New Drugs news from FierceHealthcare

While the healthcare reform debate rages in the United States, some in other countries fear the outcome will stifle the discovery of new drugs. Some health economists, particularly within the Read more...

Of late, medical institutions and legislatures have been paying a great deal of attention to the gifts physicians receive from pharmaceutical companies, right down to branded pens and notepads. But Read more...

We're always concerned when we hear news that the FDA may not have done trials extensive enough to really determine whether a drug is safe or not. But as if that weren't enough, there's something Read more...

Merck has agreed to a $58 million settlement with 29 states and the District of Columbia to settle allegations that it downplayed heart risks created by Vioxx in direct-to-consumer advertising. Under Read more...

In today's newsletter, we included a link to a sly pharmaceutical marketing parody for a fictional drug. The drug, dubbed "Panexa," is said to be good for Read more...

In most cases, biotech firms turn to venture capital, public stock offerings and traditional financing to fund their medical research efforts. However, in Massachusetts at least, biotechs are turning Read more...

It looks like the prescription data miners have won another victory. After successfully challenging a similar law in New Hampshire, Wolters Kluwer Health, IMS Health and Verispan have won an action Read more...

With dangers from antidepressant use in children, Read more...

Pharma lobbyists are facing new challenges this month as the House of Representatives takes on a new FDA overhaul bill which could limit consumer drug advertising. Critics have suggested that such advertising can boost spending unnecessarily, but observers--including some not on the pharmas' payroll--suggest that the ads help educate consumers about new treatment options.

The Senate version of the bill had imposed a ban on consumer drug advertising during the first two years a drug …

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On the one hand, everyone would like to see potentially beneficial drugs approved as soon as possible. On the other, no one wants to see the FDA speed heedlessly through the approval process either. As scandals blow up on Capitol Hill over Avandia and other drugs, critics are beginning to question whether the FDA is striking the right balance between speed and safety. Evidence increasingly suggests that the FDA has a habit of silencing internal and external critics--and that safety may be …

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