Asthma treatment

I started taking Sinulair a year ago. After 6 months I noticed a changed in my moods, anger and patience level. I was losing my upbeat attitude towards life. I stopped a month ago and my breathing has worsened but my moods are back to my up beat self again.I am now dealing with deeper depression, anxiety, no motivation, I feel confused and want to sleep a lot. I am easily agitated and no sex drive. Not my normal I am usually very active. I started seeing a therapist 3 weeks ago because I felt I had no control over my life anymore and I m always feeling down. I read these articles today and now I am concerned this singulair medication is contributing to my depression and anxiety.

My therapist suggested that I stop taking this singulair. It worked great for allergies but not worth what I going through currently.I will be trying something else for my allergies. I have been on singulair for about 2 years now. I have always been depressed for most of my life but the past 2 years have been hell. I have noticed that it was getting worse and worse and didn’t have any energy, cried alot, ect. I have stopped taking it now for about 1 month since I heard the news and i don’t know if it’s related or not but i’m happy now. I’m not as depressed and have way more energy. I think that speaks for itself really. I can’t wait to see what they find out.

I’ve been taking singulair for a long time and I have been depressed and suicidal for just as long. I never considered a correlation between the two but it would answer a lot of questions. I had been given a prescription for Singular several months ago and had not taken it on a regular basis until my asthma got so bad that I was having to use my relief inhaler several times a day. A couple of months ago I remembered that I still had my prescription and decided to start taking it on a daily basis. The depression started very gradual and I didn’t realize how depressed I was getting until I started having thoughts of giving up on life. I felt like crying all the time, and the thoughts of suicide started occuring more and more. A friend mentioned to me that she had heard that Singular was suspected of causing depression and suicidal thoughts.

http://www.healasthma.com

Singulair made me crazy…there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever. While taking Singulair (daily for 2 years), I had pronounced mood swings, was depressed and suicidal. I was having very strange thoughts about death and physical trauma and had never felt that way before. Not long after I stopped using Singulair, these symptoms went away completely. There is no doubt in my mind that Singulair is the culprit of those symptoms. Our 16 year old son has been on Singulair for almost a year now (various enviornmental allergies). After hearing about it the side effects on the news a few weeks ago, we decided that it wasn’t worth the risk and took him off. Plus the last nine months he has expressed that he hasn’t felt quite right mentally. He is confused and unsure of things and has low energy. After two days of being off Singulair he became very congested for about three days. We are going to talk with his ENT and get him on something else, as hearing this on the news and reading these comments almost convinces me that the Singulair is affecting his moods. I have been taking singulair for about 8 years. In combination with advair and zyrtec D, my asthma has improved drastically. I couldn’t do anything without wheezing and literally slept with a rescue inhaler under my pillow and used it several times per night. I am currently taking mesd for depression and anxiety but this is due to personal issues and pre-menopause. I am very greatful for what sigulair has done for me… I now work out at a gym 2 times per week and everynight at home on my treadmill for 4 miles. Since December, I have lost 15 lbs and 25 inches… and for the last few summers I have been able to getback into roadbiking and long distance walking which I could never have done this without singulair. My child was on singulair for nearly 4 years. Over the years he has become more irritable and angry. Two years ago he developed an eating disorder at age 9. we have no way to know if this triggered/contributed to that. We’ve been off singulair for 2 weeks but have replaced it with single puff of pulmicort at night. My 9 year old daughter has been on singulair for over a year.

http://www.healasthma.com

Researchers from the American Lung Association say they’ve found no link between the common asthma drug Singulair and an increased risk of suicide and depression. Stay up-to-date with the latest Asthma news, information, community postings with our email newsletter. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen.

SINGULAIR is not indicated for use in the reversal of bronchospasm in acute asthma attacks, including status asthmaticus. Patients should be advised to have appropriate rescue medication available. Therapy with SINGULAIR can be continued during acute exacerbations of asthma. While the dose of inhaled corticosteroid may be reduced gradually under medical supervision, SINGULAIR should not be abruptly substituted for inhaled or oral corticosteroids. SINGULAIR should not be used as monotherapy for the treatment and management of exercise-induced bronchospasm. Patients who have exacerbations of asthma after exercise should continue to use their usual regimen of inhaled -agonists as prophylaxis and have available for rescue a short-acting inhaled -agonist. Patients with known aspirin sensitivity should continue avoidance of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents while taking SINGULAIR. Although SINGULAIR is effective in improving airway function in asthmatics with documented aspirin sensitivity, it has not been shown to truncate bronchoconstrictor response to aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in aspirin-sensitive asthmatic patients (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Clinical Studies). In rare cases, patients with asthma on therapy with SINGULAIR may present with systemic eosinophilia, sometimes presenting with clinical features of vasculitis consistent with Churg-Strauss syndrome, a condition which is often treated with systemic corticosteroid therapy. These events usually, but not always, have been associated with the reduction of oral corticosteroid therapy.

