Monthly Archives: May 2015
First DePuy ASR Hip Implant Lawsuits Head to Trial in December, January
The first trials involving lawsuits filed against DePuy Orthopaedics by recipients of its recalled ASR Hip Implants will begin later this year, and early next year. The first is slated to start on December 3, 2012 in state court in Las Vegas, Nevada. A second DePuy ASR hip implant lawsuit ...
Smith & Nephew’s Birmingham Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Device
Wright Medical Inc. took steps in to 2006 to convince the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to reject pre-market approval of rival Smith & Nephew’s Birmingham metal-on-metal hip implant. Wright Medical, which makes two metal-on-metal hip replacement devices, the Conserve and the Lieneage device, filed a citizen petition ...
Stryker Metal Hip Implant Component Recall Bad News for Makers of Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Devices
Stryker’s recent recall of two metal hip implant components, the Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II modular-neck hip stems, may have dealt a serious blow to one of the key arguments medical device manufacturers have made to defend their metal-on-metal hip replacements. Facing thousands of lawsuits, the makers of ...
Indiana Woman Alleges Serious Injuries From Transvaginal Mesh Products
Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm, just filed a lawsuit on behalf of a woman who suffered injuries after receiving transvaginal mesh implants. The lawsuit suit alleges that the transvaginal mesh created an unreasonable risk and directly caused her injuries.
Zadroga Act Cancer Decision Expected This Week
The federal official tasked with determining what ailments should be covered by the federal Zadroga Act is expected to decide by Saturday if certain cancers will be eligible for compensation. The decision is being eagerly awaited by thousands of first responders who believe they developed cancer due to exposure ...
Tennessee Woman Alleges Boston Scientific Transvaginal Mesh Product Caused Painful Injuries
More reports of painful injuries are being linked to transvaginal mesh. This time, a Tennessee woman has filed a lawsuit against Boston Scientific over its Advantage Transvaginal Mid-Urethral Sling System.
Government Penalizes 721 Hospitals for High Rates of Infections, Injuries
Medicare is reducing payments to 721 hospitals, one out of every seven hospitals in the nation, for having high rates of “hospital-acquired” conditions (HAC.
FDA Urged to Ban Powdered Caffeine
Pennsylvania Senator Robert Casey has written to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to urge the agency to ban powdered caffeine, a dietary supplement.
Two Leading Cancer Groups Issue Call for Regulation of E-cigarettes and Research on Health Risks
In a joint statement, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research have called on the federal government to move quickly to regulate e-cigarettes and increase research on their health effects. These leading research and treatment organizations asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make ...
Bisphosphonate Study Confirms Atypical Thigh Fracture Risk
New research has confirmed the link between bisphoshonates, such as Fosamax, and atypical femur fractures, a type of thigh fracture that occurs spontaneously, without any major leg injury. The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, also found that the risk of atypical thigh fractures increases the longer a ...FDA Inspection Results in Warning Letter to Smith & Nephew
A March inspection of the Andover, Massachusetts manufacturing facilities of medical device maker Smith & Nephew has resulted in a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning letter to the company based on problems uncovered the inspection. The inspection took place … Continue reading
Update on CareFusion Recall of AVEA Ventilators
This week, medical device maker CareFusion provided an update on a global voluntary recall that was initiated on April 21, 2015 to address an issue with certain units of AVEA ventilators. The AVEA ventilator is used in hospitals and health … Continue reading
$15 Million in Damages Awarded to Child for Birth Defects Linked to Depakote
This week a St. Louis jury found that a Minnesota girl’s birth defects were caused by the epilepsy medication Depakote her mother took during pregnancy and the jury awarded the child $15 million in damages. The jury returned the unanimous … Continue reading
Research Links Tylenol Use during Pregnancy to Increased Risk of Male Sterility
New research suggests that males may have a higher risk of infertility if their mothers took Tylenol for extended periods during pregnancy. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and published in the journal Science Translational Medicine … Continue reading
UMass Epidemiologist to Lead Study of Possible Link Between Phthalates and Breast Cancer Risk
An epidemiologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study whether phthalates affect human breast cancer risk. Prof. Katherine Reeves of the UMass School of Public … Continue reading
Health Authorities Investigate Multistate Salmonella Outbreak Possibly Linked to Raw Tuna in Sushi
The Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local health officials are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(+) infections, possibly linked to sushi made from raw tuna. … Continue reading
Acetaminophen Use in Pregnancy Could Affect Son’s Fertility
New research in mice suggests that long-term exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy could lower a male’s production of testosterone, possibly affecting his fertility. The results suggest that if a pregnant woman takes acetaminophen for several days it could affect her … Continue reading
Emails Show FDA Was Warned of Duodenoscope Infection Risks Six Years Ago
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received warnings nearly six years ago about the risk of “superbug” infection from specialized medical scopes. The devices have been tied to a series of deadly superbug outbreaks. In 2009, after duodenoscopes were linked … Continue reading
Lumber Liquidators CEO Unexpectedly Resigns Amid Product Safety Concerns
Lumber Liquidators CEO Robert Lynch unexpectedly resigned Thursday following weeks of struggles over safety concerns related to its flooring products. The Toano, Va.-based company will search nationally for a replacement, the company said. Thomas Sullivan, Lumber Liquidators founder, will serve … Continue reading
Indian Food Inspectors Order Instant Noodle Recall over Dangerous Levels of Lead
Food inspectors in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have ordered Nestle India to recall a batch of Maggi instant noodles from stores across the country because the product contained dangerous levels of lead. India’s Food Safety and Drug … Continue reading
