Search Results

Part of a family of prescription drugs known as incretin mimetics, Onglyza (saxagliptin) and Kombiglyze XR (saxagliptin and metformin HCl) are used to treat Type 2 diabetes. But new data suggests that taking Onglyza or Kombiglyze XR may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, and heart failure, a fatal condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood (more...)

For patients with left ventricular heart failure and other serious heart problems, mechanical heart pumps can be lifesaving devices. Used inside and outside of hospitals, tens of thousands of patients in the United States alone have received these implants. Recently, however, one popular external power supply that powers a popular heart pump model, the HeartMate Heart Pump II® LVAS Pocket (more...)

In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Actemra (tocilizumab) to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, a condition that affects more than 1.5 million Americans. Upon its approval, the drug showed fewer initial side effects than other treatments—a factor that encouraged doctors to prescribe the drug to their patients. In fact, gross sales for Actemra totaled $1.7 billion in 2016, and (more...)