Physicians should be alert to eosinophilia, vasculitic rash, worsening pulmonary symptoms, cardiac complications, and/ or neuropathy presenting in their patients. A causal association between SINGULAIR and these underlying conditions has not been established

If you or your child are taking Singulair, you should not stop taking it before talking to your doctor. But do be on the watch for any signs of mood changes or suicidal thinking. What You Need to Know: It’s important to remember that Singulair is a preventive, or controller medicine. It cannot be used to treat an asthma attack or even acute symptoms, as it will not start working immediately. DO take it every day, about the same time each day, to keep a steady level in your system. In the latest asthma treatment guidelines, experts emphasize that inhaled steroids, not leukotriene antagonists like Singulair, are the preferred treatment for asthma. When inhaled steroids don’t provide adequate control, the guidelines recommend that a long-acting beta agonist be added. When to Call Your Doctor: It’s a good idea to call your doctor any time that you do not have the expected effect from one of your asthma medicines, whether Singulair or something else. In addition, if you have any of the following symptoms, you should call your doctor right away a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs a flu-like illness rash severe inflammation (pain and swelling) of the sinuses (sinusitis). If you’d like to learn more about Singulair, including how it might interact with other medications you are taking, check out the Drugs A to Z page. Are your symptoms merely irritating, or could they be a sign of allergies. The best way to treat a headache is to prevent it. In order to communicate with them at once i started having nosebleeds.

21. (Walnut Creek, CA) – January 18, 2000 ADVERTISING SURGE HAS PATIENTS REQUESTING MEDICINE BY NAME, SOME DOCTORS WORRY SUPERFICIAL INFORMATION PROMPTS SELF-DIAGNOSING, BUT OTHERS FEEL IT HELPS PEOPLE RECOGNIZE SYMPTOMS Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec, Zyban, Accolate, Zomig. These once strange-sounding names are now common, with the stream of advertisements promoting prescription drugs by name and the Internet offering easy access to information. This can have its good points and bad, physicians say. From patients coming into doctors’ offices and asking for a particular drug by name to being frightened of a drug because of possible and sometimes scary side effects, doctors see it all ….. . Independent, The (London, England)/Financial Times – July 21, 1998 The Independent: Zeneca launches asthma tablet THE PHARMACEUTICAL giant Zeneca yesterday officially launched a new tablet that could replace inhalers used by some of Britain’s three million asthma sufferers. The group said its new Accolate anti-asthma tablet was the first new treatment of its kind in the UK and the first alternative to inhaled steroids for 20 years. Accolate is one of a new class of drugs known as LTRAs, which block the effects that trigger inflammation and mucus secretion and cause constriction in the ….. – January 14, 2009 FDA: No suicide risk associated with Merck drug Merck’s asthma medicine Singulair and related treatments weren’t associated with an increased risk of suicide or suicidal urges, U. S. regulators said after a review of clinical trials. The Food and Drug Administration, in the updated safety review posted yesterday on its website, said it is still assessing data on other psychiatric side effects of montelukast, Singulair’s chemical name, along with AstraZeneca’s Accolate and Cornerstone ….. Evening Standard, The (London, England) – July 20, 1998 Evening Standard: Business Day: Zeneca’s tablets lift for