Health Canada has withdrawn the psoriasis, Raptiva (efalizumab), from the Canadian market. Raptiva has been available in Canada since 2005. This decision was made earlier this month after it was found that any benefits from using Raptiva as treatment for psoriasis were outweighed by the risk of developing a serious and potentially fatal brain infection.
Doctors have been aware of this since February but the medication wasn’t pulled from the market until June to give doctors a chance to change their patients to alternative medications.
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Health Canada issued an adviorsy earlier this week advising expectant mothers and breastfeeding women not to take the vitamin-mineral supplements Maxum Matragen or Maxum Multi-Vite by Seroyal International Inc.
The concerns lie in the lack of proper labeling, certain ingredients, and lack of others. Both Maxum Matragen and Maxum Multi-Vite contain ginkgo biloba, green tea extracts and vanadium. At this point, the safety of these ingredients for pregnant women or nursing women isn’t known and there is no such labeling to that effect.
As well, the supplements don’t have enough iron or folic acid for pregnant or nursing women. These are essential …read more

I don’t think we’ll ever reach a point that we’ve “heard it all,” because every time I think I have, I hear something else.
What do you think about the possibility of your bag of chips, bottle of soda, and plate of store-bought cookies being bulked up with vitamins and minerals? Well in you’re in Canada, this could be coming to a store near you, considering what Health Canada is considering. However, according to articles I’ve been reading, the Health Minister, Leona Aglukkaq, has put the plans on hold pending further review. A smart move, perhaps?
It seems that some people feel …read more

Canadians living with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis may benefit from a newly approved drug, golimumab (Simponi).

According to a press release issued by the manufacturer, Schering-Plough, the once monthly injection – alone or in combination with another drug, methotrexate, proved helpful in five different trials and patients who had rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis found that, on average, their signs and symptoms had decreased.
Of course, this medication does have some side effects as all medications do, so doctors should be careful in prescribing golimumab. For example, patients with severe infections or who are allergic to …read more