All posts by admin

MENINGITIS OUTBREAK HASN’T ENDED

August 10, 2012 admin

The fungal meningitis outbreak that resulted from a tainted steroid injection this fall is not over. Several months later, there have been over 23 new cases of spinal abscesses attributable to the steroid injection manufactured by New England Compounding Pharmacy.

Luckily the new wave of cases has involved spinal abscesses, and have not yet developed into full-blown fungal meningitis, which is a deadly disease. Spinal abscesses, the primary symptom of which is pain, are not a direct threat to the body’s central nervous system, and often take a long time to develop. MRI must be use to detect them. Continue reading MENINGITIS OUTBREAK HASN’T ENDED →

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device News

PRADAXA VS. WARFARIN: BETTER OR JUST MORE COSTLY?

October 4, 2012 admin

Is Pradaxa, the first alternative to the original blood thinner warfarin, worth its $3000 a year price tag, or is it just as risky as the $200 a year warfarin? The number of Pradaxa injuries leading to lawsuits would indicate that the new drug isn’t a step forward for patients at all.

The FDA approved Pradaxa for the prevention of stroke and blood clots in patients with abnormal heart rhythm in October of 2010. In only a few years, it has been seen to be so dangerous that even cardiologists find themselves reluctant to prescribe it. Continue reading PRADAXA VS. WARFARIN: BETTER OR JUST MORE COSTLY? →

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device News

GENERIC FORM OF ANTIDEPRESSANT WELLBUTRIN PULLED OFF THE MARKET

October 4, 2012 admin

The FDA has asked Teva Pharmaceuticals to stop shipping Budeprion XL 300, the generic alternative to the popular antidepressant Wellbutrin XL 300. Consumers have been complaining that the drug has not been effective, and that they have been suffering side effect such as anxiety, headaches, and insomnia. After testing, the FDA found that the generic drug releases key ingredients faster than its branded counterpart. Continue reading GENERIC FORM OF ANTIDEPRESSANT WELLBUTRIN PULLED OFF THE MARKET →

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device News

STEROID INJECTIONS CAUSE MENINGITIS OUTBREAK

October 4, 2012 admin

A fairly standard steroid injection used to treat back pain has resulted in a meningitis outbreak in five states: Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, and North Carolina. It has led to 26 people thus far getting sick, including 4 for whom it was fatal. The drug was made by a pharmacy in Massachusetts called New England Compounding Center, and it has now been shut down. The drug has been recalled as well.

Because the incubation period is between 2 and 28 days, officials expect that there will be new cases appearing in the coming days and weeks. Continue reading STEROID INJECTIONS CAUSE MENINGITIS OUTBREAK →

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device News

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN RISPERDAL LITIGATION

October 4, 2012 admin

Today Johnson & Johnson settled five of its lawsuits claiming that its antipsychotic drug Risperdal caused boys to grow breast tissue. The hearing took place in Philadelphia, but the terms of the settlements were not disclosed.

The settlement of these cases comes on the heels of J&J’s efforts to keep former FDA chief David Kessler from taking the stand to testify about the drug company’s illegal promotion of the drug to children. Plaintiffs’ attorneys allege that J&J hid evidence that the drug caused hormonal changes that could trigger breast development in boys, and trained its pharmaceutical representatives to downplay this information in its doctors’ visits. Continue reading LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN RISPERDAL LITIGATION →

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device News

SETTLEMENT NEWS ON DEPUY HIP IMPLANTS

October 4, 2012 admin

On September 12, 2012, it was announced that the first cases in the DePuy Hip Implant Recall are to be settled for $200,000 each, disappointing and outraging clients who were expecting a much higher settlement amount. Many experts were estimating the cases to be worth more than $500,000. Continue reading SETTLEMENT NEWS ON DEPUY HIP IMPLANTS →

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device News

UPDATE ON MENINGITIS OUTBREAK

October 9, 2012 admin

There are new figures on the recent fungal meningitis outbreak that resulted from tainted steroid shots. Now it is believed that 13,000 people received the shot, though not all the shots were given in the back. The number of confirmed cases has now reached 105, with eight fatalities.

These growing numbers are causing renewed attention of these compounding pharmacies, which repackage or recombine medicines. These pharmacies are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, but some in Congress want the FDA to ensure that these compounded drugs meet the same safety standards as other drugs. Continue reading UPDATE ON MENINGITIS OUTBREAK →

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device News

PSYCHIATRIST TRIES TO BRING UNETHICAL PRACTICES TO LIGHT

October 9, 2012 admin

On Thursday October 4, controversial British psychiatrist David Healy spoke at the American Psychiatric Associations annual meeting about conflicts of interest between psychiatrists and the drug industry. This is a topic that is very close to our hearts at Kirkendall Dwyer, where our attorneys are committed to fighting xxxx. Continue reading PSYCHIATRIST TRIES TO BRING UNETHICAL PRACTICES TO LIGHT →

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device News

DALLAS COMPOUNDING PHARMACY ACCUSED OF CAUSING DEATHS

October 9, 2012 admin

With compounding pharmacies coming under scrutiny as a result of the recent meningitis outbreak, a Dallas compounding pharmacy whose mislabeled medications caused the deaths of three people in Washington State is coming to light. The pharmacy, called ApotheCure, mixed an injectable painkiller that was 640% stronger than prescribed. Continue reading DALLAS COMPOUNDING PHARMACY ACCUSED OF CAUSING DEATHS →

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device News

JOHNSON & JOHNSON TRIES TO ADDRESS CRITICAL DRUG SHORTAGE

October 9, 2012 admin

Since 2010, ovarian cancer patients have been missing an effective and palatable chemotherapy drug called Doxil. In 2010, FDA inspectors came upon contamination problems at the Ohio plant, and since then the drug has been in severe shortage. About 7000 patients a year have used this drug, but by November of 2010, the only factory producing Doxil was shut down completely. Continue reading JOHNSON & JOHNSON TRIES TO ADDRESS CRITICAL DRUG SHORTAGE →