asthma sufferers ASTHMA sufferers will now be able to take treatment in tablet form rather than via inhaler, following today’s launch by Zeneca of its new Accolate drug, writes Fiona Walsh. For mild to moderate asthma sufferers, who make up the vast majority of Britain’s three million patients, this is the first alternative to inhaled steroids to be introduced for 20 years. Zeneca said the tablet form of the drug ‘may be an important factor’ in its ….. Daily Mail, The (London, England) – September 21, 1999 Daily Mail: JAB FOR DRUG FIRMS AS BUYERS PERK UP DRUG shares are looking much healthier. Buyers are sniffing around again, attracted to the defensive and growth merits of the sector which comes into its own when cyclicals disappoint. There is also the continued prospect of further consolidation in a global industry where the larger players each control under 5pc of the market, Astra Zeneca zoomed 58p to 2558p for a two-day jump of 115p. Accolate, its novel mini-tablet treatment of asthma, has been approved by the US Food ….&. Financial Times (London, England) – March 30, 1996 Companies and Finance: Zeneca shrugs off rejection of Accolate by FDA Chemicals, Chemicals-Commodity. Zeneca, the UK drugs company, yesterday fought back against the rejection of its asthma drug Accolate by advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration. The company described the series of votes by FDA advisers on Thursday as ‘conditional approval’ even though it lost the vote on the drug’s ‘approvability’ by six votes to three. Votes on the drug’s efficacy went in the ….. Record, The (Kitchner, Ontario, Canada) – November 15, 1997 New pill helps asthmatics breathe easy The first new class of asthma drugs in Canada in 20 years has been introduced in time for the cold weather that’s especially hard on people with the chronic lung disease. Accolate is the only pill-form anti-inflammatory available here that helps mild to moderate asthmatics breathe easier. It was recently approved by Health Canada after clinical trials involving 4, 000 patients worldwide, researchers said Thursday. “This medical advance places us on a threshold of ….. Newstex Blogs (USA) – June 15, 2009 New Precautions on Asthma Meds Jun. 15, 2009 ( b5media delivered by Newstex) The FDA has requested that a new precaution be added to the drug prescribing information for some popular asthma medications. The medicines are known as leukotriene modifiers and include • Singulair (montelukast) • Accolate (zafirlukast) • Zyflo and Zyflo CR (zileuton) According to the FDA, neuropsychiatric events have been reported in some ….. New York Times, The (NY) – October 19, 1999 Perseverance Is Key to a Good Life With Asthma Until about three years ago, Dawn Bosquez, a 30-year-old resident of Denver, was getting most of her medical care for asthma in emergency rooms. About once a month, she would wake up unable to breathe and would frantically call an ambulance or friend to rush her to the hospital, where she would be given oxygen and inhaled medications to bring the attack under control. Then, a doctor would prescribe a short course or “burst” of prednisone tablets, a powerful ….. Financial Express (India) – July 9, 2008 Financial Express: AstraZeneca sues DRL over Accolate The United States, the largest pharmaceuticals market in the globe, still lures Indian generic firms to grab a pie of the patent protected drugs through the litigation route. In the latest incident, Dr Reddy’s Labs (DRL) has been sued by US major, AstraZeneca, following DRL’s paragraph IV abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) submission for marketing Accolate, the US firms’ leading drug used to treat asthma. In a suit filed on June 27 in the district court ….

