North America

Doctors who take drug company payments prescribe more branded drugs

Doctors who accept payments from pharmaceutical companies write more prescriptions for branded drugs than those who don’t, according to a report.…

FDA approves injectable psoriasis drug

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved an injectable treatment, ixekizumab (Taltz; Eli Lilly), for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. …

Adverse drug reaction profiles vary between Europe and United States

Details of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) included in official product information differ significantly between the United States and Europe, according to research.…

Omalizumab reduces colds in children with asthma

Children treated with omalizumab had 27% fewer colds then those treated with guideline-based care.…

Sex bias in drug research: a call for change

Because medical and drug research is conducted mainly on men, there can be dangerous consequences for women who receive the same treatment.…

Analysis of health records detects undiagnosed diabetes, study shows

Researchers from the UCLA suggest that screening of type 2 diabetes through electronic health records could potentially detect an additional 400,000 individuals with active and untreated disease in the United States, compared with conventional diagnostic tools.…

New FDA commissioner appointed

Robert Califf has been confirmed as the new commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). …

FDA approves brivaracetam for partial onset epilepsy

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved brivaracetam (Briviact) as an add on treatment for partial onset seizures in patients with epilepsy who are over 16 years of age.…

No difference in efficacy between generic antiepileptic drugs

Switching between generic antiepileptic drugs does not lead to significant changes in seizure frequency or adverse events, study finds.…

Why deintensification of drug therapy could be beneficial for some patients

Intensive drug treatment for certain patients with comorbidities can sometimes do more harm than good.…