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 'health canada'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:07:02 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762936&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAEspvdtrmw4%2F Less than a month after the FDA refused to approve the Gardasil vaccine for preventing HPV in women ages 27 to 45, Health Canada has gone in the other direction and issued an endorsement. Although Canada is a smaller market than the US, the approval is a notable step for Merck, which has been counting on a larger demographic target to boost sorely needed vaccine revenue. In the US, Merck has been repeatedly frustrated in trying to widen the market for Gardasil. Last year, the FDA postponed a decision about approval for women ages 26 to 45 after Merck had submitted additional data. The submission was made after the agency three years ago refused to approve the vaccine for this same age bracket and, instead, sought data on a 48-month study (back story). In Canada, Gardasil is now approved to... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762936 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:32:43 +0100 4762936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560269&cid=t_94713_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbig-herbas-research-deficit-why-it-isnt-about-the-money%2F2011.03.08 This is a guest post from Erik Davis of Skeptic North. ********** Bankers, Buyouts & Billionaires: Why Big Herba’s Research Deficit Isn’t About The Money It’s a scene from the blogosphere that’s become all too familiar. A skeptic challenges a natural health product for the lack of an evidentiary base. A proponent of that product responds that the skeptic has made a logical error — an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and in such a scenario it’s not unreasonable to rely on patient reporting and traditional uses as a guide. The skeptic chimes back with a dissertation on the limits of anecdotal evidence and arguments from antiquity — especially when the corresponding pharma products have a data trail supporting their safety and efficacy. The pr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560269 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:00:09 +0100 4560269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142747&cid=t_94713_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-devices-daylight-savings-time-and-y2k-nostalgia%2F2010.11.07 Remember that cold December in 1999 when we all thought that planes would soon be dropping out of the sky, nuclear power plants were to be melting down, and the world was going to end? This weekend Health Canada is giving clinicians across the country (and really all of North America) an opportunity to feel the anxiety, fear, and excitement all over again. In 2007, the dates for switching between Standard and Daylight Saving time were changed, and the authorities, three years into the new schedule, have issued a warning for this weekend’s one hour rollback: Medical equipment manufactured prior to 2007 may not function optimally if the equipment has not been updated by manufacturers to compensate for the new dates. To date, Health Canada has not received any reports of device malfunct... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142747 Sun, 07 Nov 2010 22:00:13 +0100 4142747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055958&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FnhT6tumVJgc%2F A senior Health Canada analyst who reviews drugs before they go on the public market is suing his boss for allegedly branding him as mentally unstable and potentially violent after he opposed a government policy on labeling hormone drugs for men, The Ottawa Citizen reports. Thaddeus Yarney had argued against an alleged policy proposed by a Health Canada director to remove a statement from drug labeling that andropause (otherwise known as male menopause) is a condition that can be treated by testosterone drugs. This is a contentious issue that was the subject of a recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine (see here). Yarney, a reproductive endocrinologist, had what was described as a prestigious and unblemished career for 25 years until 2005, when he started reporting to a new bos... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055958 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:03:00 +0100 4055958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045094&cid=t_94713_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-benefits-of-green-tea-omega-3-combo%2F2010.10.08 We have know for some time that there are health benefits from drinking green tea. Research also shows that Omega 3 fatty acids have beneficial effects on a number of organs in the body, including the cardiovascular system, the brain, and even depression. Dr. Fereidoon Shahidi, research professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada, is hoping to show that green tea polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), may also prevent colon cancer and even have anti-viral effects when combined with certain Omega 3 fatty acids. “We know from experience that green tea is not well absorbed by the body,” Dr. Shahidi said. “Our premise was to see if by adding something to it that has its own benefits, like Omega 3 fatty acids, we might g... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045094 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0100 4045094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3823169&cid=t_94713_154_f&fid=35946&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCanadianMedicine%2F%7E3%2FO_Orz-eNKxk%2Frelistor-may-weaken-gi-wall.html When to bewareAs all meds do, mythylnaltrexone bromide (Relistor) has its share of possible side effects, the most common being dizziness, flatulence, mild diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and hyperhidrosis. Severe reactions include a serious case of any already mentioned, or allergic reactions.Today, Health Canada and Wyeth Canada added a new possible adverse reaction to the list: a heightened risk of gastrointestinal perforation, especially in those with GI cancers and other conditions that could weaken the gastrointestinal wall.When Relistor came onto the scene – it was approved by Health Canada on March 28, 2008 – it relieved opioid-induced constipation in