One lot of potentially oversized Propafenone HCL 225 Tablets mg Tablets have been recalled by Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc because some of them may be oversized.

Watson Pharmaceuticals is uringing nyone who has 225 mg Propafenone HCL Tablets should check the bottle for the lot number and expiration date to see if they have tablets being recalled. Anyone with these tablets should call (888) 352-9616, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EDT, for instructions on how to return affected product. (more…)

Consumers are being warned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not to eat Westco Fruit and Nuts’ peanuts.  According to the FDA, the company has refused to issue a recall, even though the peanuts may be tainted with salmonella linked to the the  Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) recall.

Yesterday, the FDA formally requested Westco/Westcott to voluntarily recall all products containing peanuts from PCA because of the likelihood of salmonella contamination.  FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified products from PCA’s Blakely, Georgia, facility as a source of the current salmonella Typhimurium outbreak, which led to PCA’s recall of the peanuts.  Between November 19 and December 30, 2008, Westco/Westcott received three shipments of Oil Roasted Salted Redskin Jumbo Peanuts from PCA’s Blakely facility.  Westco/Westcott then sold these potentially salmonella-contaminated peanuts in various size/package configurations and also used them as an ingredient in a variety of mixed nut products and trail mix produced between November 19, 2008, and mid-February 2009. (more…)

The Florida Attorney General’s office is the latest governmental entity to confirm that it is conducting a Chinese drywall probe.  According to BradentonHerald.com, investigation centers on Knauf Plasterboard Tianjian and L&W Supply Corp., and whether they engaged in deceptive sales or marketing practices in relation to the drywall scandal.

Other agencies investigating the drywall debacle include the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, BradentonHerald.com said.   The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is also testing the drywall to see if it can be safely disposed in landfills. (more…)

A lawsuit stemming from Hurricane Katrina flooding will go forward.  The lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claims that negligence on the part of the Corp allowed Katrina’s storm surge to rush through the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, and caused  flooding in parts of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish.

The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, which was built by the Corps, serves as a shortcut for ships from the Mississippi River heading to the Gulf of Mexico.  It has long been a subject of scorn for environmentalists, who claim it caused significant damage to surrounding wetlands and swamp forests. (more…)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has added more  products to its list of dangerous tainted weight loss products. The agency said all of the products on the list are made with undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients.

According to Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, “These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed maximum recommended dosages.  Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain dangerous drugs that could cause serious consequences to their health.” (more…)

Zencore Tabs, manufactured by Bodee LLC, Inc. of Century City, California, have been recalled.  According to  the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Zencore Tabs, which  are marketed as a dietary supplement , are being recalled because a laboratory analysis by the agency found they contain potentially harmful, undeclared ingredients.

Zencore Tabs are sold in health food stores and by mail order in the United States and in Canada.  The Zencore Tabs product is sold as a two-capsule blister pack packaged in a retail booklet with five booklets in a box. (more…)

Canadian health regulators have announced a label update for the Ortho Evra birth control patch.  Ortho Evra – sold as Evra in Canada – has been linked to dangerous blood clots.  According to Health Canada, the new Canadian label will include information on the average daily release rates of contraceptive hormones from the Ortho Evra patch.

Since it was approved in Canada in 2002, Health Canada has received at least 16 reports of blood clots and one heart attack among Ortho Evra users. Two patients died, including a 16-year-old girl. (more…)

Earlier this week, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staffers criticized a proposed new blood thinner called rivaroxaban, according to a Dow Jones report.  Now, says HealthDay News, the FDA’s advisory panel found that rivaroxaban’s benefits outweigh its risks, opening the door for FDA approval of the controversial drug.

Proponents of rivaroxaban claim it offers blood-clotting benefits over the more commonly used blood thinner, Heparin, said HealthDay News.  Heparin is typically used in hospital environments because it’s easier to monitor than Coumadin (generic:  warfarin), which—said HealthDay News—requires ongoing blood tests to manage blood levels; rivaroxaban is administered as a once-a-day pill. (more…)

Convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff will have to await his June sentencing in jail.  According to Bloomberg.com, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York rejected Madoff’s request to have his $10 million bail reinstated.

Madoff has been jailed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan since pleading guilty to 11 felony counts on March 12.  At that time, the former investment advisor publicly admitted he had run a Ponzi scheme, and had never invested any of his clients’ money. (more…)