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Study Faults Safety of Minicars
An insurance group faulted the safety of three models of minicars in a study released to the public on Tuesday. According to the report, produced by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Honda Fit, the Toyota Yaris and the Smart Fortwo were significantly less safe in a head-on collision than their mid-size car counterparts. The popularity of minicars has increased dramatically recently as consumers seek to save money on gasoline and minimize their contribution to global warming. Matthew L. Wald, The New York Times 04/14/2009
Researchers Warn of Side Effect of Parkinson's Drugs
A new study shows that higher doses of a class of drugs called dopamine agonists can lead to unhealthy or compulsive habits. These drugs, which are often used to treat Parkinson’s disease, were shown to cause one in six patients to develop unhealthy behaviors. Researchers stress that doctors need to make spouses and caretakers aware of the potential side effects, especially since reducing the dosage of the drugs often controls the problem. Forbes.com, Forbes 04/13/2009
Psoriasis Drug Withdrawn Over Link to Brain Disease
A unit of Swiss drug maker Roche Holding AG has announced that it will withdraw from market the psoriasis treatment Raptiva because of the drug’s link to a deadly brain disease. According to a spokesperson for Genentech Inc., at least three patients have been infected with the brain infection progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy since October. The phased withdrawal of the drug is expected to be completed by June. Marilyn Chase, Bloomberg 04/09/2009
Employees Settle Suit Against Merrill Lynch
Current and former employees of Merrill Lynch & Co. will receive $75 million as part of a settlement with the one-time financial giant, attorneys for the plaintiffs said Monday. In the lawsuit, employees claimed that Merrill violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) by offering stock it knew to be overexposed to risky subprime loans. The class covers employees who purchased Merrill stock from September 30, 2006 through December 31, 2008. Reuters, Reuters 04/06/2009
Patients Face Touch Choice on Replacing Defibrillators
Thousands of patients could face a difficult choice in coming years about whether to replace recalled medical devices implanted in their bodies, the New York Times reports. Among the riskiest procedures awaiting patients, the newspaper says, are surgeries to replace the withdrawn Sprint Fidelis heart defibrillator cable. However, the maker of the Sprint Fidelis, Medtronic, has yet to release a list of hospitals qualified to perform the surgery. Barry Meier, The New York Times 04/06/2009
Psychiatric Policymakers Financially Tied to Drug Firms, Study Says
Ninety percent of the authors involved in creating clinical guidelines for major psychiatric treatments are financially linked to the pharmaceutical industry, a recently completed study has concluded. According to the study, to be published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, the most recent guidelines disproportionately favor drug treatments over other treatment strategies. The authors estimate that sales for drugs to treat depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia earn the drug industry approximately $25 billion per year. Carey Goldberg, Boston Globe 04/02/2009 |