palliative-care patients with incurable cancers, end-stage COPD from emphysema, heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, ... Canadian Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3823169 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:08:00 +0100 3823169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714445&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FkLpeuK6mO5o%2F The objectives of the province-wide suicide prevention strategy should include: • Enhanced mental health and well being for Ontarians. • The education of the public to de-stigmatize mental health disorders, including depression and substance abuse disorders. • Improving intervention and support for Ontarians affected by depression and substance abuse. • Improving intervention and treatment for those at risk of suicide. • Increased efforts to reduce access to lethal means of suicide. • Increased research activities in Ontario on suicide, suicidal behaviour and suicide prevention. • Improved suicide and suicidal behaviour-related surveillance systems. • Inform and educate the media into strategies when reporting deaths due to suicide to prevent ‘copy cat’ suicides from oc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714445 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:26:55 +0100 3714445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499308&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FEyBkqr9b-FE%2F Pricing is always a touchy subject. Celgene, however, is taking this to a new level. The drugmaker is battling Canada’s Patented Medicine Prices Review Board over its insistence on getting pricing info for Thalomid. Last December, a federal court ruled the agency was entitled to the data, but Celgene appealed and the Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear the appeal, Bloomberg News reports. A federal appeals court ruled last December that the review board “has a legitimate interest” in the cost of the med because the price will be paid “by the ultimate consumer in Canada.” But Celgene has a unique argument - since Thalomid was sold at its New Jersey plant and shipped to Canadian docs, Celegene says the review board doesn’t have jurisdiction to demand anything. T... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499308 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:45:10 +0100 3499308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3449018&cid=t_94713_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FRy1y-YiQKd4%2F Marian Diamond, UC-Berkeley: “People frequently do the same level of crossword puzzles to stimulate their brains year after year. They do not challenge their brains with more difficult levels of puzzles. In our research, we showed that if we challenged the rats to reach their food cups by having to climb over many obstructions, their brains increased more than those of rats who could walk unhindered to their food cups. Challenge increased brain size.” Tom Warden, Allstate: “… we see the opportunity that cognitive training provides as just the next evolution of things that we can advocate and get behind that ultimately make for a better driving experience, a safer driving experience for people. Not only for our insureds, but to help the roads be safer for everyone&#... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3449018 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:45:14 +0100 3449018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3441055&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwHPKVX7Mulg%2F The drugmaker feared frequent visits by Canadian inspectors would slow production of its H1N1 vaccine, according to The Toronto Star, citing newly released documents. Emails between Paul Lucas, who heads Glaxo’s Canadian unit, and senior officials at Health Canada last November reveal Glaxo was frustrated over an extra visit by inspectors to its Ste-Foy, Que., facility, where it made the vaccine. In Nov. 1, 2009 email, Lucas was surprised that Health Canada planned to send inspectors the next day after having been there the previous day. “I understand the difficult position that everyone is in during this pandemic situation and the various pressures in the system,” Lucas wrote in the email sent to Morris Rosenberg, deputy minister at Health Canada. “However, I must... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3441055 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:03:53 +0100 3441055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012636&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FHLCJ9fj0X_c%2F Once again, the week is about to draw to a close. And not a moment too soon. Of course, we must still muddle through another deadline or meeting, but relief is in sight. What will you do this weekend? We will, of course, rake more leaves and spend time with assorted short people. With any luck, we may also read a book. Whatever you do, hope you have a nice time…. Roche’s Actemra Succeeds In Arthritis Study (Reuters) Health Canada Warns About Pet Drugs And Diabetes (Canadian Press) NICE Calls Bayer’s Nexavar Too Expensive (The Wall Street Journal) Ranbaxy Recalls Acne Drug From The US (The Business Standard) Glaxo, Merck Developing Drugs For Kala Azar (DNAIndia) Interpol Seizes 167,000 Countefeit Pills (PharmaTimes) Former McKesson Exec Convicted Of Securities Fraud (KTVU.... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012636 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:57 +0100 3012636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2681966&cid=t_94713_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FmMKn954YwVs%2F Health Canada has issued a recall of Paradigm Quick-set insulin infusion sets. If you use one of these, please read this press release to see if yours is affected: Health Canada is advising Canadians that the company Medtronic has initiated a recall of its Paradigm Quick-set infusion sets with lot numbers beginning with “8″ (”Lot 8″). A small percentage of the affected infusion sets may work improperly and may deliver too much or too little insulin, which could cause serious health effects. Medtronic Paradigm Quick-set infusion sets are used by patients with diabetes as part of intensive insulin therapy. An infusion set is a narrow-diameter tube that connects to an insulin pump to deliver insulin to the patient through a needle under the patient’s skin. Patie... