Pfizer Inc.
Placebos are a sham -- usually mere sugar pills designed to represent "no treatment" in a clinical treatment study. The effectiveness of the actual medication is compared with the placebo to determine if the medication works.
New York, NY, June 18, 2009 -- Researchers have determined that individuals with mild to severe symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome (MetS), a collection of cardiovascular risk factors thought to be linked by insulin resistance).
NEW YORK (April 29, 2009) -- In searching for a simple way to identify individuals with smoking-related lung injury, scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have stumbled upon a potential explanation for why the class of pain-relievers known as COX-2 inhibitors increases the risk of heart problems among users.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that it has suspended the use of COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (Celebrex? Pfizer, Inc.) for all participants in a large colorectal cancer prevention clinical trial conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The study, called the Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib (APC) trial, was stopped because analysis by an independent Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) showed a 2.5-fold increased risk of major fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events for participants taking the drug compared to those on a placebo.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new antibiotic drug for dogs, giving veterinarians a ne w once daily tre atment option to treat skin infections (wounds and abscesses) which are common problems among dogs. The product is called ''Simplicef '' (cefpodoxime proxetil), developed by Pharmacia & Upjohn Co ., of Kalamazoo, Michigan, a division of Pfizer, Inc. The drug is an extended spectrum cephalosporin that is effective in the treatment of skin infections in dogs caused by susceptible strains of Staphylococcusintermedius, Staphylococcusaureus, Streptococcuscanis, Escherichiacoli, Pasteurellamultocida, and Proteusmirabilis.
FDA is alerting pharmacies and the public of a small number of confirmed reports involving counterfeit Viagra sold in two California pharmacies. Both FDA and Pfizer, Inc., the manufacturer of the legitimate drug Viagra, are analyzing the counterfeit product to determine its true composition and whether it poses any health risks.
Pfizer Inc said late last week that results from clinical studies investigating the use of Viagra as a treatment for female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD) do not support a regulatory filing. Pfizer began its FSAD research program in 1996. To date the company has conducted several large-scale placebo-controlled studies involving approximately 3,000 women. While Viagra was found to be safe in all studies, efficacy data were inconclusive. Pfizer said the program would draw to a close this month.
A clinical trial involving 371 patients in eight countries shows that linezolid, a new antibiotic, is at least as effective as two older therapies for treating diabetic foot infections. The drug may be an important new agent for doctors treating infections that are increasingly caused by bacteria resistant to standard antibiotics, and that in severe cases may require amputation.
A drug called pregabalin has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for pain in patients with fibromyalgia, according to study data being presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. The drug, Pregabalin, also was shown to improve sleep and fatigue levels, the data demonstrate. Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain that is frequently associated with fatigue and sleep disturbances. It is estimated to affect two percent of the population, or 5.6 million Americans, and occurs most frequently in women.
