F Eeken eeken_22@lycos.com

By MATTIAS KAREN, Associated Press Writer

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - 14 january 2005

A Norwegian cancer researcher has admitted fabricating data published in a renowned international medical journal, officials in Norway said Saturday.

The researcher at Norway's Comprehensive Cancer Center, who was not identified, used faked patient data in an article on oral cancer published in the October 2005 issue of The Lancet, Britain's leading medical journal, said Stein Vaaler, strategy director for the cancer center.

Tresa Baldas baldas0@yahoo.com - The National Law Journal - January 10, 2006

The cold medicine industry is battling a new strain of legal headaches involving the unlawful use of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in decongestants that's used to make crystal meth...

By Jonathan D. Rockoff - Sun Reporter

Originally published January 9, 2006

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration has been attacked recently for factoring nonscientific evidence into its decisions, but a growing number of critics argue it should do exactly that.......

Studies: "Drugs cause Brain bleeding"

Alison Frankel - The American Lawyer - January 6, 2006

All of the necessary elements of a litigation blockbuster seemed to be in place. The science was good. The defendants -- a handful of enormous pharmaceutical companies -- still deny it, but two long-term studies have shown that a tiny percentage of the people who took over-the-counter drugs containing a chemical called phenylpropanolamine (PPA) were victims of PPA-associated hemorrhagic stroke. According to the epidemiological studies, thousands of people who used nonprescription diet pills or cold remedies suffered sudden bleeding into their brains as a result.

Dr. Eric J. Topol, a cardiologist with the prestigious Cleveland Clinic Foundation, has been one of the most outspoken critics of the drug companies. He came into the spotlight after he openly criticized drug company Merck and its painkiller Vioxx, which was withdrawn from the market because of safety concerns. Dr. Topol has also criticized other drugs and was recently demoted from his position as head of the clinic's medical college. He suggested in a Webcast that his criticism of Merck was a key reason why he was demoted.