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2681966 Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:36:00 +0100 2681966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441820&cid=t_94713_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F2pG3ThvFE_U%2F Health Canada issued an adviorsy earlier this week advising expectant mothers and breastfeeding women not to take the vitamin-mineral supplements Maxum Matragen or Maxum Multi-Vite by Seroyal International Inc. The concerns lie in the lack of proper labeling, certain ingredients, and lack of others. Both Maxum Matragen and Maxum Multi-Vite contain ginkgo biloba, green tea extracts and vanadium. At this point, the safety of these ingredients for pregnant women or nursing women isn’t known and there is no such labeling to that effect. As well, the supplements don’t have enough iron or folic acid for pregnant or nursing women. These are essential for both baby and maternal health. Folic acid has been found to be very important in the baby’s development. If you are pregnant o... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441820 Thu, 28 May 2009 08:02:56 +0100 2441820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2417070&cid=t_94713_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FOmhYQtl0CEE%2F I don’t think we’ll ever reach a point that we’ve “heard it all,” because every time I think I have, I hear something else. What do you think about the possibility of your bag of chips, bottle of soda, and plate of store-bought cookies being bulked up with vitamins and minerals? Well in you’re in Canada, this could be coming to a store near you, considering what Health Canada is considering. However, according to articles I’ve been reading, the Health Minister, Leona Aglukkaq, has put the plans on hold pending further review. A smart move, perhaps? It seems that some people feel that if people are missing the vitamins and minerals found in a balanced diet and they are going to eat junk food anyway, they might as well benefit from junk food that&#82... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2417070 Sun, 17 May 2009 13:29:00 +0100 2417070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1616025&cid=t_94713_109_f&fid=35044&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fadultaddstrengths%2FGVqP%2F%7E3%2F333468811%2F So now you know how the US Government feels about Adults with ADHD. 2nd class citizens? An after thought? We’ll eventually get around to you, but you’re not really that important. 8 Years. Count em. Almost a decade. It has been used off label for quite some time, but now it’s “officially approved” by the FDA as medication for adults with ADHD. Maybe it’s not just the FDA’s fault, maybe its the manufacturer’s Mcneil Pediatrics/ Janssen-Ortho. Maybe both. For the clinically inclined types, here’s the Medscape CME (free login required) on it. Here’s the detailed Concerta Prescribing Information PDF. If this Health Canada page is accurate, it looks like Concerta was approved for use in adults in Canada on April 15, 2008, nearly 3 mon... Adult ADD Strengths blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1616025 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:34:04 +0100 1616025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1404198&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F279352738%2F Two years ago, the drugmaker refused to sell the cancer med in Canada because the government board that regulates the cost of patented meds decided the price would have been too high. Now, though, Bristol-Myers has agreed to sell Erbiux and at a price lower than it had wanted, The Globe and Mail reports. A Bristol-Myers spokesman says Erbitux will be marketed some time this year at a price agreed to by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, but insists the decision was largely due studies showing the drug can prolong the lives of metastatic colorectal cancer patients, in addition to patients with certain head and neck cancers. “The price issue is behind us,” he tells the paper. ”We’re going to work at making sure it’s available to Canadians beyond th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1404198 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:17:16 +0100 1404198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1361149&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F267158534%2F That’s the concern after the government moved yesterday to meet intense pressure to get new drugs on the market faster while maintaining rigorous safety requirements. But health experts warned that Canadians could be exposed to meds that are approved too quickly to ensure safety, The Globe and Mail reports. Canada introduced sweeping changes to the way drugs are approved and monitored so safety checks will be required before and after they reach the market. Under the new rules, drugmakers will have to prove only that the benefit of their product outweighs the harm. In the old system, the federal government proved a drug was safe before it was approved for public use, the paper writes. But Health Minister Tony Clement insists the rules won’t water down safety requirements for ne... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1361149 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:45:09 +0100 1361149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1356373&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F266288921%2F This is certain to cause a ruckus. Two years after Health Canada warned about prescribing antidepressants to children, a new study reports that the number of children and teens who died by suicide increased 25 per cent after years of steady decline, The Vancouver Sun writes. At the same time, the increased suicide rate coincided with a 10 percent drop in the rate of visits to docs for treating depression in children. The researchers tracked health records of more than 265,000 Manitoba children per year between 1995 and March 2006. Health Canada warned in 2004 that antidepressants may be associated with an increased risk of suicide-related events in patients under 18. They found the warning was followed by a 14 percent drop in antidepressant use among children and teens, fewer visits to doc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1356373 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:11:17 +0100 