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April 2024
Apixaban (ELIQUIS and generics) is a type of blood thinner known as a direct-acting oral anticoagulant (DOAC). Public Citizen’s Health Research Group has previously classified all DOACs as Do Not Use drugs. Based on more recent evidence, we have reassessed the risk-benefit balance of apixaban and have changed our designation of this drug to Limited Use.
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April 2024
The asthma and allergy drug montelukast (SINGULAIR and generics) has limited benefits and unique risks, such as neuropsychiatric adverse events. Nonetheless, each year more than 12 million people in the United States fill at least one prescription for the drug. This month’s From the Editor column discusses the challenges of communicating the safety concerns about montelukast to clinicians and patients and reducing use of the drug.
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April 2024
Inhaled corticosteroids, a standard treatment for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, have been suggested to treat COVID-19 because they have anti-inflammatory effects on the lungs. However, a recent randomized trial found that these medications are not effective in shortening the time to recovery from COVID-19.
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April 2024
Learn about a recent clinical trial, conducted in Australia, that adds to the evidence from prior research that opioids are no better than placebo and some nonprescription medications (such as ibuprofen) for acute nonspecific musculoskeletal pain.
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April 2024
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April 2024
Learn about a recent study that found that the common antidepressants escitalopram (LEXAPRO and generics) and citalopram (CELEXA and generics) may increase the risk of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) in older adults taking the recommended dose. The drugs belong to a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
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March 2024
Mental health conditions that result in suicide or death from overdose or poisoning are the leading causes of preventable postpartum deaths. In 2023, the FDA approved zuranolone (ZURZUVAE), an oral medication for postpartum depression. Learn why Public Citizen’s Health Research Group has classified zuranolone as Do Not Use for Seven Years.
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March 2024
Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, the cofounder of the Health Research Group and an iconic and inspirational champion of public health, died on January 1, 2024, at age 86. In his monthly column, Dr. Robert Steinbrook, the current Health Research Group director, reflects on Sid’s legacy and his vision, passion, and integrity.
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March 2024
In December 2023, Public Citizen’s Health Research Group petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to promptly strengthen the safety warning on the labeling of BOTOX and related drugs. Learn about the petition and our concerns about the risk of iatrogenic botulism, a muscle-paralyzing disease, and related symptoms.
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March 2024
Metformin is a recommended first-line treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes who are not able to control their blood sugar through diet and exercise alone. Metformin, however, has important drug interactions and can cause a serious condition called lactic acidosis, a buildup of lactic acid in the blood. Learn about metformin’s drug interactions.
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March 2024
In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two cell-based gene therapies for the treatment of sickle cell disease. One of these treatments is the first FDA-approved treatment using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology. Although cell-based gene therapies for sickle cell disease are promising, they are new, and their long-term effectiveness and safety are not known.
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February 2024
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) reduce the amount of stomach acid. They are available by prescription and over the counter, and their use has increased in recent years. Although PPIs are generally safe for short-term use, they have serious long-term risks.
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February 2024
In November 2023, the Food and Drug Administration finalized its rules for the disclosure of risk information in television and radio direct-to-consumer advertisements of prescription drugs. Learn about the standards for disclosing a product’s major adverse effects and contraindications.
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February 2024
In 2023, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reaffirmed its recommendation that all persons who are planning to or could become pregnant take a daily supplement containing 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid starting at least one month before conception and continuing through the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. Learn about the evidence supporting this recommendation.
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February 2024
Preventing strokes is a public health priority. A recent study found, however, that the use of daily low-dose aspirin was not beneficial in preventing a first stroke in healthy older adults. Among every 1,000 subjects taking low-dose aspirin over five years, there were 2.5 fewer strokes at the expense of 3.5 cases of bleeding in the brain.
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February 2024
An egregious example of the low standards for the approval of new antibiotics is the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Recarbio, a combination of three medications. A 2023 investigation by the medical journal The BMJ concluded that Recarbio was approved even though it had not demonstrated substantial evidence of clinical effectiveness.