Drug Projects
Americans are bombarded with ads that begin with "Talk to your doctor about..." and plug some pharmaceutical product or device. And many doctor-patient encounters end with a prescription of some sort. The rising cost of drugs and devices is a major contributor to overall health costs in this country; whether or not we are getting value for money is an open question.
Moreover, a number of high-profile drugs have come under intense scrutiny in the last several years and Public Citizen has played an important role in many: Vioxx, Avandia, Viagra, Rezulin.
Public Citizen has been assessing the quality and efficacy of drugs and devices since its founding in 1971. When we feel that the information provided to doctors or patients is misleading, insufficient, or just plain wrong, we do not hesitate to express an opinion. Worst Pills, Best Pills, our monthly print newsletter and our Web site, WorstPills.org, have been at the forefront of the provision of information to patients. We also use the law, petitions, and letters to monitor the FDA and coax the agency into action. Our actions have contributed to 23 drugs being pulled off the market. Public Citizen has also been instrumental in getting "black box" and other warnings on drugs.
A
acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol)
Abbokinase (generic name: urokinase)
Accutane (generic name: isotretinoin)
Actos (generic name: pioglitazone)
Adalat (generic name: nifedipine)
Adasuve (generic name: loxapine)
albuterol (brand names: Proventil, Ventolin)
Aleve (generic name: naproxen)
Alli (generic name: orlistat)
alosetron (brand name: Lotronex)
Amitiza (generic name: lubiprostone)
amlodipine (brand name: Norvasc)
Amyvid (generic name: florbetapir F18 injection)
Anaprox (generic name: naproxen)
Androderm (brand name: transdermal testosterone patch)
apomorphine (brand name: Uprima, Apokyn)
Apokyn (generic name: apomorphine )
Apri-21 (generic name: desogestrel)
Arava (generic name: leflumide)
Arcapta Neohaler (generic name: indacaterol maleate)
Arcoxia (generic name: etoricoxib)
Aricept (generic name: donepezil)
Arymo (generic name: morphine sulfate, extended release)
atorvastatin (brand name: Lipitor)
Avandia (generic name: rosiglitazone)
B
Baycol (generic name: cerivastatin)
Belsomra (generic name: suvorexant)
bepridil (brand name: Vascor)
Bextra (generic name: valdecoxib)
Botox (generic name: botulinum toxin)
botulinum toxin (brand names: Botox, Myobloc)
bromfenac (brand name: Duract)
bromocriptine (brand names: Parlodel, Cycloset)
bupropion and naltrexone (Contrave)
butorphanol (brand name: Stadol)
C
cabergoline
Calan (generic name: verapamil)
canakinumab (brand name: Ilaris)
Cardene (generic name: nicardipine)
Cardizem (generic name: diltiazem)
Cardura (generic name: doxazon)
Celebrex (generic name: celecoxib)
celecoxib (brand name: Celebrex)
cerivastatin (brand name: Baycol)
cethromycin
Chantix (generic name: varenicline)
Cialis (generic name: tadalafil)
cilostazol (brand name: Pletal)
Ciloxan (generic name: ciprofloxacin)
Cipro (generic name: ciprofloxacin)
ciprofloxacin (brand names: Ciloxan, Cipro)
cisapride (brand name: Propulsid)
Claritin (generic name: loratadine)
Contrave (bupropion and naltrexone)
cough and cold medications
Covera (generic name: verapamil)
Crestor (generic name: rosuvastin)
Cyclessa (generic name: desogestrel)
Cycloset (generic name: bromocriptine)
Cylert (generic name: pemoline)
D
Darvon (generic name: propoxyphene)
Desogen (generic name: desogestrel)
desogestrel (brand names: Desogen, Mircette, Velivet, Apri-28, Kariva, Ortho-Cept, Reclipsen, Cyclessa)
