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Federal Judge Presses Manufacturers of Yaz and Yasmin to Settle Lawsuits

March 19, 2015

Bayer, the manufacturer of the contraceptive drugs Yaz and Yasmin, have made little effort to the plaintiffs whose claims remain in lawsuits against it in federal court. However, in an attempt to move the process along, Federal Judge David Herndon issued a case management order in February. First, a little background into Yaz and Yasmin. Both are birth control pills that contain drospirenone. which has been found to cause dangerous side effects in some women who use them. These side effects include excessive blood clotting, lung embolisms and death. A U.S. study of over 800,000 women who took Yasmin or … More

FDA Keeps Suicide Warning and Add Alcohol and Seizure Warning on Chantix

March 18, 2015

Chantix, (varenicline), is a nicotine-free pill that is supposed to assist in smoking cessation. While Chantix users might reasonably expect some nausea and sleep problems, Chantrix is also believed to cause psychiatric problems that can lead to suicide. By 2009, the FDA released a warning about the risk of serious mental health events linked to the use of Chantix. These mental health events include risk of depression, hostility, and suicidal thoughts. A study published in the Public Library of Science Journal (PLoS), suggested that Chantix was eight times more likely to be linked to suicidal behavior than other nicotine replacement … More

Johnson & Johnson’s Failure to Warn Prompts Backlash from the Government, Insurance Companies and Consumers

March 17, 2015

Power morcellator lawsuits are progressing against manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. As early as 2006, manufacturer Johnson & Johnson noticed that there was an increased chance of the development of leiomyosarcoma (LMS) after hysterectomy or myomectomy procedures that utilized a power morcellator device. Dr. Richard Lamparter wrote to Johnson & Johnson about the increased risk of the morcellators caused LMS to spread in the body, and called for a warning to be added by the manufacturer. While Johnson & Johnson added a warning for physicians that there may be undetected cancer present, the notice was strikingly deficient because if failed to … More

Propecia & Proscar, and the Causal Link to Erectile Dysfunction

March 16, 2015

If you have prostate problems or suffer from male pattern baldness, the so-called “cure might be worse than the disease.” Two of the products that are often prescribed to treat these ailments – Propecia and Proscar – can have the undesired effect of causing erectile dysfunction. Propecia is often prescribed to treat male baldness. Proscar is a drug prescribed to treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Unfortunately, both drugs have been found to cause erectile dysfunction, decreased sexual drive, shrinking genitals, and pain in the genitals. Psychological issues caused by the drugs include depression, anxiety, and mental fogginess. To … More

Savaysa

March 11, 2015

Savaysa (edoxaban) is an oral anti-clotting drug that was approved by the FDA in January 2015 for the prevention of stroke and non-central-nervous-system systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a medical condition characterized by irregular and an often rapid heartbeat. As a result, this condition commonly causes poor blood flow in the body, leading to the formation of blood clots. It also increases the risk of stroke. Unlike Xarelto, Savaysa contains explicit warning from the outset that it may cause “serious and potentially fatal bleeding.” Unfortunately, there is no treatment that is proven to reverse … More

New Hope for Plaintiffs Who are Harmed by Generic Drug Manufacturers

March 2, 2015

For the first time in years, Plaintiffs who have been harmed by generic drugs have new hope that they claims can be heard in court. In a major victory for plaintiffs, the United States Supreme Court denied to review a decision by a California appellate court who ruled that when a generic manufacturer fails to update warning labels as required. For the first time in years, Plaintiffs who have been harmed by generic drugs have new hope that they claims can be heard in court. In a major victory for plaintiffs, the United States Supreme Court denied to review a … More

Actos – the Cancer Causing Diabetes Treatment – Continues to Take Multi-Million Dollar Hits

March 1, 2015

Actos, (pioglitazone) is an oral medicine prescribed to patients who suffer from Type II Diabetes and is used to help control blood sugar levels. In 2011, the FDA announced that it would be reviewing the side effects of Actos after one study suggested that Actos patients faced a “disproportionate risk” of bladder cancer. The FDA eventually issued a warning saying that Actos was linked to increased risk of bladder cancer, especially after being used for a year or more. Actos has been at the center of more than 8,000 lawsuits across the United States, including 3,500 that were consolidated in … More

FDA Streamlining Access to Investigational Drugs

February 27, 2015

What happens when a person is suffering from a life-threatening illness, and the only hope is an untested, untried and experimental drug? For decades, the answer was that experimental drugs were unavailable in the United States unless you were a participant in a drug evaluation program. Tragically, thousands of patients who have no options other than non-FDA approved, experimental drugs simply do not have the right or ability to have access to them. Now, the FDA is looking into changing the process and allowing greater access to investigational drugs under certain limited circumstances. Peter Lurie, Acting Associate Commissioner for Policy … More

Using Januvia May Lead to Pancreatitis

February 23, 2015

An Ohio woman has filed a lawsuit against Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck), the manufacturer of the blockbuster drug Januvia. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of the plaintiff’s late spouse who was prescribed the drug as part of treatment for Type-2 diabetes. Nancy Fenter, the plaintiff, alleges that Januvia caused her late-husband (Ronald) to develop pancreatic cancer which proximately caused his untimely death. According to the complaint, Merck was negligent in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of Januvia. The case is currently pending in federal court. Januvia (sitagliptin) is a medicine prescribed to control blood sugar levels for … More

Talk of “Tort Reform” in The Air?

February 20, 2015

It seems that in every political election, one candidate talks about the need for “Tort Reform.” Sometimes, it is framed as a “us” against “them” issue. Others seek to blame the lawyers, blame the insurance companies, blame careless doctors or blame greedy and irresponsible corporations. However, the concept itself is rarely and never fully, explained. This leaves us with the question: What is this talk of “Tort Reform” all about? The best way to explain the concept is to break the phrase down into its respective parts. What is a tort? Formally, a tort is a civil wrong which can … More