FirstMed Consulting Blog

FirstMed has placed a hold on supplying the weight loss treatment Acomplia because of new research.

The European Medicines Agency’s (EMEA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CMHP) has announced the suspension of the diet pill, Acomplia. The most recent assessment by the CHMP showed that there was approximately a doubling of the risk of psychiatric disorders in obese or overweight patients taking Acomplia compared to those taking a placebo (a dummy pill).

Advice for patients
Patients currently taking Acomplia should consult their doctor or pharmacist when convenient to discuss their treatment. Patients who wish to stop taking Acomplia can do so at any time.

Advice for healthcare professionals
Prescribers should not issue any prescriptions for Acomplia and should review the treatment of patients currently taking the medicine. A letter is being sent to healthcare professionals about this announcement, through the Department of Health’s Central Alerting System.

A doctor known as the “King of Viagra” due to the huge amount of fake tablets he was peddling, was jailed this week after pleading guilty to being part of a global conspiracy to sell fake medicines.

Dr George Patino, 48, sold thousands of counterfeit tablets online to customers across the world.
Following his arrest by investigators from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency at Heathrow in 2005, a court heard he was taking up to 200 orders a day for various medicines, including the impotence drug Viagra.

Instead of the medicine coming in the manufacturer Pfizer’s packaging, they arrived to customers in brown bottles. The labeling gave a return address as a Finnish post box number to deliberately conceal the identities of those behind the operation. The drugs were bought from Chinese suppliers for as little as 50 US cents (25p) but sold on to unsuspecting customers for up to £20 per tablet.

The court was read a number of emails from disgruntled customers complaining that the tablets were fake and had no effect.

Patino pleaded guilty on the basis that his criminality netted him $237,000 (£133,000).

Mick Deats, head of enforcement at the MHRA, said: “Counterfeit medicines are dangerous. They are designed to deceive patients and health care professionals and generate vast profits.”

The business in fake erectile dysfunction medication is huge worldwide and is run by all sorts of different criminal organizations. You should be extremely careful about buying erectile dysfunction medication online and always take care to use trusted pharmacies. Read our links on What to Look out For before making any online purchase.

A one-float parade consisting of an unauthorized Viva Viagra missile made the rounds in Manhattan last month. However Pfizer, not amused, went to court to prevent a repeat performance. A federal judge in Manhattan ruled Wednesday that Arye Sachs’ antics infringe on a trademark held by Pfizer Inc.

Sachs, an Israeli-born aircraft collector and mobile-billboard entrepreneur, hauled the missile on a trailer hitched to his car and towed the seven ½-metre-long rocket last month to various spots in Manhattan, including Pfizer’s headquarters.

The judge said Sachs’ use of the slogan could make people think his missile was a Pfizer-approved ad. The court also said he might “harm Pfizer’s reputation” with a plan to invoke Viagra’s while distributing politically themed condoms.

According to Pfizer’s complaint, on September 8 Sachs’s Jet Angel company “transported through Manhattan, and even brought to Pfizer’s world headquarters on 42nd Street, a replica missile prominently bearing Pfizer’s VIVA VIAGRA mark and logo on its side in the same color and distinctive lettering style used in Pfizer’s own VIVA VIAGRA advertisements.” Apparently, the court has since ordered Sachs to remove the Viagra logo. Hence, the Viva Viagra has since been replaced with “Censored by a Federal Court” (as since in the above picture)

Just in case some people at Pfizer HQ missed the stunt, Sachs & Co. sent an e-mail to Pfizer indicating their plans to return, they announced an imminent “tour” of VIAGRA-branded missiles in New York and “twelve other major cities,” complete with models distributing free condoms depicting Senators McCain and Obama . .

Arye Sachs, said no one would be deterred from buying the blue pills because of what he did, The New York Post reported Wednesday. He says he knows because he’s a “customer.”

Every couple of months or so, a natural substitute for Viagra invariably hits the headlines. Last month it was Watermelons, this month- Horny Goat Weed. So how does this work and is Viagra in danger of being replaced as the impotence treatment of choice any time soon.

Horny Goat Weed is a compound made from epimedium brevicornum - also known as Bishop’s Hat, Barrenwort, Fairy Wings, or Yin Yang Huo. According to folklore, horny goat weed’s reputed aphrodisiac qualities were discovered when a Chinese goat herder noticed increased sexual activity in his flock after they ingested the weed.

The reason it is in the news at the moment is thanks to a group of scientists from the University of Milan. Mario Dell’Agli, the lead researcher, said that experiments showed that icariin, a compound found inside the horny goat weed, appears to act by inhibiting the PDE-5 enzyme, a process which increases blood flow and facilitates the occurrence of an erection.

Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, also works by inhibiting PDE5. It is thought to be 80 times more effective than icariin. However, Mr Dell’Agli said that by producing a modified version of the horny goat weed molecule, a compound that “works as well as Viagra” can be produced.

“This could be the natural Viagra,” said Mr Dell’Agli. “We have synthesised a new molecule that one day may be able to replace Viagra.”

However, don’t hold your breath just yet. Mr Dell’Agli also said that further tests were necessary and that it would be at least 10 years before any drug was available to consumers.

Other herbal remedies for impotence include

Ginkgo Biloba - An all-round circulation booster. It is most widely known for its ability to improve memory, but it has been reported to also increase blood flow to the penis.

Cardamon- An aromatic spice used in cooking by many eastern cultures and many find it beneficial in dealing with impotence.

Ginseng - Well known as a sexual stimulant. Often used by men who have a loss of sex drive in Chinese culture.

Yohimbe – Taken from the bark of the west African yohimbe tree, it stimulates blood flow to the penis. Yohimbe has also been shown to increase libido and decrease the period between ejaculations. However, yohimbe is not recommended because it has a very narrow therapeutic index. There is a relatively small dosing range, below it the herb doesn’t work and above it the herb is toxic. Side effects of normal dosages include dizziness, anxiety, hyperstimulation, and nausea. As little as 40 mg a day can cause a severe drop in blood pressure, abdominal pain, fatigue, hallucinations, and paralysis.

Of course, as cheap, safe and available as natural medicines are, they do have one tiny drawback: they don’t actually do much. Viagra’s experimentally demonstrable effects probably ensure that the drug will have great staying power.