APP Pharmaceuticals has voluntarily recalled five lots of irinotecan for injection.

Some customers discovered small particles of foreign material in one lot of the irinotecan vials.  Further inspection found fungal microbes in the vials they sent back.

It is unlikely that you as a patient would see the recalled vials or particles directly since irinotecan is diluted before your IV infusion.  However, you might develop an infection or other adverse event.  If that happens, call your doctor immediately! Read the rest of this entry »

Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals has withdrawn Darvon®, Darvon-N®, and Darvocet® from the US market at the request of the FDA.

Even in recommended doses, Darvon (propoxyphene) can cause changes in heart activity which can be seen on an electrocardiogram (ECG) adding to the risk of serious changes in heart rhythm.

On November 19, 2010, The FDA recommended that health professionals stop prescribing any propoxyphene immediately and that patients who are using it contact their doctor about the right way to stop.

If your doctor has prescribed a drug that contains Darvon for you, the doctor should contact you to discuss other ways of managing pain and safely discontinuing its use. Read the rest of this entry »

The House and Senate are finishing up a continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the federal government through December 3, and plan to adjourn after voting on the CR until November. Under the CR, funding will continue at FY 2010 enacted levels for most programs – including cancer research programs at the National Institutes of Health and colorectal cancer control programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Congress is not expected to finish the fiscal year 2011 appropriations bills until after the election.

Take action today, and tell Congress to increase fiscal year 2011 cancer research funding. As they head home for the election, take a minute to remind Members that they have work to finish when they come back to DC in November. Tell your Senators and Representative that you expect them to make colorectal cancer a top priority.

On Facebook? Take action and share this alert with your friends and family so that they can help in the fight too.
Read the rest of this entry »

A September 2nd update from the FDA cites manufacturing delays at Bedford Laboratories and Teva Pharmaceuticals  for leucovorin shortages.

Here at the Colorectal Cancer Coalition, we’re hearing from patients who are not receiving leucovorin during their chemotherapy because it just isn’t available.

Bedford says that they will be releasing some 350 mg and 200 mg vials in September and are working on other presentations.  Teva is allocating 100 mg vials and says that the 350 mg vials are on back-order with an expected release date in the fourth quarter of 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

Check the eggs in your refrigerator!

The FDA, collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of Agriculture, and state health departments, have traced a nationwide spike in Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infections to a single firm in Iowa.

Eggs shipped from Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa after May 16,2010 have been recalled.

The CDA received approximately 200 reports of Salmonella Enteritidis every week in late June and early July, more than four times the usual 50 weekly reports over the past five years. Read the rest of this entry »