Dexatrim (generic name: phenylpropanolamine)
dexfenfluramine (brand name: Redux)
Dilacor (generic name: diltiazem)
diltiazem (brand names: Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac)
dofetilide (brand name: Tikosyn)
donepezil (brand name: Aricept)
doxazosin (brand name: Cardura)
dronedarone (brand name: Multaq)
Duract (generic name: bromfenac)
Dynacirc (generic name: isradipine)
E
Effient (generic name: prasugrel)
Elidel (generic name: pimecrolimus)
ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin (brand name: Ortho-Evra)
etoricoxib (brand name: Arcoxia)
Exanta (generic name: ximelagatron)
Exelon (generic name: rivastigmine)
ezetimibe (brand name: Vytorin, Zetia)
F
felodipine (brand name: Plendil)
fenfluramine (brand name: Pondimin)
fenfluramine and phentermine [fen-phen]
Flagyl (generic name: metronidazole)
florbetapir F18 injection (brand name: Amyvid)
fluvastatin (brand name: Lescol)
Forteo (generic name: teriparatide)
G
gatifloxacin (brand name: Tequin)
gefitinib (brand name: Iressa)
gepirone (brand name: Travivo)
growth hormone
H
Halcion (generic name: triazolam)
hepatitis b vaccine
hepatitis e vaccine
hydrocodone
I
Ilaris (generic name: canakinumab)
indacaterol maleate (brand name: Arcapta Neohaler)
Iressa (generic name: gefitinib)
Isoptin (generic name: verapamil)
isotretinion (brand name: Accutane)
isradipine (brand name: Dynacirc)
K
Kariva (generic name: desogestrel)
L
leflumide (brand name: Arava)
Lescol (generic name: fluvastatin)
Lesinurad
Levitra (generic name: vardenafil)
Levo-T (generic name: levothyroxine sodium)
levothyroxine sodium (brand names: Levo-T, Levoxyl, Novothyrox, Synthroid, Thyro-tabs, Unithroid)
Levoxyl (generic name: levothyroxine sodium)
Lipitor (generic name: atorvastatin)
liprotamase
liraglutide (brand name: Victoza)
loratadine (brand name: Claritin)
lovastatin (brand name: Mevacor)
loxapine (brand name: Adasuve)
lubiprostone (brand name: Amitiza)
M
meloxicam (brand name: Mobic)
Meridia (generic name: sibutramine)
Mestinon (generic name: pyridostigmine)
metronidazole (brand name: Flagyl)
Mevacor (generic name: lovastatin)
mibefradil (brand name: Posicor)
milnacipran (brand name: Savella)
Mirapex
(generic name: pramipexole)
Mircette (generic name: desogestrel)
Mobic (generic name: meloxicam)
morphine sulfate, extended release (brand name: Arymo)
Multaq (generic name: dronedarone)
muraglitazar (brand name: Pargluva)
Myobloc (generic name: botulinum toxin)
N
naproxen (brand names: Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn)
nefazadone (brand name: Serzone)
Neupro (generic name: rotigotine)
nevirapine (brand name: Viramune)
nicardipine (brand name: Cardene)
nifedipine (brand names: Adalat, Procardia)
Nolvadex (generic name: tamoxifen)
Norvasc (generic name: amlodipine)
Novothyrox (generic name: levothyroxine sodium)
O
orlistat (brand names: Alli, Xenical)
Ortho-cept (generic name: desogestrel)
Ortho-evra (generic name: ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin)
oxycodone (brand name: OxyContin)
OxyContin (generic name: oxycodone)
P
parathyroid hormone
Pargluva (generic name: muraglitazar)
Parlodel (generic name: bromocriptine)
paroxetine (brand name: Paxil)
Paxil (generic name: paroxetine)
pemoline (brand name: Cylert)
Phenergan (generic name: promethazine)
phentermine and topiramate (brand name: Qnexa)
phenylpropanolamine (brand name: Dexatrim)
pimecrolimus (brand name: Elidel)
pioglitazone (brand name: Actos)
Plendil (generic name: felodipine)
Pletal (generic name: cilostazol)