351. (NY) – June 28, 2006 Alternative asthma treatments Breathe deeply. This simple act sustains life, yet most of the time we don’t even notice it. Not being able to catch your breath can be terrifying. People with asthma may gasp desperately for air. Sometimes they even die with their inhalers in their hands. Asthma deaths have been rising for decades, although the drugs to treat it are more powerful than ever before. Researchers now blame some of the most popular asthma drugs for this increased mortality. A new analysis ….. Lawton Constitution, The (OK) – June 28, 2006 Asthma meds may need to be reconsidered Breathe deeply. This simple act sustains life, and yet most of the time we don’t even notice it. Not being able to catch your breath can be terrifying. People with asthma may gasp desperately for air. Sometimes they even die with their inhalers in their hands. Asthma deaths have been rising for decades, although the drugs to treat it are more powerful than ever before. Researchers now blame some of the most popular asthma drugs for this increased mortality. A new analysis ….. FD (FAIR DISCLOSURE) WIRE – April 27, 2006 Q1 2006 CuraGen Corporation Earnings Conference Call – Final OPERATOR: Good morning. My name is Tamara and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the CuraGen First Quarter 2006 Results Conference Call. [OPERATOR INSTRUCTIONS] I will now turn the call over to Dr. Glenn Schulman, head of Investor Relations. Dr. Schulman, you may begin your conference. GLENN SCHULMAN, INVESTOR RELATIONS, CURAGEN CORPORATION: Thank you everyone. Good morning and welcome to CuraGen Corporation’s first …. (CA) – April 4, 2006 Alternative asthma medications are available Dear Dr. Donohue: My wife has had asthma since 1998. She weighed 130 pounds then. She has been on prednisone for a few years, and her weight has gone up to 174 and it is all in her middle. Is there anything besides prednisone that would work for her? – M. D. Dear M. D. : Asthma makes people’s airways (bronchi) very sensitive to the slightest irritation. If they breathe things that wouldn’t bother the rest of us, their airways constrict, and that makes the passage of air ….. Times Union, The (Albany, NY) – April 4, 2006 Prednisone not the only drug used to treat asthma DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My wife has had asthma since 1998. She weighed 130 pounds then. She has been on prednisone for a few years, and her weight has gone up to 174 and it is all in her middle. Would another drug work? – M. D. DEAR M. D. : Asthma makes people’s airways (bronchi) very sensitive to the slightest irritation. If they breathe things that wouldn’t bother the rest of us, their airways constrict, and that makes the passage of air into and out of the lungs ….. (FL) – April 4, 2006 PREDNISONE ONLY ONE OF MANY ASTHMA DRUGS DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My wife has had asthma since 1998. She weighed 130 pounds then. She has been on prednisone for a few years, and her weight has gone up to 174 and it is all in her middle. Is there anything besides prednisone that would work for her? — M. D. ANSWER: Asthma makes people’s airways (bronchi) very sensitive to the slightest irritation. If they breathe things that wouldn’t bother the rest of us, their airways constrict, and that makes the passage of ….. American Press (Lake Charles, LA) – April 4, 2006 Prednisone only one of many asthma drugs Dear Dr. Donohue : My wife has had asthma since 1998. She weighed 130 pounds then. She has been on prednisone for a few years , and her weight has gone up to 174 and it is all in her middle. Is there anything besides prednisone that would work for her ? — M. D. Answer : Asthma makes people ‘ s airways ( bronchi ) very sensitive to the slightest irritation. If they breathe things that wouldn ‘ t bother the rest of us , their airways constrict , and ….. South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) – April 4, 2006 TRY A NEW ASTHMA MEDICINE Dear Dr. Donohue: My wife has had asthma since 1998. She weighed 130 pounds then. She has been on prednisone for a few years, and her weight has gone up to 174 and it is all in her middle. Is there anything besides prednisone that would work for her? — M. D. Dear M. D. : Asthma makes people’s airways (bronchi) very sensitive to the slightest irritation. If they breathe things that wouldn’t bother the rest of us, their airways constrict, and that makes the passage …. (CA) – April 4, 2006 Alternative asthma medications are available Dear Dr. Donohue: My wife has had asthma since 1998. She weighed 130 pounds then. She has been on prednisone for a few years, and her weight has gone up to 174 and it is all in her middle. Is there anything besides prednisone that would work for her? – M. D. Dear M. D. : Asthma makes people’s airways (bronchi) very sensitive to the slightest irritation. If they breathe things that wouldn’t bother the rest of us, their airways constrict, and that makes the passage of air ….. (MI) – April 4, 2006 Asthma drug brings weighty side effects Dear Doctor: My wife has had asthma since 1998. She weighed 130 pounds then. She has been on prednisone for a few years, and her weight has gone up to 174 and it is all in her middle. Is there anything besides prednisone that would work for her? — M. D. M. D. : Asthma makes people’s airways (bronchi) very sensitive to the slightest irritation. If they breathe things that wouldn’t bother the rest of us, their airways constrict, and that makes the passage of air into ….

