It all started with a Google search for prescription medications I could get online. Almost immediately, ads from telehealth companies began pursuing me across the Internet, promising access to drugs to make me prettier, thinner, happier, and hornier. Several of these companies sell anti-aging creams. Although resolutely pro-aging, I don’t like the visible effects of … Read more
SJS drug reactions: who is affected? (Photo credit: BDS Piotr Marcinski/Shutterstock) Have you developed Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis after taking a medication? Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a serious skin reaction that occurs after taking certain medications. Medications related to SJS include: Over-the-counter pain relievers (Tylenol, Advil, Aleve and other NSAIDs) Antibiotics Anticonvulsants Antipsychotics … Read more
Anyone who has cracked open a cold ginger ale on a bumpy plane ride knows that ginger has a unique, soothing spiciness. Ginger is a tropical plant that produces a multitude of large, colorful flowers. For more than 5,000 years, people have used its brown, gnarled root as both food and medicine. Ginger was a … Read more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Phathom Pharmaceuticals’ vonoprazan (Voquenza) on November 1, 2023 for the treatment of adults with erosive esophagitis (erosive GERD), a gastroesophageal reflux disease. The drug is expected to be commercially available by December 2023. The drug’s approval marks a critical moment for more than 20 million patients suffering … Read more
Growing demand for Ozempic and Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk, has fueled a rise in illegal sales of weight-loss drugs in Denmark, where the pharmaceutical company is based, the Danish Medicines Agency reported. The agency said in a statement released Tuesday that authorities are aware of 26 websites illegally selling what they claim to be … Read more
The compound was discovered in the fruits and flowers of Trema micranthum, photo above. (Image credit: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED via Flickr) One of marijuana’s two main active ingredients was found in a plant other than cannabis, researchers say. Brazilian scientists announced that they had discovered cannabidiol (CBD) in the fruits … Read more
Prescriptions for semaglutide jumped 150% in the past year, with an 80% increase in prescriptions written per provider, new data suggests. Among more than 350,000 prescribers in the national DrFirst network between December 2022 and June 2023, prescriptions for the Wegovy weight loss formulation increased sixfold while those for Ozempic, the lower dose version to … Read more
Used blister packs containing medicines, tablets and pills are seen in this illustration taken June 30, 2018. REUTERS/Russell Boyce/Illustration Acquire License Rights Summary Businesses Law firms First reference trials currently being selected in opioid lawsuits against pharmacy benefit managers Firms say appearance of bias means special master can’t handle their cases Oct. 31 (Reuters) – … Read more
Stelara is an interleukin-12 and interleukin-23 antagonist used for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The original product is available in intravenous and subcutaneous formulations. The FDA has approved Wezlana (ustekinumab-auub), making it the first approval for blockbuster biosimilar drug Stelara (ustekinumab). The agency also granted Wezlana an interchangeability … Read more
Dr. Keith Roach Dear Dr. Roach:For four years, I have taken 2 mg of alprazolamat in the evening to sleep. Over the past six months, I’ve noticed that if I take it at 10:30 p.m., I usually can’t fall asleep until 2:30 a.m. Is it safe to just stop taking this medication because it has … Read more