BOSTON (Reuters)—A growing number of U.S. states, counties and cities are filing lawsuits accusing drug companies of deceptively marketing opioid painkillers to downplay their addictiveness, but some lawyers say the industry’s highly regulated nature could pose a hurdle to their success. Ohio on Wednesday became the latest, and largest, state or local government to bring…
NSAIDs Increase MI Risk; Plus New Label Warnings for Canagliflozin
NSAIDs Increase Myocardial Infarction Risk According a recent meta-analysis of real-world non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, NSAIDs may increase the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The analysis used individual patient data meta-analysis of studies from healthcare databases in Canada, Finland and the U.K. to determine the time course for risk of AMI, as well…
FDA Approves Oral Methotrexate; Plus Restrictions for 2 Analgesics in Children
The FDA has approved a new formulation of methotrexate designed as an oral solution for pediatric patients. The agency has also recently introduced age restrictions for codeine and tramadol for children under age 12, citing their risks for slowed or difficult breathing and death…
Rheumatologists Respond to Prescription Opioid Analgesic Crisis
The alarming statistics on prescription opioid overdoses are well known to medical professionals, thanks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s widely cited finding that deaths from opioid analgesics have increased fourfold since 1999.1 Half of all fatal drug overdoses now involve opioids prescribed by a doctor. Meanwhile, a lack of rigorous research…
Pregabalin Is Ineffective for Sciatica
A recent small-scale study examined the efficacy of pregabalin in the treatment of neuropathic pain caused by sciatica, as well as its associated low back pain. Researchers found the treatment did not reduce leg pain better than placebo and resulted in more adverse events…
FDA to Review Immediate-Release Oxycodone; Plus NICE Recommends Secukinumab
A new formulation of oxycodone in 10 and 15 mg doses is being reviewed by the FDA for treating pain…
NKTR-181 Promising for Chronic Low Back Pain
NKTR-181, a mu-opioid agonist analgesic, has proved safe and effective for treating chronic low back pain vs. placebo in a recent clinical trial…
Opioid Use Common Even After Minor Surgery
(Reuters Health)—The risk that surgery patients will become chronic opioid users may be similar after minor procedures or major operations, a U.S. study suggests. Three to six months after surgery, new chronic opioid use was about 5.9% with minor operations and 6.5% with major surgery, the study found. The rate was just 0.4% in people…
The Risks of Opana Extended Release
In March, an FDA advisory committee voted that the risks of Opana ER to public health outweigh its benefits as a chronic pain treatment…
Would Legalizing Medical Marijuana Help Curb the Opioid Epidemic?
(Reuters Health)—In states that legalized medical marijuana, U.S. hospitals failed to see a predicted influx of pot smokers, but in an unexpected twist, they treated far fewer opioid users, a new study shows. Hospitalization rates for opioid painkiller dependence and abuse dropped on average 23% in states after marijuana was permitted for medicinal purposes, the…
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