• Foreign Regulators Act After Evidence of Harm for Fetuses of Women Users of Wakefulness Drugs Armodafinil (NUVIGIL) and Modafinil (PROVIGIL) (June 27, 2019)
• FDA Warns Women of Childbearing Age Not to Take Dietary Supplements Containing Vinpocetine (June 11, 2019)

  View the entire July 2019 issue in PDF format

• Review of the Popular Stomach-Acid Suppressant Proton Pump Inhibitor Drugs
  (July 2019)
  Learn why the widely used proton pump inhibitors should be reserved for certain patients with stomach-acid disorders and only taken at the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible duration needed.
• Rare Justice for Pharma Execs Who Illegally Marketed Dangerous Opioid
  (July 2019)
  Too often, senior executives of leading pharmaceutical companies that engage in illegal marketing of drugs and other serious crimes escape criminal prosecution. But this was not the case for the billionaire founder of Insys Therapeutics.
• Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Can Increase the Risk of Aortic Rupture, FDA Warns
  (July 2019)
  Read about the growing body of evidence showing that the commonly prescribed fluoroquinolone antibiotics increase the risk of potentially fatal ruptures or tears of the aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body.
• Question & Answer
  (July 2019)
  A reader asked whether the FDA reviews and approves homeopathic drugs. Our answer should make you think twice about using these products.
• Potentially Dangerous Interactions Between Erectile Dysfunction Drugs and Other Medications
  (July 2019)
  Find out about the many prescription medications that can interact in dangerous ways with the four drugs approved by the FDA for treating erectile dysfunction in men.
• Patients Infrequently Screened Before Immunosuppressive Specialty Drug Therapy, Study Finds
  (July 2019)
  More and more patients are being treated with an expanding array of potent immunosuppressive drugs that require special screening and monitoring to minimize the risk of serious harm. But new research reveals that too many patients receiving these drugs are not undergoing the appropriate screening and monitoring tests.

  View the entire June 2019 issue in PDF format

• For Some Drugs, Crushing Tablets or Opening Capsules Can Yield Fatal Consequences
  (June 2019)
  Patients who have difficulty swallowing pills will sometimes crush tablets or open capsules and sprinkle the resulting powder, fragments or granules into food or liquids. Other patients will resort to chewing their pills before swallowing. Find out the dangers posed by taking such measures.
• Time to End Tax Breaks for Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Ads
  (June 2019)
  In his editor’s column, Dr. Michael Carome advocates federal legislation that would abolish the harmful tax breaks given to Big Pharma for the costs of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.
• Review of the Asthma Drugs Montelukast (SINGULAIR) and Zafirlukast (ACCOLATE)
  (June 2019)
  Learn why Public Citizen’s Health Research Group has designated the asthma drugs montelukast and zafirlukast as Do Not Use.
• Taking These Medications With Grapefruit Can Be Dangerous!
  (June 2019)
  Read about the many prescription drugs that can interact in dangerous ways with grapefruit or grapefruit products.
• FDA Warns of Life-Threatening Blood Clots with Use of High-Dose Tofacitinib
  (June 2019)
  In this article, we discuss preliminary data from an ongoing clinical trial that prompted the FDA to issue a new warning about potentially fatal blood clots caused by tofacitinib, an oral drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

  View the entire May 2019 issue in PDF format

• Review of Testosterone Products
  (May 2019)
  Approximately 10 years ago, testosterone makers launched a massive direct-to-consumer advertising campaign to promote the use of testosterone for normal age-related declines in testosterone in men. Learn why such use of testosterone can be dangerous without providing any proven benefit.
• Beware of Companies Hawking Snake Oil for Alzheimer’s Disease
  (May 2019)
  The FDA’s recent warning about a dozen companies that marketed illegal products purported to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease highlights the importance of ignoring advertisements promoting miracle cures for serious diseases.
• Indacaterol (ARCAPTA NEOHALER): The Wrong Choice for COPD
  (May 2019)
  In this article, we explain why the FDA should not have approved indacaterol, a long-acting inhaled bronchodilator, for long-term treatment of COPD without first requiring further clinical trials testing lower doses of the drug than the currently approved dose.
• Colchicine Interactions with Other Drugs Can Be Life-Threatening
  (May 2019)
  Read about the many prescription medications that can interact in dangerous ways with colchicine, a commonly used drug for treatment of acute gout attacks.
• Medications That Induce Breast Enlargement in Men
  (May 2019)
  For men, abnormally large breasts can be distressing and embarrassing. Find out about the numerous drugs that can cause breast enlargement in men.

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