Polytrim (generic name: trimethoprim sulfate and polymyxin b sulfate)
Pondimin (generic name: fenfluramine)
Posicor (generic name: mibefradil)
pramipexole (brand name: Mirapex)
pramlinitide (brand name: Symlin)
prasugrel (brand name: Effient)
Pravachol (generic name: pravastatin)
pravastatin (brand name: Pravachol)
Procardia (generic name: nifedipine)
promethazine (brand name: Phenergan)
propoxyphene (brand name: Darvon)
Propulsid (generic name: cisapride)
Protopic (generic name: tacrolimus)
Proventil (generic name: albuterol)
pyridostigmine (brand name: Mestinon)
Q
Qnexa (generic name: phentermine and topiramate)
quetiapine fumarate (brand name: Seroquel)
R
Reclast (generic name: zoledronic acid)
Reclipsen (generic name: desogestrel)
Redux (generic name: dexfenfluramine)
Relenza (generic name: zanamivir)
Requip (generic name: ropinirole)
Rezulin (generic name: troglitazone)
rimonabant (brand name: Zimulti)
rivastigmine (brand name: Exelon)
rofecoxib (brand name: Vioxx)
ropinirole (brand name: Requip)
rotigotine (brand name: Neupro)
rosiglitazone (brand name: Avandia)
rosuvastin (brand name: Crestor)
S
salmeterol (brand name: Serevent)
Savella (generic name: milnacipran)
Seldane (generic name: terfenadine)
Serdolect (generic name: sertindole)
Serevent (generic name: salmeterol)
Seroquel (generic name: quetiapine fumarate)
sertindole (brand name: Serdolect)
Serzone (generic name: nefazadone)
sibutramine (brand name: Meridia)
sildenafil (brand name: Viagra)
simvastatin (brand name: Zocor)
Stadol (generic name: butorphanol)
surfactant (brand name: Surfaxin)
Surfaxin (generic name: surfactant)
Suvorexant (brand name: belsomra)
Symlin (generic name: pramlinitide)
Synthroid (generic name: levothyroxine sodium)
T
tacrolimus (brand name: Protopic)
tadalafil (brand name: Cialis)
tamoxifen (brand name: Nolvadex)
tegaserod (brand names: Zelmac, Zelnorm)
Tequin (generic name: gatifloxacin)
terfenadine (brand name: Seldane)
teriparatide (brand name: Forteo)
Thyro-tabs (generic name: levothyroxine sodium)
Tiazac (generic name: diltiazem)
tigecycline (brand name: Tygacil)
Tikosyn (generic name: dofetilide)
Topamax (generic name: topiramate)
topiramate (brand name: Topamax)
transdermal testosterone patch (brand name: Androderm)
Travivo (generic name:
gepirone)
triazolam (brand name: Halcion)
trimethoprim sulfate and polymyxin b sulfate (brand name: Polytrim)
troglitazone (brand name: Rezulin)
trovafloxacin (brand name: Trovan)
Trovan (generic name: trovafloxacin)
Tygacil (generic name: tigecycline)
Tylenol (generic name: acetaminophen)
U
Unithroid (generic name: levothyroxine sodium)
Uprima (generic name: apomorphine)
urokinase (brand name: Abbokinase)
V
valacyclovir (brand name: Valtrex)
Valdecoxib (brand name: Bextra)
Valtrex (generic name: valacyclovir)
vardenafil (brand name: Levitra)
varenicline (brand name: Chantix)
Vascor (generic name: bepridil)
Velivet (generic name: desogestrel)
Ventolin (generic name: albuterol)
verapamil (brand names: Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan)
Verelan (generic name: verapamil)
Viagra (generic name: sildenafil)
Victoza (generic name: liraglutide)
Vioxx (generic name: rofecoxib)
Viramune (generic name: nevirapine)
Vytorin (generic name: ezetimibe)
X
Xenical (generic name: orlistat)
ximelagatron (brand name: Exanta)
Z
zanamivir (brand name: Relenza)
Zelnorm (generic name: tegaserod)
Zetia (generic name: ezetimibe)
Zimulti (generic name: rimonabant)
Zocor (generic name: simvastatin)
zoledronic acid (brand names: Reclast, Zometa)
Zometa (generic name: zoledronic acid)