Pfizer Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Lo/Ovral®-28
and Norgestrel/Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets Due to
Possibility of Inexact Tablet Counts or Out of Sequence Tablets
- FDA
02/01/2012 - Pfizer Inc. announced today that it has voluntarily recalled 14 lots of Lo/Ovral®-28 (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol)Tablets and 14 lots of Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets (generic) for customers in the U.S. market. An investigation by Pfizer found that some blister packs may contain an inexact count of inert or active ingredient tablets and that the tablets may be out of sequence. The cause was identified and corrected immediately.
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Pfizer Recalls IV Drugs That Could Kill Patients
-Fox News
06/04/2010 - Pfizer said Thursday it is recalling intravenous drugs with floating matter in them, warning they could potentially kill weakened patients, after U.S. regulators warned about the worries earlier this week.
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"Shocking" Conditions At Tylenol Plant
-CNN
05/14/2010 - The quality and safety violations that led to the shut down of a Tylenol plant were extremely serious, and could lead to tough action by regulators on drugmaker Johnson & Johnson.
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Tylenol Maker Scrambles To Fix Quality Problem
-CNN
05/05/2010 - The maker of several over-the-counter drugs, including Tylenol, Motrin and Benadryl, said Monday that it is taking "corrective actions" at its U.S. plant after some 40 children's versions of those drugs were recalled for quality concerns.
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Avandia Trial in Trouble
-PharmExec
04/21/2010 - GSK’s Avandia just won’t stay out of the news. Now comes a report from The Wall Street Journal that the FDA is considering dealing the beleaguered diabetes drug another blow by stopping one of its safety trials. The TIDE trial, which received approval in 2007, pits Avandia (rosiglitazone) against Takeda’s Actos (pioglitazone), a drug that as yet hasn’t suffered from the same safety pitfalls.
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Last defendant in long-running Accutane suit settles
-Madison Record
04/21/2010 - A nearly seven-year old suit over an acne medication is over. The last defendant in a Madison County product liability-medical malpractice case involving Accutane settled as it was set to go to trial on Monday. Plaintiff Jason Peipert had alleged that the acne medication caused him to develop inflammatory bowel disease when he was prescribed it in the late 1990s.
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Accutane acne drug dangerous for your health?
-Natural News
04/20/2010 - Accutane, an anti-acne drug manufactured by Roche, is in the spotlight once again for causing a New Jersey man to have to get his colon removed. Following a lawsuit filed against Roche, alleging that Accutane gave him a severe inflammatory bowel disorder, the man was awarded a $25 million verdict.
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Avandia testing faces new questions
- Philadelphia Inquirer
04/20/2010 - U.S. regulators are reviewing the safety of GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C.'s Avandia diabetes drug as they weigh whether to suspend a trial testing the medicine, Bloomberg News reported. The Food and Drug Administration is reassessing a study comparing Avandia with a rival medicine from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., and whether it is ethical to pursue the research after studies tied the Glaxo drug to an increased heart attack risk, according to a letter from FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, dated March 30, the news service said.
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Birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin concerns bring lawsuits but few solid answers
-LA Times
04/19/2010 - Yaz and Yasmin complaints focus on the synthetic progestin, drospirenone. Studies have not found an increased risk with these pills, though. When the oral contraceptives Yasmin and Yaz came on the market in 2001 and 2006, respectively, they were thought to be safer than other birth control pills because they contained a different kind of synthetic progestin. But in a flurry of lawsuits against the pills' maker, Bayer HealthCare, attorneys claim that the progestin contained in the pills, drospirenone, is the cause of health problems, including deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the deep veins), strokes, heart attacks and gallbladder disease.
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Osteoporosis Drug Fosamax Found to CAUSE Leg Fractures
-Foodconsumer
04/19/2010 - “The case reports first surfaced about two years ago -- orthopedists reported that women taking osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates to prevent broken bones were showing up with rare and serious fractures of their thighbones,” The New York Times reports. READ MORE::

FDA Weighs Halting Avandia Safety Study
-The Wall Street Journal
04/19/2010 - The Food and Drug Administration is weighing whether to halt a safety study involving thousands of patients taking GlaxoSmithKline PLC's Avandia diabetes drug, a decision that could also determine whether the drug stays on the U.S. market. Studies during the past three years have tied the medicine to an increased risk of heart attacks.
