Friday, February 11, 2005

Zyprexa and Zyrtec Substitution Errors May Lead to Adverse Events, Relapse of Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder A Medscape Alert - "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Eli Lilly & Co. have notified healthcare professionals via letter of reports of medication dispensing or prescribing errors involving olanzapine (Zyprexa, made by Eli Lilly & Co.) and ceterizine HCl (Zyrtec, made by Pfizer, Inc.), according to an alert sent yesterday from MedWatch, the FDA's safety information and adverse event reporting program. The medication errors included instances of ceterizine HCl substitution for prescribed olanzapine (and vice versa), which could lead to adverse events and potential relapse in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Herb as good as depression drug BBC story - "A German study has added weight to the argument that a herbal remedy is an effective treatment for depression. Researchers compared the effectiveness of St John's wort to anti-depressant drug paroxetine in treating moderate and severe depression. The team found half of those with the condition improved when given the herb, compared with a third using the drug, the British Medical Journal reported. UK experts said the study of 244 people should be treated with caution. The study also found patients on paroxetine - also known as Seroxat - suffered more side effects."  
  

Canadian regulators order attention-deficit drug withdrawn USA Today story - "Canadian regulators ordered a drug for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder off the market because of reports that it has been linked to 20 sudden deaths and a dozen strokes, including some among children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, however, said it had evaluated the same reports on Adderall XR and doesn't believe the data warrants similar action in the United States. In a statement late Wednesday, Health Canada said it is asking makers of related stimulants used to treat the commonly diagnosed condition to provide a thorough review of their worldwide safety data. "