Product Liability Lawyer Blog

August 28, 2014

Payne v. Novartis: On Aredia and Zometa Lawsuits

Payne v. Novartis, an appeal argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, involved a woman and her husband who sued Novartis, a drug manufacturer, for failing to warn her that its drugs could cause serious damage to her jaw. Those two drugs were Aredia and Zometa.

As your Boston pharmaceutical negligence lawyer can explain, Aredia and Zometa are in a class of biophosphate drugs given to patients with cancer to prevent pathological fractures and bone pain. The drugs are administered intravenously. During the early 2000s, members of the medical community discovered a connection between taking biophosphates and developing a serious medical condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ).

ONJ is a condition that causes the gums to be eaten away until the bone is exposed. The gums and the bone then die. This is an extremely painful condition that resulted in doctors having to remove part of the patient’s jaw.
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August 25, 2014

Artificial Knee Manufacturer Invents Robotic Arm to Aid in Surgery

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to recent article in the Boston Business Journal, a technological innovation will allow partial and total knee replacement surgeries to be performed by a robotic arm. The company claims that this robotic arm sets them apart form companies such as Stryker, DePuy, and Zimmer. As your Boston knee replacement lawyer can explain, there have been many products liability lawsuits filed against the makers of these knees for issues involving defective design and a failure to adequately warn patients of known dangers.

The robotic arm is intended to be used by surgeons to allow for a more precise alignment of the artificial knee components. This company is claiming that proper alignment is the difference between success and failure in a knee replacement procedure.

The new device uses a 3D image of the knee and uses the image to saw off the knee joint at the proper place and at the proper angle. Without the use of the new robotic arm, surgeons use a metal guide and attempt to come within a few degrees of perfect alignment. The company also claims that if alignment is not proper, it can lead to a total failure in the replacement knee, and the patient will require another operation and another artificial knee to replace the failed one. Surgeons typically get the alignment right 75 percent of the time, and this robotic arm is supposedly able to get an exact alignment over 90 percent of the time.
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August 22, 2014

Risk for Internal Bleeding after Taking Pradaxa

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent article from Australia, at least 30,000 people in the country have been put at serious risks for internal bleeding after taking Pradaxa. Claims are being made that Boehringer Ingelheim, the drugmaker, was more concerned with marketing and making money than patient safety and failed to warn users of this known danger or methods to minimize the risk of internal bleeding.

As your Boston Pradaxa attorneys understand, the drug is intended to be a blood thinner to minimize the risk of strokes, heart disease, and blood clot related illness. Pradaxa and another new blood thinner, Xarelto, were hailed as major advances in blood thinning medications and were marketed as a better alternative to the traditional blood thinner, warfarin.

The company’s marketing claimed that the advantage of Pradaxa over warfarin was that patients did not need regular blood monitoring. The problem is that the drug companies were apparently aware of the fact that regular blood monitoring would reduce the risk that Pradaxa patients would suffer internal bleeding and brain hemorrhaging. The drug company did not want to hurt windfall profits they were reaping from Pradaxa sales and worried that fewer people would choose the drug over warfarin if they knew this information.
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August 19, 2014

New Article Looks at the Risks and Effectiveness of Testosterone Replacement Therapy

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Our testosterone replacement therapy attorneys understand that the Low -T craze sweeping the nation may have some serious health consequences in the near future.

A recent article from Fox News examines whether testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is appropriate for the many new patients taking the medication. According to the article, prospective patients are being told that depression, fatigue, reduced muscle mass, sexual dysfunction and loss of sex drive and increased belly fat are all symptoms of “Low T” or low testosterone levels.

These are basically all of the signs or “symptoms” of male aging, so doctors and testosterone clinics (T Clinics) are presenting TRT as an age management therapy for a wide range of male patients.
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August 17, 2014

New Theory on How Testosterone Levels Can Be Responsible for Male Aggression

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

While it has been well established that testosterone levels can lead to aggressive behaviors in males, according to a recent article in Medical News Today, there is a specific neural receptor that is affected by the hormone in a way that causes male aggression.

Researchers in Canada performed a study on a group of 16 male volunteer patients. The patients were given a test to perform, and their results were tracked. The participants were then given either a placebo or testosterone. All participants were given a drug to lower their testosterone levels, so that there would be a common baseline for researchers to analyze without having to take into account the varying natural testosterone levels of the subjects.

