromax Can Cause Fatal Cardiac Arrhythmias.
On March 12, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public that the commonly prescribed antibiotic azithromycin (Zithromax, Z-Max) has been found to cause serious cardiac arrhythmias. The side effect does not occur frequently, but it does occur enough to raise considerable concern, especially because the arrhythmia can be lethal. The FDA […]
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TAP Pharmaceuticals paid $875 million
TAP Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TAP) paid the United States government $559.5 million and state governments $25.5 million to settle one of the largest civil Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases in history. It also paid a $290 million criminal fine. Initiated by whistleblowers and joined by the United States Department of Justice, two civil False Claims Act […]
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Energy Drink Consumption leads to Increased Blood Pressure
Energy drinks can drastically increase blood pressure and disturb the heart’s natural rhythm, say researchers who presented their findings at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions. Energy drinks have very high levels of caffeine and taurine, both these ingredients can greatly elevate blood pressure and contribute to […]
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Reducing Salt and Increasing Potassium Will Have Major Global Health Benefits
Cutting down on salt and, at the same time, increasing levels of potassium in our diet will have major health and cost benefits across the world, according to several new studies. Such a strategy will save millions of lives every year from heart disease and stroke, say experts. Evidence shows that reducing salt intake lowers […]
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Elan Pharmaceuticals Pleads Guilty, Sentenced for Off-Label Marketing of Zonegran
Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (EPI), a subsidiary of the Irish pharmaceutical manufacturer Elan Corporation, PLC (Elan), pleaded guilty today to a misdemeanor violation of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act for the illegal promotion of the epilepsy drug Zonegran. Elan was also sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $97 million and forfeit $3.6 million in […]
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Healthy Lifestyle Leads To ‘Healthier Hormones’
Overweight people live a dangerous life: Epidemiologists estimate that about 80 percent of the most common diseases are linked to severe overweight and obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Obese people are at an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, vascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes and cancer. This lowers their life expectancy. Weight loss and physical activity help […]
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Processed Meat Increases Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease & Early Death
Processed meat is now linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a new, large scale study published in the journal BMC Medicine. It is often tough to calculate the effect of eating meat on health because of the confounding effect lifestyle has on health. Generally, vegetarians have healthier lifestyles than the rest of […]
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Cephalon paid $425 Million For Medicaid Fraud
Cephalon Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH), a pharmaceutical company based in Frazer, Pennsylvania, paid $ 375 million for Medicare and Medicaid fraud involving the sales and marketing of Actiq, Gabitril and Provigil between 2001 and 2006. At the same time, Cephalon pleaded guilty to a criminal charge involving off-label marketing of the drugs and paid $50 million […]