FDA drops black box warning on Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug
U.S. health regulators on Friday allowed Pfizer Inc to remove a serious warning from the label of its smoking cessation treatment, Chantix, giving a new lease of life to the controversial drug that was approved a decade ago.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration slapped a "black box" warning – the most severe available –...
FDA Bans Powdered Gloves and Lubricant
The FDA has formally banned two types of powdered gloves and a glove lubricant Friday, issuing its final ruling on a proposal first announced in March.
The agency outlawed powdered surgeon's gloves and powdered patient examination gloves -- in addition to banning absorbable powder used to lubricate surgeon's gloves -- because they "present an unreasonable...
4 injured N.J. vapers sue e-cigarette retailers for selling exploding devices
Four New Jersey residents -- including two teenagers -- who suffered third-degree burns when their e-cigarette batteries ignited "like a rocket" are suing the shops that sold the "defective" devices, their attorneys announced Thursday.
The manufacturers of the lithium ion batteries that power the vaping devices are also the targets of the litigation, although the...
Anesthesia may harm the brains of children under 3, FDA warns
The Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday that repeated or lengthy use of general anesthesia or sedation drugs for children younger than 3 or pregnant women in their third trimester may affect youngsters' developing brains.
The agency, which said its warning is based on a comprehensive analysis of the latest research, issued a “drug-safety communication”...
Men to sue over drug that made them grow breasts
When teenage Eddie Bible looked in the mirror, he didn't see a boy. It was too difficult for him to look past the large breasts on his chest.
"I had bigger boobs than the girls in (high) school," he said. "I thought, 'Am I going to have to get a training bra?' "
At 13 years...
How Antibiotic-Tainted Seafood From China Ends Up on Your Table
From the air, the Pearl River Delta in southern China’s Guangdong province resembles a mass of human cells under a microscope. Hundreds of thousands of tiny rectangular blocks, all of them shades of green, are clustered between cities and waterways. Livestock pens are scattered among the thousands of seafood farms that form the heart...
Takata Airbag Recall: A Complete List of Affected Vehicles
A 17-year-old died on a Texas highway last month after a minor automobile accident, one that local police said she should have walked away from.
Instead, Huma Hanif died within a matter of seconds as the Takata airbag inflator inside the steering wheel of her 2002 Honda Civic exploded, launching shrapnel at her from mere...
Families Bring Class Action Against French Drug Maker Sanofi
A French association of people affected by an epilepsy drug that caused birth defects launched a class action against pharmaceutical company Sanofi on Tuesday.
APESAC President Marine Martin told The Associated Press that Sanofi now has four months to acknowledge its responsibility before a judge takes up the case.
The global drug company has been selling...
FDA Concludes Diabetes Drug May Cause Bladder Cancer
The FDA recently issued a press release that confirms medication containing pioglitazone could be associated with an increased risk of developing bladder cancer. Affected medications include Actos, Actoplus Met, Actoplus Met XR, Duetact, and Oseni, the FDA reported.
While these medication labels already contain warnings about the risk of bladder cancer, new label updates that...
Centurion recalls Multi-Med single lumen catheters
Centurion recalled 1,000 of its convenience kits containing Multi-Med single lumen catheters, according to an FDA news release on Dec. 9.
The FDA said the action was a Class 1 recall, which means use of the devices could cause serious injuries or death.
Centurion found that excess material could remain at the tip of the catheters,...
