Category Archives: Pharmaceuticals
Newly-Filed Plavix Lawsuits Claim Drug Caused Gastrointestinal Bleeds, Cerebral Hemorrhage, and TTP
The manufacturer of Plavix continues to be named in lawsuits alleging the blood thinner caused some patients to suffer from serious bleeding side effects. Most recently, the national law firm of Parker Waichman LLP filed nine Plavix bleeding lawsuits in state court in New York.
Smith & Nephew Says Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Controversy Slowing Sales of Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System
Medical device maker Smith & Nephew has reported a drop in sales of its metal-on-metal hip implant devices. According to the company, hip implant sales were down 2 percent during the first quarter of 2012, largely because its Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System suffered from an association with other metal-on-metal hip ...
Study Finds SSRI Antidepressant Side Effects Outweigh Their Benefits
A new study is raising more concerns about the safety of commonly used antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake (SSRI) inhibitor antidepressants. Investigators who conducted the study, which is published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, posit that increased knowledge of the negative effects of SSRIs and other antidepressants could reduce ...
FDA Gives 7 Companies Go Ahead To Market Generic Plavix
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) just gave seven companies the go-ahead to market generic Plavix. Plavix is a blood thinner prescribed for the prevention of blood clots, heart attacks, and which has been linked to serious side effects such as the heart attacks and strokes it is supposed to ...
Research Suggest Fracking Chemicals Can Pollute Aquifers
A new study suggests fluids used during the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process could migrate through underground fractures and contaminate water aquifers.
National Law Firms Calls for More FDA Action on Actos Bladder Cancer Threat
A national law firm is not satisfied with the way the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has handled warnings regarding Actos (pioglitazone) bladder cancer risks. In a statement published today, Parker Waichman LLP called on the FDA to compel Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the type 2 diabetes drug, ...
Federal Judge Certifies Medtronic Infuse Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit
A shareholder lawsuit alleging Medtronic Inc. illegally promoted the off-label use of its Infuse bone growth product has been granted class action status by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson of Minnesota. According to a report from Law360.com, the Medtronic Infuse off-label promotion lawsuit was filed by several institutional investors on ...
Fracking Boom Changing Way of Life in Pennsylvania's Northern Tier
In just a few years, the impact of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling on northeastern Pennsylvania is hard to miss. Thousands of natural gas wells have been opened in that area specifically in the last five years as companies look to exploit the vast Marcellus shale formation about two miles below the ...
New Study Links Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Corrosion with Adverse Local Tissue Reactions
Yet another study is pointing to potential dangers posed by metal-on-metal hip implants. This time, an article published in the Journal of Arthroplasty is reporting corrosion in the head taper junction was more likely to occur in patients with 36-mm diameter metal-on-metal hip replacement, compared to those with the same ...
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 ...
Case Study Links Green Tea Extract in SlimQuick to Liver Injury in 24-Year-Old Woman
A case study released late last month has detailed a case of liver injury in a woman who used the SlimQuick weight loss supplement. The study, published April 27 in the World Journal of Hepatology, linked the patient’s drug induced … Continue reading
NuvaRing, Ortho Evra Pose Great Blood Clot Risk than Birth Control Pills
Using devices like NuvaRing or the Ortho Evra patch as a form of contraception presents a greater risk of serious injuries to women, namely blood clots, according to the results of a new study. BBC reports, a new study in … Continue reading
Study Finds “Robust” Risk of C. difficile with Proton Pump Inhibitors, other Heartburn Drugs
A new study has found that taking acid reducing drugs, including proton pump inhibitors, can significantly increase the risk for Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection. The lead author of the study, which involved a meta-analysis of 30 separate studies, characterized … Continue reading
GNC, Vitamin Shoppe Won’t Pull DMAA Supplements
Supplement giants, GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe, refuse to pull DMAA supplements, despite that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a number of warning letters about DMAA-containing products in the past two weeks. Regardless, both GNC and … Continue reading
FDA Bisphosphonate Study Finds Few Benefits from Long-Term Use
A new U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) analysis is raising serious concerns about the long-term use of bisphosphonates like Fosamax to treat weak bones. While the bisphosphonate analysis found little if any benefit from taking the drugs for more … Continue reading
Senate Committee to Explore Ties Between Prescription Painkiller Maker’s, Patient Groups
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee has opened an investigation looking for the financial ties between makers of prescription painkiller drugs, so-called pain experts, and groups designed to advise patients on proper medical care. According to a New York Times report, … Continue reading
Health Canada Updates Lexapro Label with Warning for Abnormal Heart Rhythm
Health Canada has updated the Lexapro label with a warning about the drug’s link to abnormal heart rhythm. Lexapro (escitalopram), in the family of antidepressant medications known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), is sold in Canada as Cipralex. Lexapro, … Continue reading
Pradaxa Associated with more Complications than Warfarin, According to Early Study Findings
Early results from the largest study to date to compare Pradaxa and warfarin indicate that in a real-world setting, Pradaxa causes more complications than decades-old warfarin. The preliminary study results were announced last week, during the 2012 Thrombosis and Hemostasis … Continue reading
Health Canada Issues Warning for Benlysta Hypersensitivity and Infusion Reactions
Canadian regulator, Health Canada, has just issued a warning for lupus medication, Benlysta, over hypersensitivity and infusion reactions. Benlysta (belimumab) is a prescription drug approved for the treatment of adults diagnosed with lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE), who are … Continue reading
Researcher Calls on FDA to Implement Ban on DMAA
A leading medical researcher has added to the call for a full ban on the dietary and weight loss supplement additive dimethylamylamine (DMAA). According to a Boston Globe report, a researcher at Harvard University Medical School has authored a “research … Continue reading
