July 25, 2011 (Rockville, Maryland) — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated the label for varenicline (Chantix, Pfizer) to include new safety and efficacy information about the smoking-cessation medication [1]. Specifically, the label warns physicians that while varenicline is effective in helping patients with cardiovascular disease quit smoking, it is also associated with a small increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events in this patient population. The risks were first communicated in a July 16, 2011 drug safety communication, reported by heartwire , which stated that physicians need to balance the known benefits of varenicline--a drug effective in helping patients quit smoking--with the potential risks when deciding to use the drug in patients with cardiovascular disease. Join discussion...

July 22, 2011 — Most Americans believe that prescription medications are the most effective treatments for many common illnesses, but a Consumer Reports survey of more than 45,000 people finds that three-fourths of us are turning to alternative therapies like yoga and acupuncture. The new report says 38 million adults make more than 300 million visits per year to acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and other practitioners of alternative and complementary techniques. Join discussion...

July 21, 2011 (London, United Kingdom and Rockville, Maryland) — Both US and European drug safety regulators announced today that they will be considering the PALLAS trial results as part of their ongoing reviews of dronedarone (Multaq, Sanofi-Aventis) safety. For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alert provides details on the very striking CV events seen in the study. Join discussion...