FDA & Prescription Drugs | InjuryBoard Atlanta

Bextra, released by Pfizer in 2001, is a cox-2 painkiller that was promoted as a miracle drug for many arthritis sufferers. However the promises provided by Pfizer did not deliver as expected for hundreds of thousands of unwary consumers. After being linked to heart attacks, strokes and the potentially deadly allergic reaction Stevens Johnson syndrome, Bextra was pulled from the market on April...

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The Food and Drug Administration has ordered stimulants like Ritalin to now use a stronger warning to advise doctors, pharmacists and patients of the associaed risks of heart problems in children and adults alike. It is also supposed to alert doctors that one child in a thousand experience hallucinations according to recent findings. The new warnings are not as strong as the one the FDA advisory...

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Did you know that adverse drug reactions are the 4th leading cause of death in the United States? If not, you do now. One such allergic reaction is called Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). Another is its more severe form called Toxic Epidermal Necrosis (TEN). These deadly reactions are caused by a number of drugs including but not limited to Bextra, Daypro and Feldene. If you or a loved one have...

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The Food and Drug Administration and GlaxoSmithKline recently sent notice to healthcare professionals and pharmacists about a new black box warning on Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine sulfate). The drug, typically prescribed to treat Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and narcolepsy, has been shown to cause sudden death in association with CNS stimulant treatment in children and adolescents...

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Accutane, the powerful prescription medication for acne, which has already been linked to birth defects, has recently been shown to increase health risks associated with the heart and liver. According to the study, most researchers already knew the drug could increase levels of cholesterol, liver enzymes and blood fats called triglycerides that can raise the risk of heart disease. But the new...

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The first of over 4,500 Prempro lawsuits is set to go to trial before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Little Rock, Arkansas with jury selection slated to begin first thing tomorrow morning. Benton Arkansas resident, Linda Reeves, is suing the drug manufacturer Wyeth after alleging she developed breast cancer after taking Prempro, a hormone-replacement therapy, for the last eight years. Prempro is a...

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As an attorney, I always find myself looking for ways to help out a client in terms of the law. Sometimes however that is just not enough. Sometimes clients need their attorneys to help them find answers to everyday questions concerning their current injuries including suggestions on treatment and support. One main area that I have encountered this situation is in my dealing with those who have...

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Over the last few years there have been seemingly well justified concerns into the role of the Food and Drug Administration and the decisions its ultimately makes on any given medication before allowing dispersement to patients all over the United States. A recent survey published on July 20, 2006 by the Union of Concerned Scientists shows the depth of political influence and interference that...

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Judge Carol Higbee, a state judge in New Jersey, who presided over the first Vioxx trial in the state, threw out a defense verdict that had favored Merck in a case brought by 60-year-old postal worker Frederick Humeston, who claimed Vioxx caused his heart attack. That jury ruled that Merck & Co., had provided adequate warnings to doctors about the risks of Vioxx and suggested that Merck & Co.,...

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In the second federal Vioxx trial, a New Orleans jury awarded Gerald Barnett $51 million in compensatory and punitive damages after finding Vioxx contributed to his heart attack in July of 2002. The jury found Merck and Co., "knowingly misrepresented or failed to disclose information" about the drug to Barnett's doctors. $50 million was given for compensatory damages and $1 million for punitive...

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Closing arguments have been heard in the second federal Vioxx trial in Louisiana which focuses on a 62 year-old former FBI agent who blames the drug for his heart attack in July of 2002 after using Vioxx for 31 months prior. The jury is made up of 8 middle aged men who will be left to decide if Vioxx, manufactured by Merck & Co., caused or contributed to Gerald Barnett's heart attack.

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Zyprexa (Olanzapine), a drug primarily prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia has been attributed to causing to diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemia, pancreatitis and blood sugar disorders in many of its consumers. The manufacturer of the drug, Eli Lilly & Co., previously promoted Zyprexa as a safe and effective drug for psychotic disorders, while virtually concealing the risks of side...

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In a follow up to my recent posts invloving free lunches and biased reports concerning the measures drug manufactures go to push their products on doctors and the medical industry as a whole, a new report by the Annals of Internal Medicine shows some of the more subtle and less discussed measures they typically utilize to achieve their profit driven goals. According to MSNBC.com:Some drug...

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In a recent study, one in five women who took the epilepsy drug Valproate during pregnancy resulted in birth defects or fetal death. The drug, sold by Abbott Laboratories, Inc., under the brand name Depakote, was found to be substantially riskier than any of the other three main epilepsy available on the market. Some of the defects commonly found to have occurred include: malformed hearts and...

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The Federal Government recently broadened the eligibility criteria for its overseas medical treatment program by allowing a woman who developed toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) to seek treatment in Singapore for her sight related injuries. The deadly allergic reaction is commonly associated with causing vision problems in those who contract it and until recently those dealing with it have been...

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