1356373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1322423&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F257007687%2F As the US grapples with a pathway for biogenerics, Health Canada has beat the FDA to the punch and issued a draft guidance. The agency recently posted on its website requirements for manufacturers and says it could approve products under existing regulations until laws are amended to include the new approval pathway, FDA News reports. If finalized, a so-called subsequent-entry biologic would have to be similar to a previously approved biologic, relying in part on publicly available safety and efficacy data. Interchangeability and substitutability would not be automatic, but would be decided on a case-by-case basis, according to the draft guidance. Health Canada says it plans to publish additional guidance documents on specific product classes, FDA News continues. A subsequent-entry biolo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1322423 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:27:16 +0100 1322423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1303457&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F251369259%2F In a surprise move, the Ontario government announced yesterday it will begin covering the cost of an expensive drug to treat macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, even though an alternative is widely available at a fraction of the cost, The Globe and Mail reports. It will cost the province’s drug benefit plan roughly $100 million over the next three years to pay for Lucentis, a breakthrough drug that has been on the Canadian market since last September. The decision will give eligible Ontarians - primarily seniors - suffering from wet macular degeneration access to this new drug for the first time, the province’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care said in a statement. But the paper reports thousands of Canadians already have access to a similar drug that is mu... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1303457 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:25:22 +0100 1303457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1188764&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F226004697%2F Health Canada is reviewing safety information on Botox, just one week after Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to issue stronger safety warnings, The Canadian Press reports. “Health Canada’s review of safety information on the issue of toxin spread regarding Botox began after departmental experts’ review of European studies,” Health Canada spokeswoman Carole Saindon wrote in an e-mail to the paper. If the review identifies any new safety information, “it will be made public to Canadians and Canadian health care professionals as soon as it is available…Canadians can be confident that after a thorough review, Health Canada will take action, if necessary.” In its petition, Public Citizen wrote the FDA that the “European Union has posted a series... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1188764 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:14:06 +0100 1188764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1019164&cid=t_94713_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F183086532%2F With little fanfare, Health Canada is telling doctors and other health care workers that Glaxo’s diabetes pill can only be used only in rare circumstances, and is no longer approved for use with other common diabetes meds, such as insulin or sulfonylureas. Another caveat - Avandia can’t be used in patients with any stage of heart failure, according to info posted on the health agency’s web site on Nov. 6. The move comes as the FDA has yet to complete its own review. An agency advisory committee met in July and suggested Avandia carry new safety warnings about heart risks. The panel was convened after a controversial study published in The New England Journal of Medicine contended the pill causes a 43 percent increased risk of heart attack and the FDA is reportedly conside... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1019164 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:13:44 +0100 1019164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=982662&cid=t_94713_86_f&fid=35599&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshrlibrary.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Ffood-guides-get-more-personal.html Canada’s Food Guide has been around since 1942 and has been through many transformations. The most recent revision saw the inclusion of a variety of ethnic cuisines. Recognizing the different dietary needs of Canadians, Health Canada updated their website to include an interactive module that allows users to personalize the Food Guide information according to their age, gender and food preferences. Additionally, Health Canada created a complementary food guide customized to reflect traditions and dietary choices of First Nations, Inuit and Métis.Health Canada based this food guide model on the United States Department of Agriculture’s “MyPyramid” which has already begun adapting its food guides for specific groups. Just this week the USDA released the “MyPyramid for Pregnancy an... SHR Medical Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=982662 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:50:00 +0100 982662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=927913&cid=t_94713_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F165386199%2Fcanada_recalls_prexige_from_market.html Health Canada announced today that it has stopped all sales of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.'s sale of the anti-inflammatory drug, Prexige.The cancellation of market authorization comes due to the risk of liver related illness such as hepatitis. Health Canada based their decision on 4 cases internationally including 2 in Canada.Canada joins Australia, as was previously reported, who pulled approval of the drug in mid-September. Prexige (lumiracoxib), a Cox-3 selective inhibitor non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has been marketed by Novartis (NYSE:NVS) in Canada since November 2006 for adults with symptoms of osteoarthritis. (Source: PharmaGazette) PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=927913 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:30:24 +0100 927913