31. Financial Times (London, England) – March 29, 1996 Companies and Finance: The Americas: Setback for Zeneca as FDA rejects asthma drug Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals. Zeneca, the UK drugs company, suffered a blow yesterday when a panel of advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration voted against approving Accolate, an asthma treatment that has been tipped as one of the company’s most important new products. Analysts have forecast Accolate sales of Pounds 300m (Dollars 457m) a year, once it is launched on the world’s main markets. Failure to win the advisers’ approval is a ….. NJ – September 21, 1999 AstraZeneca gets OK to sell asthma pills to kids Drug approval first since merger By CHERYL MEYER Staff reporter AstraZeneca Plc received federal approval to sell a new formula of its asthma-fighting pills to children as young as 7 years old, company executives said Monday. Previously, adults and children ages 12 and older could take Accolate, AstraZeneca’s oral drug for the respiratory disease. Accolate was officially launched for sale in November 1996. For years, many children under age 12 have relied on inhalers ….. Financial Times (London, England) – September 21, 1999 COMPANIES & FINANCE: UK: AstraZeneca may advertise drug NEWS DIGEST Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals AstraZeneca may advertise drug AstraZeneca is considering launching a new US advertising campaign to kickstart sales of Accolate, its asthma tablet, after winning approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of children as young as seven. Sales of Accolate, until now used only for mild to moderate asthma in adults and children above 12, have been flat this year. This has largely been because of competition in the US from ….. (New Jersey) – November 5, 1996 NEW DRUG FOR ASTHMA HELPFUL IN MANY CASES An entirely new class of drugs that could help as much as one-third of asthma sufferers and open up a new avenue for better medications is on the market. Doctors say Accolate, taken in pill form, can improve breathing for those with mild to moderate asthma, especially those who find carrying inhalers cumbersome and inconvenient. Known generically as zafirlukast, it is the first new class of asthma agents approved by the FDA in 20 years. Doctors began writing prescriptions for the ….. Guardian, The (London, England) – July 21, 1998 THE GUARDIAN: ASTHMA PILL ‘COULD REPLACE INHALERS’ FOR SOME SUFFERERS A NEW tablet that could replace inhalers for some of Britain’s 3 million asthma sufferers was launched yesterday. The drugs company Zeneca Pharmaceuticals says its anti-asthma pill Accolate is the first new treatment of its kind in Britain and the first alternative to inhaled steroids for 20 years. The tablet, taken twice a day to prevent an asthma attack, has been welcomed by the National Asthma Campaign, but the charity said it was too early to say which patients would ….. Scotsman, The (Edinburgh, Scotland) – July 21, 1998 The Scotsman: New drug hope for asthma sufferers A TABLET which could mean the end of inhalers for some asthma sufferers was made available in Britain yesterday. Doctors hope the pill, marketed by the drug company Zeneca as Accolate, will revolutionise asthma treatment. Zeneca claims it is the first alternative to inhaled steroids to be launched in Britain for 20 years. Although not all patients will be able to do without inhalers, the manufacturer believes it will provide a popular alternative for people on low-dose steroid ….. Chemical Business NewsBase: Press Release (United Kingdom) – June 15, 2009 Chemical Business NewsBase – Press Release: Four asthma drugs get new precaution. The FDA has asked makers of Singulair, Accolate, Zyflo, and Zyflo CR to include a precaution on those drugs’ labels about reports of behaviour and mood changes. Singulair is used to treat asthma and symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Accolate, Zyflo, and Zyflo CR are used to treat asthma. All four drugs are leukotriene inhibitors, which affect the leukotriene pathway, which is involved in the body’s response to inflammatory stimuli (such as breathing in an allergen). The FDA ….. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL – May 9, 2000 CHRONICALLY ILL SHOULD BE WARY OF CHITLINS In many parts of the southern United States, chitterlings – cleaned and boiled pig intestines, also known as chitlins – are a tradition. But a report suggests that this treat has the potential to be hazardous for people with diabetes and for others who are chronically ill. The report, in last week’s New England Journal of Medicine, said that the pig bowels can contain a bacterium called Clostridium perfringens type C, which produces a toxin that can cause a severe infection ….. Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia) – January 25, 1999 New help for asthma sufferers TWO pills to help prevent asthma attacks were among 36 new drug treatments approved in Australia last year. Singulair and Accolate, made by different drug companies, have undergone trials worldwide. The companies, Merck, Sharp and Dohme, and Zeneca, said yesterday the pills were selling for $90 to $110 for a month’s supply of Singulair or $90 to $130 for Accolate. A Zeneca spokeswoman said they would apply for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listing in the hope Accolate ….. Newstex Blogs (USA) – June 23, 2009 Merck’s Popular Asthma Drug Singulair Associated With Suicide And Depression Jun. 23, 2009 ( Drug Injury Watch delivered by Newstex) FDA Has Gone From “No Link” In January 2009 To Wanting An Increased Warning About These Neuropsychiatric Events In June 2009 (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch. com) On June 12, 2009 the FDA announced that Singulair (montelukast) as well as some other less popular leukotriene inhibitors — Accolate (zafirlukast) as well as Zyflo and Zyflo CR (zileuton) — must start to include ….

