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Fluoroquinolones Can Cause Peripheral Neuropathy

December 23, 2014

A Baltimore County Maryland woman filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the antibiotic drug Levaquin. The defendants in the lawsuit are Johnson & Johnson; Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development L.L.C.; Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceutical, Inc.; and McKesson Corporation. The plaintiff claims that the pharmaceutical defendants failed to warn of the dangerous risks associated with the drug including peripheral neuropathy and that as a result of the defendant’s actions the plaintiff developed peripheral neuropathy among other damages. In 1996, Levaquin was approved by the FDA to treat certain bacterial infections including lung, sinus, skin and urinary tract infection. Levaquin (levofloxacin) … More

Risperdal: When Drug Manufacturers Profits Outweigh Patient Risk

December 11, 2014

There is a saying that the “treatment is sometimes worse than the disease.” A good example of this is the drug Risperdal. In 1993, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Risperdal for the treatment of adult schizophrenia. In 2006 and 2007, the FDA extended the permitted use of Risperdal to the treatment of schizophrenia in children, bipolar disorder in adults and children, and behavioral disorders for autistic children. Risperdal is the second most prescribed antipsychotic in the U.S., with annual sales exceeding $4.5 billion. It is estimated that Janssen Pharmaceuticals (Janssen), the manufacturer of Risperdal, has profited about $40 … More

Boston Scientific’s latest in a Series of Mesh Sling Trials

December 9, 2014

Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC) is an international medical device manufacturer and creator of a transvaginal mesh device that is used to treat incontinence and a condition called pelvic organ prolapse in women. Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the bladder drops (prolapses) from its normal place in the lower belly and pushes against the walls of the vagina. The number of women who have undergone vaginal mesh surgery is quite staggering. The FDA estimates that hundreds of thousands of women have undergone implantation of a vaginal mesh device by various manufacturers, including BSC. Unfortunately, in various studies reported to the FDA, … More

Healthcare Network Liable for $1.6M for Overdosing Patient

December 8, 2014

A jury in the Second District Court of Utah returned a verdict for $1.6 million in a wrongful-death and medical malpractice action against Intermountain Healthcare for fatally overdosing a patient with a cocktail of medications. The original complaint alleged Intermountain negligently and carelessly acted below the standard of care by prescribing a combination of medications. Intermountain is a large healthcare network based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The healthcare provider has 22 hospitals in the state and more than 185 clinics in the Intermountain Medical Group. Following the unexpected death of her husband Randy Krambule, Bobbie Krambule filed suit against … More

Xolair: When Risk Outweigh the Benefit

December 8, 2014

The drug Xolair, which is manufactured and marketed by Genentech and Novartis, has been determined to potentially cause some severe side effects that were never previously disclosed to consumers. Xolair is an FDA approved treatment of allergic asthma, as well as the treatment for Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU) that cannot be controlled by H1 antihistamine. However, in September 2014, during the course of an ongoing safety review of the generic equivalent of Xolair called Omalizumab, the FDA found that there were side effects that the manufacturer did not previously warn consumers about. These include the risk that Xolair can cause … More

Do you have a Cold or Cough? Be Careful.

December 5, 2014

Over the Counter Medication can be Dangerous – Because many of these medicines have the same ingredients, it can be easy to overdose. Watch Video More

Increased Attention to “Death with Dignity” after Brittany Maynard’s Death

November 21, 2014

In light of the recent death of Brittany Maynard, much attention has been directed toward Death with Dignity laws. Brittany Maynard was diagnosed in January with an aggressive terminal brain cancer, and doctors give her six more months to live. She was living in California at the time and decided to move to Oregon take advantage of the state’s Death with Dignity Act. She then became a vocal advocate for Death with Dignity laws and utilized social media to share her story with the world. More than 20 years ago, Oregon voters passed the first Death with Dignity policy reform … More

Increasing Testosterone Therapy Litigation

November 18, 2014

Use of testosterone therapy has increased fivefold from 2000-2011. More than 5 million men were prescribed testosterone therapy in 2011. Those who have experienced injuries have filed lawsuits against multiple manufacturers of testosterone drugs as Androgel, Testim and Axiron. Those injured claim that they were not properly warned of the potential risks associated with testosterone therapy. Thousands of men have experienced undisclosed side effects resulting from their use of testosterone that was prescribed to them. Two studies that investigated the effects of testosterone therapy indicated an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) associated with testosterone therapy in men. Other … More

Woman Says She Developed Diabetes While Using Lipitor

November 17, 2014

A Stanford Washington woman has filed a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company Pfizer after using the drug Lipitor that was prescribed to her in 1998. The lawsuit alleges that Pfizer marketed and promoted Lipitor as “safe and effective for people like the plaintiff,” despite data indicating the drug was causally related to blood glucose levels associated with Type 2 Diabetes. Lipitor is prescribed by doctors to lower cholesterol and other fatty substances in the blood, works to prevent heart disease and lower the risk of strokes. Pfizer failed to adequately warn physicians and consumers of the risk of developing diabetes … More

Extendicare Whistleblower Receives 2.79 million in Medicare Fraud Settlement

November 14, 2014

In October, Tracy Lovvorn, a former employee of Extendicare, Inc., received a $1.8 million payment for information provided regarding Extendicare’s inappropriate Medicare billing and services to the elderly in their care. This was in her capacity as ‘”Relator” in a qui tam claim brought on behalf of the government under the False Claims Act. Under federal law, if a “Relator” (also known as a “whistleblower”) brings evidence of fraud or wrongful acts that resulted in the federal government overpaying for product, services or a contract under false pretenses, the Relator can receive a portion of the monies recovered. The False … More