Posts Tagged ‘ Gardasil ’

Musing about Merck, Zetia and Gardasil

November 15th, 2009. By AbiK

So you caught the news recently that Merck’s Gardasil was approved by the FDA for use in boys ages 9 to 26. No one really expects much from this news—ie, doctors aren’t expected to be offering it to their male patients (or their parents as the case may be). But I find it interesting none the less.

First, the background…Gardasil is the vaccine that’s supposed immunize young girls (ages 9 – 26) from the HPV virus—aka, human papillomavirus, the sexually transmitted one that can lead to cervical cancer. There’s a lot of heated debate on Gardasil in girls–we’ve blogged on it as well–and the New York Times recently reported that in order to be effectively immunized with Gardasil, it requires a series of three injections, each costing $130 (translation, around $400; translation, it ain’t cheap). 

But now let’s just take a look at that NYT report again. I read on through the whole article…la Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Gardasil, Merck, Niaspan, Vytorin, Zetia
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Yaz, Yasmin, Gardasil: Are Young Women Just Guinea Pigs?

October 27th, 2009. By LucyC

A couple of interesting news releases came across my desk this morning: the first is about two new lawsuits filed against Bayer AG alleging the company’s birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin have caused two young women life-threatening health events. The second is about the Gardasil vaccine—more on that in a minute. 

First the Yaz lawsuits. Short version: Judith M. Woodall and Tasha Marcell allege that they sustained “severe and permanent personal injuries, pain, suffering, and emotional distress as a result of their use of Yaz.” 

To be specific, the news release states: “Ms. Woodall, a resident of Tennessee, first began using Yaz in approximately November 2008. That same month, she suffered a saddle pulmonary embolus and deep vein thrombosis. Ms. Marcell, a resident of Georgia, began taking Yaz in October 2007. She also suffered a pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis shortly after she began using the medication.” Hold that thought. 

Now the Gardasil press release. One of the researchers involved in the development of the HPV vaccine spoke at a medical conference earlier this month, and instead of towing the company line—in this case the company is Merck—she is reported to have said “70 percent of all HPV infections resolve themselves without treatment within a year. Within two years, Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Gardasil, Yasmin, Yaz
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