41. (FL) (FL) – June 8, 1998 FROM ACCOLATE TO ZYRTEC, NAMING A NEW DRUG IS TRICKY THE NAME SHOULD SUGGEST THE DRUG’S USE AND THAT IT’S EFFECTIVE, BE EASY TO REMEMBER – AND NOT VIOLATE TRADEMARKS. If parents agonize over a new baby’s name, imagine the dilemma for a pharmaceutical company with a new drug. An upbeat, memorable name – say, Viagra or Prozac – can help boost sales, particularly in an era where consumers are being bombarded with drug ads goading them to demand prescriptions for specific brands from their doctor. But finding a name that’s unique and memorable isn’t easy. Like new parents seeking inspiration from baby name books, many ….. Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA) – June 1, 1998 DMEDICINE: From Accolate to Zyrtec, naming drugs is a tricky business z “* Consultants can charge more than $250, 000 and take years coming up with just the right name. TRENTON, N. J. (AP) – A pharmaceutical company spends millions developing a new wonder drug. It’s been tested and approved and is ready for drugstore shelves. Now comes the hard part: naming it. It’s so difficult, in fact, to come up with a unique and memorable name that there’s a growing industry of consultants who can charge upwards of $250, 000 and take ….. (TX) – May 26, 1998 From Accolate to Zyrtec, naming a new drug is a tricky business Companies seek product distinction If parents agonize over a new baby’s name, imagine the dilemma for a pharmaceutical company with a new drug. An upbeat, memorable name – say, Viagra or Prozac – can help boost sales, particularly in an era where consumers are being bombarded with drug ads goading them to demand prescriptions for specific brands from their doctor. But finding a name that’s unique and memorable isn’t easy. Like new parents seeking inspiration from baby name books, many ….. (TX) – May 26, 1998 From Accolate to Zyrtec, naming a new drug is a tricky business Companies seek product distinction If parents agonize over a new baby’s name, imagine the dilemma for a pharmaceutical company with a new drug. An upbeat, memorable name – say, Viagra or Prozac – can help boost sales, particularly in an era where consumers are being bombarded with drug ads goading them to demand prescriptions for specific brands from their doctor. But finding a name that’s unique and memorable isn’t easy. Like new parents seeking inspiration from baby name books, many ….. – May 26, 1998 From Accolate to Zyrtec, naming a new drug is a tricky business A pharmaceutical company spends millions developing a new wonder drug. It’s been tested and approved and is ready for drugstore shelves. Now comes the hard part: naming it. It’s so difficult, in fact, to come up with a unique and memorable name that there’s a growing industry of consultants who can charge upwards of $250, 000 and take years coming up with the right moniker. A snappy name isn’t enough. Drug makers also must ….. Journal Star (Peoria, IL) – May 26, 1998 FROM ACCOLATE TO ZYRTEC:DRUG NAMING IS TRICKY>WHAT TO CALL PRODUCT? MANY FIRMS TURN TO THE PROS FOR HELP TRENTON, N. J. — If parents agonize over a new baby’s name, imagine the dilemma for a pharmaceutical company with a new drug. An upbeat, memorable name — say, Viagra or Prozac — can help boost sales, particularly in an era where consumers are being bombarded with drug ads goading them to demand prescriptions for specific brands from their doctor. But finding a name that’s unique and memorable isn’t easy. Like new parents seeking inspiration from ….. Associated Press: Cherry Hill Metro Area (NJ) – May 26, 1998 From Accolate to Zyrtec, naming a new drug is a tricky business A pharmaceutical company spends millions developing a new wonder drug. It’s been tested and approved and is ready for drugstore shelves. Now comes the hard part: naming it. It’s so difficult, in fact, to come up with a unique and memorable name that there’s a growing industry of consultants who can charge upwards of $250, 000 and take years coming up with the right moniker. A snappy name isn’t enough. Drug makers also must navigate ….. Associated Press: Cherry Hill Metro Area (NJ) – May 25, 1998 From Accolate to Zyrtec, naming a new drug is a tricky business If parents agonize over a new baby’s name, imagine the dilemma for a pharmaceutical company with a new drug. An upbeat, memorable name — say, Viagra or Prozac — can help boost sales, particularly in an era where consumers are being bombarded with drug ads goading them to demand prescriptions for specific brands from their doctor. But finding a name that’s unique and memorable isn’t easy. Like new parents seeking inspiration from baby name books, ….. Financial Times (London, England) – June 27, 1995 UK Company News: Zeneca seeks approval for new asthma treatment Zeneca has submitted for approval the first in a new generation of asthma treatments. Accolate could eventually have annual sales of Dollars 500m (Pounds 318m), according to Mr Ian Smith, pharmaceuticals analyst at Lehman Brothers, the stockbrokers. This would give the drug one sixth of the Dollars 3bn that Zeneca estimates is spent globally on anti-asthma medicines. Accolate is a member of a family of drugs called leukotriene antagonists. As tablets, they promise an alternative to …. – May 31, 2000 HOTLINE HELPS MOMS-TO-BE JUDGE RISKS It was a choice Annette Coleman was forced to make: Breathe or have a healthy baby. The 36-year-old Tucson secretary, about four months pregnant with her second child, was told by her physician to think about going off Accolate, a drug that treats chronic asthma. Concerned about possible birth defects, Coleman did so. Two days later, her wheezing out of control, she called her doctor’s office and pleaded for help. They gave her the number for a pregnancy risk hotline ….

