Pharmaceuticals

Fresh data show that Vytorin, a combination pill for cholesterol, cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Health & Safety

Controversial Cholesterol Drug Redeemed By Global Clinical Test

9:16am November 18, 2014

by Scott Hensley

Merck's Vytorin reduced the risk of heart attack and stroke more than a cholesterol-lowering statin alone. The findings come from an international study of more than 18,000 people in 39 countries.

Health & Safety

Parkinson's Drugs Can Be A Gateway To Sin

11:28am October 22, 2014

by Scott Hensley

Researchers call for stronger safety warnings on drugs called dopamine agonists because they can trigger self-destructive, obsessional behavior in some people.

A view of the rewards screen on the Mango Health app.

Health & Safety

Take Your Medicine, Tap Your Phone And Collect A Prize

6:10pm October 17, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

Apps offer games and rewards to keep you taking your prescription medicine. While rewards may not be for everyone, they could give some people a helpful motivational boost.

Icon Genetics' Dr. Frank Thieme selects samples of Nicotiana benthamiana, a relative of tobacco, growing in a company greenhouse in Halle, Germany. The company uses the plants to produce antibodies that could be helpful for increasing supplies of ZMapp.

Answering Your Questions About Ebola Treatments And Vaccines

6:43pm October 10, 2014

We answer listeners' questions about treatments and possible vaccines for Ebola.

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A man stands above a new Ebola treatment center in Monrovia, Liberia. Health workers in Liberia, the hardest-hit nation, have turned people away from treatment units because of shortages of beds and staff.

Experimental Drug Jams Ebola Gene To Fight The Virus

11:46am October 02, 2014

by Richard Harris

A drug being tested against Ebola makes use of new scientific insights that could prove useful for treating other illnesses, including one that is inherited.

Health & Safety

5 Things We Learned From New Database Of Payments To Doctors

11:45am October 02, 2014

by Charles Ornstein

Royalty and licensing payments accounted for almost a third of the amount paid to doctors by drug and device companies. The total exceeded the amount spent on speeches, consulting and meals.

Health & Safety

4 Years Of Lessons Learned About Drugmakers' Payments To Doctors

5:15pm September 30, 2014

American doctors received at least $1.4 billion in payments from drug companies last year. What did the companies get for their money?

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Health & Safety

Database Flaws Cloud Sunshine On Industry Payments To Doctors

3:09pm September 30, 2014

by Charles Ornstein

A federal website set to go live Tuesday will disclose drug and device companies' ties to doctors. The release marks a milestone, but could be misleading for patients checking up on their doctors.

When does a diet drug tip the balance for health?

Health & Safety

FDA Approves New Diet Pill That's Made Of Old Medicines

5:33pm September 12, 2014

by Scott Hensley

Contrave will be available in pharmacies this fall. But the companies working on the drug's marketing won't say how much it will cost.

Federal prosecutors allege two nursing homes in California have "persistently and severely overmedicated elderly and vulnerable residents." Antipsychotic drugs like risperidone, also known as Risperdal, can be dangerous for elderly people, but are frequen

Feds Hope Hitting Nursing Homes In The Wallet Will Cut Overmedication

9:27am September 08, 2014

by Ina Jaffe

A U.S. attorney has sued two nursing homes in Watsonville, Calif., alleging that they failed to provide the acceptable care they were paid for by the government.

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