MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'agonists'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:44:53 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411730&cid=t_265476_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuboxonetalkzone.com%2Fbupe.pain.pdf Humana Health Insurance recently revised their guidelines to ultimately reduce the number of scripts for Suboxone that they will cover.  I am in the process of writing the Humana Grievance Department a letter to regain coverage for a patient who was doing very well on the medication.  To provide context, last week I learned of a former patient who had stopped buprenorphine for his own reasons, who passed away a few months later from on overdose of heroin.  And then this morning a patient told me about her nephew, who at the age of 16 is in a coma after an overdose yesterday. Buprenorphine has the power to prevent these and other deaths from opioid dependence.  But patients must have access to the medication.  Many barriers exist;  doctors are reluctant to prescribe, afraid of their p... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411730 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:35:23 +0100 4411730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625775&cid=t_265476_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FFlHBJzIb66I%2F In a much-needed effort to burnish their images, drugmakers repeat a mantra about wanting to help patients beat this or that illness, and that patient safety is a prime concern. Yet this week, we are treated to a curious spectacle in which the FDA had to order at least two companies to make anticipated labeling changes for their long-acting beta-agonists, or LABAs, which should never be used alone to treat asthma (see this). The FDA warning was expected since February, but the agency strengthened its recommendations this week (see the initial and revised alerts). But GlaxoSmithKline - which sells Advair, a $7.8 billion seller - and AstraZeneca, which markets Symbicort, a $2.3 billion product - pushed back (these drugs include a corticosteroid). And so as Reuters points out, the FDA was fo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625775 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:41:02 +0100 3625775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322438&cid=t_265476_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FEHP0aLsDTKU%2F The FDA is not supposed to be in the business of practicing medicine. Their role related to medicine is to approve or not approve medications, and to warn doctors of potential problems with certain types of drugs. Some doctors are now expressing concern about the latest recommendation from the FDA, calling for earlier discontinuation of certain asthma drugs. The doctors, experts in the field of treating asthma, are saying that this recommendation may be very risky for some patients. They expressed their concern at press meeting held at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) 2010 Annual Meeting. Last month, the FDA came out with warnings about using certain types of asthma medications after a certain amount of time (FDA Urging Caution with Asthma Pumps). The FDA bas... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322438 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:59:04 +0100 3322438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3288021&cid=t_265476_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F-_UgZLt8oAw%2F And so once again, another week will soon draw to a close. We hope this has been a productive stretch, although today is not yet history. Still, this may be a good time to ponder the weekend activities. Any interesting plans? We plan to huddle with some of our favorite humans and, of course, walk the dog. While you consider your own possibilities, here are a few items to help you close out the week. Have a nice time, everyone… Merck To Consolidate Media Spending (AdWeek) FDA Issues Warnings On Long-Acting Beta Agonists (Bloomberg News) Novartis’ Tasigna Gets FDA Priority Review (Reuters) Roche Wins Approval To Market Rituxan For CLL (Bloomberg News) Novavax Presents Swine Flu Data (Associated Press) AIDS Vaccine Effect May Wear Off (Reuters) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3288021 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:57:38 +0100 3288021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033592&cid=t_265476_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F482015108%2F A two-day meeting yields good news and bad news - Glaxo’s Serevent and Novartis’ Foradil both pose serious risks that outweigh their benefits for treating adults, adolescents and children with asthma, an FDA advisory committee decided. At the same time, Glaxo’s Advair and AstraZeneca’s Symbicort, both of which are much more widely used, have acceptable safety profiles for asthma patients. The panel reportedly voted 27-0 that Advair benefits outweighed its risks, and the committee voted 23-3, with one member abstaining, in saying the benefits outweighed the risks in adolescents ages 12 to 17 years old. Advair, by the way, is Glaxo’s biggest-selling med. The drugs are known as long-acting beta-agonists, or LABAs, and are used when asthma patients find their symp... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033592 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:00:20 +0100 2033592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512329&cid=t_265476_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F310409734%2F For the past few years, safety questions have hovered over Advair, a long-acting beta agonist that includes a steroid and a $6 billion seller. An FDA alert was issued in 2005; last November, an FDA panel recommended more warnings for kids both Advair and Glaxo’s Serevent, which doesn’t include a steroid; and the agency asked drugmakres for more data as a prelude to an advisory committee meeting later this year. In an attempt to get out in front of the controversy, Glaxo sponsored a review in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that Advair decreases the risk of severe side effects, doesn’t appear to alter the risk for hospitalization, and may not change the risk for asthma-related deaths when compared with the use of steroids alone. In reaching this conclusion, the resea... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512329 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:45:27 +0100 1512329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=934022&cid=t_265476_122_f&fid=35055&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsarasotaneurology.com%2F2007%2F10%2F08%2Fnew-findings-in-restless-legs-syndrome%2F One of the most frustrating neurological conditions is restless legs syndrome (RLS.) It is characterized by an intense overwhelming need to move your legs at night or when sitting or resting. This can be so severe that affected individuals have difficulty sitting through a movie or driving in a car for any distance. Occasionally RLS can be associated with abnormal sensation, particularly in the feet and lower legs. The abnormal sensory symptoms are a form of peripheral neuropathy that is associated with RLS. Symptoms can be so severe as to be an impairment to sleep and feeling of well being. RLS is consider to be a form of sleep disorder, even though individuals can have symptoms during the day, while awake. New research findings that were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine in... Sarasota Neurology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=934022 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 11:13:34 +0100 934022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=802263&cid=t_265476_122_f&fid=35055&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsarasotaneurology.com%2F2007%2F08%2F16%2Fnew-treatment-options-for-parkinsons-disease%2F The FDA has approved a new medication therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The new drug is rotigotine, which is in the family of dopamine agonists. Dopamine agonists mimic the effects of levodopa (Sinemet) without having to go through chemical transformation. Other dopamine agonists include Mirapex and Requip. Rotigotine (Neupro) is different in that it comes in the form of a patch. This has the advantage that the medication is delivered continuously through the skin, while you are wearing the patch. Theoretically, this would provide a more even blood concentration of medication throughout the day. Patients using Neupro should not be taking one of the other dopamine agonists. This patch can be used alone or in combination with other Parkinson medications, to help improve... Sarasota Neurology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=802263 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:06:03 +0100 802263