51. Record, The (Kitchner, Ontario, Canada) – August 21, 1998 Kids’ asthma pill launched WINNIPEG — The first anti-asthma pill approved for use by children was unveiled Thursday by drug giant Merck Frosst in eight Canadian cities. An estimated 600, 000 Canadian children with asthma will now be able to take a chewable pill instead of using their inhaler sprays to prevent some forms of asthma attacks. The drug montelukast, to be sold as Singulair, was approved by Health Canada in June for children ages 6 to 14. Merck Frosst would not comment on its new pill but at least ….. Toronto (Ontario, Canada) – July 25, 1998 Chef’s soup calls for special mushrooms The new menu for the Accolate dining room in the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Front St. W. offers “bold flavours and intriguing pairings, ” says chef Ned Bell. Though the restaurant’s recipes are complicated, this soup is one even inexperienced cooks can master. A superb chicken or vegetable stock is a must and so are shiitake mushrooms. Bell says the flavour of these special mushrooms makes this soup unique but, if you really must economize, substitute no more ….. Financial Times (London, England) – September 27, 1996 Companies and Finance: UK: FDA approval for Zeneca: News Digest Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals. WILMINGTON, DELAWARE FDA approval for Zeneca Zeneca, the drugs company, said last night that the US Food and Drug Administration had approved its anti-asthma drug Accolate in tablet form for the treatment of asthma in adults and children 12 years of age and older. Accolate is the first leukotriene receptor antagonist, a new class of drugs, to receive FDA clearance, Zeneca said. AP-DJ, Wilmington, Delaware ….. Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia) – January 25, 1999 Asthma pills approved TWO pills to help prevent asthma attacks were among 36 new drug treatments approved in Australia last year. Singulair and Accolate, made by different drug companies, have undergone trials worldwide. The companies, Merck, Sharp and Dohme, and Zeneca, said yesterday the pills were selling for $90 to $110 for a month’s supply of Singulair or $90 to $130 for Accolate. A Zeneca spokeswoman said they would apply for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listing in the hope Accolate ….. Times, The (London, England) – December 12, 1997 Zeneca expands plants, Business Roundup ZENECA is investing more than Pounds 9 million in manufacturing plants for two new drugs. The investment at its Zeneca Pharmaceuticals’ Avlon site, near Bristol, will create 25 jobs. The additional capacity follows the successful launch of Accolate, an asthma treatment, for sale overseas, and of Seroquel, a treatment for schizophrenia approved in the UK and the US. The plants are part of a Pounds 1. 5 billion international investment programme in Zeneca’s drugs business ….. . Financial Times (London, England) – March 30, 1996 Shorts: Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals. Zeneca, the drugs company, fought back against the rejection of its asthma drug Accolate by US Food and Drug Administration advisers, describing the vote as ‘conditional approval’. Page 9 ….. – March 28, 2008 FDA investigating possible link between Merck’s Singulair allergy drug and suicide The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it is investigating a possible link between Merck’s best-selling Singulair and suicide. FDA said it is reviewing a handful of reports involving mood changes, suicidal behavior and suicide in patients who have taken the popular allergy and asthma drug. With sales of $4. 3 billion last year, Singulair is used by millions of patients in the U. S, according to Merck. First approved in 1998, it’s part of a class of ….. (TX) – March 28, 2008 Allergy drug may be linked to suicides, FDA warns WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that it is investigating a possible link between Merck’s best-selling Singulair and suicide. The FDA said it is reviewing a handful of reports involving mood changes, suicidal behavior and suicide in patients who have taken the popular allergy and asthma drug. With sales of $4. 3 billion last year, Singulair is used by millions of patients in the U. S, according to Merck. First approved in 1998, ….. (TX) – March 28, 2008 FDA investigating possible link between Merck’s Singulair allergy drug and suicide WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it is investigating a possible link between Merck’s best-selling Singulair and suicide. FDA said it is reviewing a handful of reports involving mood changes, suicidal behavior and suicide in patients who have taken the popular allergy and asthma drug. With sales of $4. 3 billion last year, Singulair is used by millions of patients in the U. S, according to Merck. First approved in 1998, it’s part of a ….. The Kansas City Star – July 24, 1997 Across the nation; Around the world Across the nation Asthma drug: Washington – Doctors should closely watch asthma patients who take the drug Accolate for signs of a rare but sometimes fatal condition called Churg-Strauss syndrome, the government and manufacturer said Wednesday. Churg-Strauss syndrome is a tissue disorder that sometimes strikes adult asthma patients. If untreated, it can destroy organs. Early symptoms are flulike, including fever, muscle aches and weight loss. Some asthmatics experience worsening lung ….

