Most of the clinical trial work that occurs before a drug is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration is not fully published – often due to “cozy” relationships between pharmaceutical companies and the health care industry. However, one man is trying to change that. If he is successful, it may change the way the drug industry currently operates. Too Close For Comfort That’s how Peter Doshi, a Johns Hopkins University postdoctoral fellow, describes the relationships between pharmaceutical companies… Read More
Category: <span>News</span>
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that generic drug manufacturers can not be sued under state law for adverse reactions to their products because it would run against federal laws on prescription medications that are approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. What The Ruling Means In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that makers of “branded” drugs could be held responsible for injuries resulting from their products. However, the Court’s decision didn’t tackle the issue of whether makers… Read More
Minnesota-based Medtronic has announced that it will cut thousands of jobs worldwide. The medical device manufacturing giant has been in the spotlight over the past few years for allegedly downplaying the serious side effects of its InFUSE bone graft and for providing doctors with kickbacks to promote the device. Are Cutbacks a Result of Litigation & Bad Press? According to CBS Minnesota, Medtronic has decided to scale back its global workforce by approximately 2,000 jobs – 500 of those in… Read More
Fresenius Medical Care, manufacturers of GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, also owns numerous dialysis centers across the country. One of those facilities, the Bessemer Kidney Center in Alabama, has been shut down following the deaths of two patients and the hospitalization of others. This is not good news for Fresenius, which also faces hundreds of GranuFlo and NaturaLyte injury lawsuits. From Bad to Worse The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, along with the Alabama Department of Public Health, are investigating… Read More
Television and print ads continually tout the impression that pharmaceutical companies have the consumers’ best interests at heart. Yet, many of these same drug makers are being fined for engaging in deceptive marketing practices and failing to warn consumers about known risks. A Case In Point: Sanofi Fined $52.8M for Engaging in Deceptive Practices French pharmaceutical giant, Sanofi SA, has been fined $52.8 million (the equivalent of over 40 million euros) for attempting to reduce the sales of generic competitors… Read More
Drug and medical device companies are not allowed to provide kickbacks to doctors in exchange for using their products. While the federal False Claims Act specifically prohibits this practice, manufacturers continue to engage in the illegal activity. The U.S. Government recently announced its second civil fraud lawsuit against Novartis AG in four days, accusing a unit of the Swiss drug maker of paying multimillion-dollar kickbacks to doctors in exchange for prescribing its drugs. Outrageous Corporate Behavior at the Expense of… Read More
According to Fox Business News, Michigan-based Stryker Corporation has reported a 13% drop in earnings due to numerous medical device recalls, including its Rejuvenate and ABG II modular-neck hip stems – now the subject of many product liability lawsuits against the company alleging that metal components cause fretting, and corrosion and may lead to metal poisoning. Stryker Metal Poisoning Stryker recalled its Rejuvenate and ABG II implant systems in 2012 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received complaints… Read More
It’s long been known that women who take antidepressants during pregnancy face a higher risk of miscarriage, pre-term births, neonatal health problems and long-term neurobehavioral abnormalities such as autism. However, the connection has become a growing concern and is now being addressed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). What Is Known What is known about women who take SSRIs —selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as Paxil, Prozac, Celexa,… Read More
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Class I recall of Johnson & Johnson’s LPS (Limb Preservation System) Diaphyseal Sleeve, an orthopedic device used in reconstructive knee surgery. According to the FDA, the Sleeve has the potential to fracture at the joint and could result in loss of function, loss of limb, infection, compromised soft tissue or death. FDA Notifies Healthcare Professionals About DePuy Knee Revision Recall The FDA notified healthcare professionals about its decision to recall… Read More
The Driscoll Firm, LLC, is now reviewing cases involving the illness in infants who were given a formula thickening additive that is being looked at by the FDA for a link to a potentially deadly intestinal disease. St. Louis, MO (Vocus/PRWEB) February 16, 2013 – Nationally recognized defective medical products lawyer John J. Driscoll announced today that his law firm is now reviewing cases involving a potentially deadly illness that may be connected to SimplyThick, an additive used to thicken… Read More
