Prescription Drug News

While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a warning of an increased risk of suicide for all epilepsy drugs, a new study shows that only certain drugs may increase the risk. The study is published in the July 27, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Eli Lilly and the FDA have notified health care professionals of changes to the prescribing information for olanzapine (Zyprexa).

According to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, women taking commonly prescribed antidepressants may experience delayed lactation after giving birth and may need additional support to achieve their breastfeeding goals.

A new study concludes that many doctors appear to have largely ignored an FDA warning to screen patients taking new antipsychotic drugs for high blood sugar and cholesterol, which poses risks to their health and raises questions about the efficacy of warning protocols in general.

Novartis has announced that Fanapt (iloperidone) is now available for use across the U.S. for the acute treatment of schizophrenia in adults.

About three-quarters of children in the U.S. received recommended vaccinations in 2008, up from about half in 2000, reports a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

An analysis of randomized trials indicates that compared with placebo, the magnitude of benefit of antidepressant medications varies with the severity of depressive symptoms, may provide little benefit for patients with mild or moderate depression but appear to provide substantial benefit for patients with very severe depression, according to an article in the January 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but new research from Johns Hopkins suggests that quitting the habit may actually raise diabetes risk in the short term.