Articles Posted in dangerous drugs

According to recent article, the makers of Nuvaring are warning Canadian patients that this form of birth control may not be safe for many women. According to the drug company, women who smoke and are over 35-years-old or have had at least one serious heath condition, including blood clotting issues, high blood pressure, or diabetes, could be at a risk for serious illness if they use the Nuvaring as a form of birth control.

The Nuvaring is a ring that is inserted into the vagina that continuously releases hormones to prevent pregnancy. This drug has been shown to have serious side effects, including increased risk of heart disease, strokes and dangerous blood clots. According to the manufacturer, it is now known that the drug can lead to other serious side effects, including painful joints, blisters, hearing loss, swelling, and intestine problems.

As your Boston dangerous drug lawyers can explain, one of the most serious side effects is blood-clotting issues. Blood clots can form in the veins of the legs in a condition known as deep vein thrombosis. These clots can then break free from the leg veins and travel through the blood system into the heart and lungs. When a clot enters the lungs, it is known as a pulmonary embolism, or PE. A PE is often fatal for the patient.
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Our Boston defective product attorneys know that handling these types of cases requires very close attention to detail and a thorough understanding of ever-evolving law related to these actions.

In Johnson v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. et al, the plaintiff alleged that metoclopramide, the generic name for Relgan, caused her to develop the neurologic condition known as tardive dyskinesia.
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Our Boston injury attorneys know a products liability lawsuit may involve multiple defendants who participated in the manufacture, advertising, distribution, and retail sale of the medication.

Hardin v. PDX, Inc., an opinion from the California Court of Appeals, involved a plaintiff who experienced a complete and permanent loss of eyesight, along with extensive and painful scarring, after taking Lamotrigine. Lamotrigine is the generic version of Lamictal.

The plaintiff alleged that Lamotrigine has been shown to cause Steven-Johnsons Syndrome (SJS) and associated toxic epidermal necrolysis. She further alleged that these conditions were responsible for her injuries.

The plaintiff filed a negligence claim under a theory of products liability against the drug company, the doctor who prescribed the medication, and the retail pharmacy where she filled her prescription. She also sued the publisher that made the drug information insert for patients to read when they get their medicine. This information consists of warnings about the drug in the form of what is called a drug monograph. These monographs are not required by the FDA but are required as part of a self-regulating action plan, which is required by the federal government.
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Our Boston injury lawyers understand that no patient can make an informed consent about the risks they face in taking a medication if they are not told of known side effects.

A recent article in the La Crosse Tribune discusses the ongoing lawsuit by NFL players against the NFL organization related to the ways players were allegedly given powerful medication with little or no medical oversight.

According to reports, the players would be sitting in their seats on flights home from games, and the trainers wanted them to hold up fingers to show how many narcotic pills they wanted to dull the pain. These pill included Vicodin, Percocet, and a variety of other narcotics and anti-inflammatory medications.
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The Food and Drug Administration has issued a new warning this June about certain over-the-counter acne medications. According to an FDA Consumer Update alert, some patients have reported serious and potentially life-threatening reactions after using acne products.

Patients who use over-the-counter acne products should review the FDA information carefully to understand the potential risks associated with the use of these therapies. The FDA’s warning is also a reminder that even over-the-counter medications can be dangerous to patients. From denture creams to Tylenol to testosterone therapy, many medications have proven to cause unexpected side effects that can forever change the life of patients. Those affected by a dangerous drug or medication should consult with a Boston defective drug for more information on how to obtain compensation for losses.
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When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants approval for the release of a drug, the medication is intended for use only for a specific purpose. For example, an antidepressant medication would be tested on patients suffering from depression and the drug is thus approved only for the treatment of depression.

Unfortunately, there is widespread “off-label” use, in which medication is prescribed for something entirely different than its intended purpose. This occurs when it appears that the drug may have a positive impact on a medical condition that it has not officially been approved to treat. In many cases, the off-label use is actually encouraged by the drug manufacturer despite the fact that the pharmaceutical company is aware of exactly what its medication was approved to treat.
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On February 18, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ruled that all pending federal Lipitor lawsuits should be consolidated into a multidistrict litigation.

The Boston defective drug lawyers at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers LLC have filed a Lipitor case for a victim affected by this dangerous drug and our firm has been admitted to the MDL. If you or a loved one took Lipitor and developed Type 2 diabetes or other complications, call to schedule your free consultation to learn how we can help.

Multidistrict litigation (MDL) makes it possible for one judge to hear many similar cases arising from a defective product or dangerous drug. While all individual plaintiffs retain their independent claims, pre-trial motions and decisions affecting all claims can be ruled on just once by the judge who has been assigned to the case. The cases have been consolidated in South Carolina and are being presided over by U.S. District Jude Richard M. Gergel.
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A federal jury has ordered Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. and Eli Lilly & Co. to pay a combined $9 billion in punitive damages after finding that the companies hid the risks of cancer in their diabetes drug trial held in the United States. This makes the jury award the seventh-largest in U.S. history. The Osaka-Japan based company may be forced to pay the final judgment in the case, even covering the $3 billion ordered paid by its partner company Eli Lilly in Indianapolis. The company lost 5.2 percent of its shares, the biggest drop since last year.

This giant award is a signal to other companies that juries and courts are willing to hold them accountable for egregious deceit of consumers. Our defective drug attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of victims who have suffered because of dangerous and defective products, or failure to warn. We take an informed and strategic approach to understand the facts of every case and will aggressively pursue relevant legal claims against liable companies. In addition to advocating for our clients, we are abreast of products liability legal developments, locally and nationally.
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Each March, Patient Safety Awareness Week is held to encourage patients to take safety precautions and to be aware of signs that they may be receiving substandard or dangerous medical care. The educational effort occurs annually and healthcare organizations provide promotional material and resources for patients and hospital staff.

While Patient Safety Awareness Week does a good job drawing attention to the need for patients’ to take an active role in managing their own healthcare, the reality is that patients need to go the extra mile to be safe at all times when dealing with the medical and pharmaceutical industries. This is especially true in situations where a patient is prescribed a drug. Under these circumstances, the plaintiff needs to not only be aware of potential pitfalls that the doctor could create (like prescribing the wrong dose) but also of potential problems that could develop if it turns out the safety of a drug is overstated and the risks not disclosed or understood.
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The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has recently approved a motion to consolidate federal lawsuits filed against Pfizer Inc. due to Lipitor side effects. Lipitor is a widely-prescribed drug that was marketed to patients as a means of lowering cholesterol. Unfortunately, the drug has been linked to the development of Type 2 diabetes and patients who developed diabetes have sued the drug manufacturer.

The Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has approved the consolidation of the cases before the Honorable Judge Richard M. Gergel, who is already presiding over 27 Lipitor cases. The Judge’s experience in hearing Lipitor cases over the course of the past year has prepared him to manage the mass tort litigation that the approved motion creates.
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