Over the two days of testing, the subjects were monitored with MRI machines. The males who had higher testosterone levels were noted as making more angry and frustrated facial expressions as compared to participants on the placebo. The specific brain areas identified on the MRI were the amygdala, hypothalamus and periaqueductal grey.

Researchers noted that the research involved a small group of subjects and all participants were of a similar age. They need additional research and funding to solidify their results.

As your Boston Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) attorney can explain, this is another example of how scientists only really seem to know the negative effects of raising a man’s testosterone level. We know that TRT has been associated with increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, and other serous illness, and doctors know that if you have a “Low T” count, as drug companies would say, administering TRT drugs can artificially raise levels.
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August 17, 2014

More Younger Americans Undergo Total Hip Replacement Surgery Than Ever Before

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A recent article in the Washington Post chronicles the columnist’s experiences as he researches and then undergoes total hip replacement surgery at the age of 45.

The point is that hip replacement surgery isn’t just for older people anymore. The article details that the number of total and partial hip replacements performed each year has risen nearly 60 percent between 1998 and 2011. Within that group of people having the operation, the number of patients between the ages 45 and 65 has increased by nearly 20 percent, to account for just less than half of all hip replacement operations.

By the numbers, nearly 500,000 patients are having a total or partial hip replacement each year. The reason given in the article for the increase in hip replacements is that younger, more active people are no longer willing to live with the pain and suffering of joint disease anymore and would rather have this relatively common operation and get back to their active lifestyle.

While that is the good news, as your Boston hip replacement lawyer can explain, there is a corresponding number of patients that have experienced significant pain and suffering as a result of defectively dangerous artificial hips. Some patients were the victims of deceptive marketing and not given adequate warnings to allow them give an informed consent to the life-changing operation.
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August 14, 2014

DePuy Hip Settlement Claims: Sept. 30, 2014 Last Day to Apply

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

For individuals who have suffered ill effects of a DePuy hip replacement on or before Aug. 31, 2013, there is important news from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division. The defendant company, DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. sought and successfully obtained case management order in a multi-district litigation action that would establish a cut-off date of Sept. 30, 2014 for all eligible claimants.

Our Boston DePuy hip lawsuit attorneys understand plaintiff attorneys did not object to this extension, and U.S. District Judge David A. Katz approved the request Aug. 13, 2014 in In re: DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. ASR Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation.

This cut-off date pertains to the $2.5 billion settlement reached by DePuy’s parent company, pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.
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August 13, 2014

Maker of Nuvaring Warns Patients of New Risks

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

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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August 10, 2014

Gibson v. Am. Cyanamid Co.: Lead Carbonate Paint and the Risk Contribution Rule

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Our Boston personal injury attorneys know significant investigation may be required before filing a lawsuit related to injuries sustained to lead exposure. It is important to find out as much as possible about what type of lead carbonate pigment paint contributed to the plaintiff’s illness, when the paint was applied, and who manufactured that type of paint.

Gibson v. Am. Cyanamid Co., a case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, involved a plaintiff who said he was injured as a result of eating lead paint as child in the late 1990s. Lead was added to paint to speed drying time, increase durability, and improve the overall look of the paint. If the paint is ingested, it can lead to kidney problems, liver disease, developmental disorders, and other health concerns. The fact that lead paint has a distinctly sweet taste is the reason that children often ate it after it flaked off a wall.
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August 8, 2014

George W. Bush Undergoes Partial Knee Replacement Therapy

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Our Boston knee replacement attorneys understand that many patients are suffering substantial pain and loss of mobility after having a surgery.

And nobody warned them of the risks.

According to a recent article from Fox News, former President George W. Bush recently underwent partial knee replacement on his left knee. Mr. Bush is 68 years of age. This was his second knee surgery. The first surgery was performed three month ago and was a partial knee replacement on his right knee.

This partial knee replacement is in contrast to the more than 700,000 total knee replacements performed each year. As we have discussed in a previous blog entry, research suggests many total knee replacements are not medically necessary.

Any patient who undergoes a total knee replacement is exposed to serious side effects including loss of flexibility, pain, stiffness, rejection, and even death. The fact that many patients are suffering these side effects when they may not have needed a total knee replacement in the first place illustrates the risks of today’s medical system.
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