When Merck halted a late-stage study of its potential clot-preventing drug vorapaxar in stroke victims last week, it didn't explain why. Now, the company has confirmed it stopped the study after concerns that the drug increased the risk of bleeding in some patients.
On Tuesday, the FDA will convene a panel of experts to discuss GlaxoSmithKline's type II diabetes drug Avandia. Once a blockbuster, sales of the drug have dropped by more than half since studies suggested it significantly increases risk for serious heart problems.
GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia once again captured headlines Monday morning after two new studies linked it to heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications. The authors of the studies say the results should prompt the FDA to pull the drug from the market.
While DaVita says health reform would allow the dialysis-center operator to offer more integrated care, it could hurt business if Medicare recipients become an even bigger part of its patient load. CEO Kent Thiry reviews the pros and cons of reform.
