News Tagged ‘law

Prempro increases risk of dying from small cell lung cancer

Women who took Wyeth’s hormone replacement therapy () Prempro at least five years are at greater risk of dying from non-small cell lung cancer, according to a recent study presented at an American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting.

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Drop in breast cancer rates linked to reduction of HRT use

A new study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests a sudden decrease in in several countries worldwide is likely linked to the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative () finding that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause can dramatically increase a woman’s risk of and other serious health problems, the Wall Street Journal reports.

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Study finds Wyeth paid ghostwriters to promote Prempro

A federal study revealed that the pharmaceutical company Wyeth paid ghostwriters to write articles for medical journals that were favorable to the drug company’s hormone replacement therapy (HRT) Prempro, even after the drug was found to raise a woman’s risk for , according to the New York Times.

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Wyeth faces more lawsuits for promoting sales despite concerns

In the 1960s, a New York gynecologist wrote a book called “Feminine Forever,” in which he recommended estrogen for menopause, stating that women on the replacement drug “will be much more pleasant to live with and will not become dull and unattractive.”

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals caught wind of the book and its author’s claims that estrogen reduced a woman’s risk for both breast and genital cancers, and began distributing the book to physicians across the country. Soon after, sales of Wyeth’s drug Premarin took off, growing to more than 30 million prescriptions each year.

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Nevada AG sues companies for misleading about HRT safety

Nevada’s attorney general is suing drug makers Wyeth and Pfizer for alleged deceptive trade practices and misleading the public about the safety of its hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs, according to RGJ.com.

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FDA approves Premarin cream to treat dyspareunia

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals recently announced FDA approval of its Premarin Vaginal Cream to treat moderate to severe dyspareunia, or painful sexual intercourse, according to RTT News.

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Wyeth to stop making HRT, focus on cancer research

Wyeth, the pharmaceutical company that makes hormone replacement therapies Prempro and Premarin, announced today that it is ending its research in its signature areas of contraceptives and menopause treatments to focus on other female problems such as ovarian and breast cancers, according to the Associated Press/Washington Post.

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Wyeth developing another HRT for menopause

Drug maker Wyeth has developed and is actively testing a new drug to treat menopause. The drug, named Aprela, has shown favorable results in the initial studies. Current evidence gathered in the study suggests that the drug may pose fewer risks and milder side effects than Prempro and Premarin, Wyeth’s other menopause drugs.

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Hormone therapy update

According to the World Health Organization, is the most common cancer worldwide among women. It is the fifth most deadly cancer, killing about 502,000 people per year. All of us know a family who has had to deal with this most serious problem.

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High court may bar claims for FDA-approved drugs

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today in the first of two cases this term that consumer advocates fear could shut courthouse doors to patients injured by FDA-approved drugs or medical devices.

Legal experts say the cases could also affect lawsuits already filed by tens of thousands of Americans challenging the safety of blockbuster drugs such as Celebrex and Prempro and a host of medical devices.

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