FDA & Prescription Drugs

• First Arkansas Prempro Case Goes To Trial

  M. Brandon Smith | August 21, 2006 8:21 PM | 0 CommentsAtlanta, GA

  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...

• Stevens-Jonhson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

  M. Brandon Smith | August 21, 2006 6:01 PM | 0 CommentsAtlanta, GA

  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...

• Is The FDA Compromising American's Health And Well Being?

  M. Brandon Smith | August 21, 2006 5:40 PM | 0 CommentsAtlanta, GA

  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...

• Judge Orders New Trial For Plaintiff In First New Jersey Vioxx Trial

  M. Brandon Smith | August 17, 2006 9:18 PM | 0 CommentsAtlanta, GA

  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.,...

• Merck Failed To Warn-$51 Million Awarded

  M. Brandon Smith | August 17, 2006 1:17 PM | 0 CommentsAtlanta, GA

  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...

• Closing Arguments In Second Fereral Vioxx Trial Heard

  M. Brandon Smith | August 17, 2006 9:17 AM | 0 CommentsAtlanta, GA

  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.

• Zyprexa Linked To Diabetes Mellitus And Other Serious Disorders

  M. Brandon Smith | August 17, 2006 12:03 AM | 0 CommentsAtlanta, GA

  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...

• Drug Manufactures And The Tricks They Employ To Earn A Profit

  M. Brandon Smith | August 15, 2006 3:01 PM | 0 CommentsAtlanta, GA

  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...

• Depakote (Valproate) Linked To Birth Defects And Fetal Death

  M. Brandon Smith | August 14, 2006 8:25 PM | 0 CommentsAtlanta, GA

  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...

• Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Sufferer To Have Sight Restored

  M. Brandon Smith | August 14, 2006 9:22 AM | 0 CommentsAtlanta, GA

  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...