61. Financial Times (London, England) – February 3, 1996 London Stock Exchange: Zeneca dives on drug fear Zeneca, the pharmaceuticals group that has been tipped again and again as a takeover target, took a dive yesterday. Shortly before the close of dealing the shares plummeted 60 and then rallied sharply. It appeared that one member of James Capel’s pharmaceuticals team had stood up at the mike yesterday afternoon with a story that accolate, Zeneca’s new anti-asthma treatment, had run into regulatory problems. The team said it was not talking to the press ….. New York Times, The (NY) – April 24, 1998 THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING — ADDENDA Accounts — Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, New York, to KPR, New York, part of Omnicom Group, to handle direct-to-consumer marketing for Accolate, an oral preventive therapy for asthma. Billings were estimated at $24 million. The account had been handled by Wunderman Cato Johnson, New York, part of Young & Rubicam Inc. Recent account changes noted (S) ….. (FL) – May 7, 2007 NEAR DEATH, A REVERSAL FOR LIFE, HOPE FOR FUTURE In March, Cecilia Page was given four days to live. Now, after receiving a liver transplant, there’s no end in sight. “I had never been sick before, ” said the 32-year-old wife, mother of two, fitness trainer and athletic coach. “I absolutely never had anything wrong. “Not until she began taking a medication, Accolate, mainly prescribed for asthma patients but, in her case, to open her chest wall after an elective procedure ….. 64. , The (NC) – May 8, 2000 TO YOUR HEALTH New allergy drug helps reunite asthmatics with cats Cat allergies affect 5 percent to 10 percent of the population. But there may be some good news. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have found that a relatively new type of asthma drug can provide some relief when you get too close to kitty. Zaflirlukast, marketed as Accolate, blocks chemicals released in the lungs that can cause asthma symptoms. The researchers asked 18 volunteers with cat-induced asthma to spend ….. Stuart News, The (FL) – June 9, 1998 FROM ACCOLATE TO ZYRTEC, NAMING A NEW DRUG IS TRICKY BUSINESS TRENTON, N. J. – A pharmaceutical company spends millions developing a new wonder drug. It’s been tested and approved and is ready for drugstore shelves. Now comes the hard part: naming it. It’s so difficult, in fact, to come up with a unique and memorable name that there’s a growing industry of consultants who can charge upwards of $250, 000 and take years coming up with the right moniker. A snappy name isn’t enough. Drug makers also ….. (TX) – May 26, 1998 From Accolate to Zyrtec, naming a new drug is a tricky business Companies seek product distinction If parents agonize over a new baby’s name, imagine the dilemma for a pharmaceutical company with a new drug. An upbeat, memorable name – say, Viagra or Prozac – can help boost sales, particularly in an era where consumers are being bombarded with drug ads goading them to demand prescriptions for specific brands from their doctor. But finding a name that’s unique and memorable isn’t easy. Like new parents seeking inspiration from baby name books, many ….. – May 25, 1998 From Accolate to Zyrtec, naming a new drug is a tricky business If parents agonize over a new baby’s name, imagine the dilemma for a pharmaceutical company with a new drug. An upbeat, memorable name — say, Viagra or Prozac — can help boost sales, particularly in an era where consumers are being bombarded with drug ads goading them to demand prescriptions for specific brands from their doctor. But finding a name that’s unique and memorable isn’t easy. Like new parents seeking inspiration from baby name books, ….. – June 29, 2009 Mentor mom helped wage fight on Singulair It’s one of the most popular medicines in America – last year, pharmacists filled about 28 million prescriptions for it. So chances are good that you or someone you know is taking Singulair. What you may not know is that hundreds of people taking the allergy and asthma medication have reported frightening side effects, including depression, hallucinations and suicidal thoughts. Word is spreading now. That’s at least in part because the U. S. Food and Drug …. – January 19, 2001 Asthma attacks adults as well as children Q: I am a 42-year-old female diagnosed with asthma four months ago. My problem was shortness of breath, not wheezing. My doctor prescribed Accolate and two inhaled medicines — Serevent and Flovent. I still suffer from shortness of breath. I always thought asthma was a childhood condition. At age 22 I had thyroid cancer. The cancer was removed, and I received radiation therapy. I am also a former smoker. Could my shortness of breath be something other than asthma? — C. M. A: The onset of …. (FL) – April 28, 2000 Pregnancy test should precede hormones DEAR DR. GOTT: After missing two menstrual cycles, my sister was given progesterone. Now she has discovered that she is pregnant and is worried sick that the medicine may have a bad effect on the unborn baby. Her doctor tells her just to wait and see. What do you think? DEAR READER: I think that your sister was treated inappropriately. In my opinion, a sexually active woman who misses a period should have a pregnancy test before she is prescribed any hormone therapy to induce menstrual ….