Ovarian Cancer
Drug Developments
A once-daily pill called Niraparib has been approved in the U.K. after studies found it can add an extra 16 months to an ovarian cancer patient’s life expectancy.
Women who inherited the BRCA gene mutation became part of a clinical trial and saw a reduction in the formation of tumors while using Niraparib.
Cancer Research UK director Jonathan Ledermann said, “Niraparib is the first treatment of its class licensed to delay the progression of ovarian cancer following platinum-based chemotherapy, regardless of BRCA status.
Approximately 12 out of 100,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and there is still no reliable form of early screening.
Nursing Homes
Elderly Care
Nursing homes across California, Illinois, Maryland, and other states are reportedly discharging poor and disabled patients, leaving them with no housing, no regular medical care, and no safe relocation options.
Under federal law, a nursing home must provide 30 days’ notice before involuntarily discharging a patient.
Nursing homes are also permitted by law to “discharge or evict a patient when it cannot meet the resident's needs or the person no longer requires services; if the resident endangers the health and safety of other individuals; or if the patient has failed, after reasonable and appropriate notice, to pay.”
California alone has seen a 70 percent increase in improper eviction complaints in the last year.
Diabetes
Studies
A U.K. university study has found that one in three patients with diabetes skip their medication due to side effects.
The drug in question, metformin, is commonly prescribed as a first line of treatment for type 2 diabetes, and its gastrointestinal side effects include diarrhea and flatulence.
Clinical researcher Dr. Andy McGovern of the University of Surrey said some classes of medication are much easier to take than others, and switching to another class would be easier for the patient.
While failure to take medication for diabetes may result in eye disease or kidney damage, there are still drugs on the market such as Invokana, which may cause kidney disease or lead to amputation.
Vaginal Mesh
Women’s Health
In one of the more unfortunate mesh outcomes, a woman in rural England is pushing for a ban on vaginal mesh after her own implantation shrunk, cut through her vaginal wall, and mutilated her partner’s genitals during intercourse.
Theresa Bartman had her vaginal mesh implanted in 2007 and had it removed in 2015 after years of unbearable pain and developing abscesses. She now lives with chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has aided Ms. Bartman’s cause by updating their guidelines and restricting the use of vaginal mesh for research purposes only.
Xarelto
Legal Developments
Indiana resident Lynn Hartman made news after winning a hard-fought battle against pharma giants Bayer Healthcare and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. A Philadelphia jury awarded Hartman $28 million in damages after she suffered severe side effects, including gastrointestinal bleeding, while using the anticoagulant Xarelto.
It was the first legal outcome resulting in a loss for Janssen, Bayer, and Xarelto, having won the previous three suits brought against them. And there are 20,000 more Xarelto-related suits yet to face.
Bayer argues the drug’s labeling always included warnings of bleeding events and plans to appeal the verdict. Xarelto generated $3.2 billion in sales for the company last year.
This is our last MT Weekly roundup for 2017.
All of us at MedTruth thank you for joining the revolution, and we wish you a very happy and healthy 2018!