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Class action alleges antibiotic causes tendon damage
-Southeast Texas Record
04/16/2010 - An antibiotic sold since 1997 is the subject of a proposed class action that argues the drug causes a higher incidence of tendon injuries. Levaquin, a broad spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is marketed as a first-line therapy for common bronchitis and sinusitis infections. It is also approved for the use in treatment of various upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, prostatitis and other bacterial infections.
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Hylla Holds Final Pretrial Hearing In Accutane Suit
- Madison County Record
04/15/2010 - Madison County Circuit Judge David Hylla held what is likely to be the last pre-trial conference in a medical malpractice suit involving the acne medication Accutane. Hylla settled motions in limine filed by defendant Dr. Daniel Goran and testimony objections raised by his team and attorneys for plaintiff Jason Peipert at the Wednesday hearing.
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Study Sees a Slant in Articles on Drug
-New York Times
04/15/2010 - A new analysis of reviews and articles about the controversial diabetes drug Avandia has found that experts who were paid by its manufacturer have been significantly more likely than others to draw positive conclusions about the drug’s safety and efficacy. READ MORE::

Yaz revises ad campaign amidst lawsuits
-WISH
04/14/2010 - In the wake of mounting lawsuits, Bayer Pharmaceuticals is issuing new warnings regarding its contraceptives called Yaz and Yasmin. The two birth control pills make big bucks for Bayer. The pharmaceutical giant racked up $1.3 billion from the drugs in the first three quarters of 2009 alone.
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Does Isotretinoin Cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
-About.com
04/12/2010 - With a new study citing a link between isotretinoin use and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and a recent lawsuit award of $25 million to a patient who developed IBD after using Accutane, it seems only natural that isotretinoin users would be a bit nervous.
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Bayer HealthCare to Put Safety Labels on Birth Control Pills
-Top News
04/12/2010 - Bayer HealthCare announced on Friday its recent move of labeling its contraceptive pills Yaz and Yasmin with added information on the risks of blood clots, aiming to avoid controversies and raise transparency. The company has taken the step forward in the direction under the recommendations of the Food and Drug Administration, following the trend like other oral contraceptives.
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Calgarians join class action $15M lawsuit against Yaz and Yasmin birth control
- Calgary Herald
04/12/2010 - Eight months after Chloe Papparis began taking a birth control pill for acne, she almost died from severe side-effects, she says. The teen started suffering from a bad migraine headache and frequent bouts of vomiting last August. Her family doctor thought it might be swine flu. Six days later, however, Papparis was rushed to Foothills Hospital. Doctors told her she was 24 hours from dying. "When I was in ER, the doctor by fluke said to give me a CT scan. They found five blood clots on my brain," Papparis, now 18, said Thursday.
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Avandia and the Heart: A Reminder That Drugs Can Harm
-The Huffington Post
03/31/2010 - Diabetes is particularly detrimental to the heart, and heart problems are the eventual cause of death for most patients with diabetes. Given this, it is extremely worrisome that Avandia, a drug marketed to treat diabetes, has been found to harm the heart.
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Orange suit alleges Digitek contained double dose of active ingredient
-Southeast Texas Record
03/30/2010 - An Orange man is suing Mylan Pharmaceutical alleging the prescription drug Digitek has exacerbated his pre-existing heart condition. In his suit, filed March 15 in Orange County District Court, Walter Johnson asserts his Digitek prescription contained a double dose of the active ingredient.
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Two defendants settle in Accutane case
- St. Clair Record
03/29/2010 - The makers of an acne drug have settled a seven year-old lawsuit brought by a man who claims their product caused him to develop inflammatory bowel disease. Defendants Roche Laboratories Inc. and Hoffman-LaRoche Inc. entered mediation with plaintiff Jason Peipert and settled his case against them on March 24.
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Pharma and New York Times are “Puzzled” by Bone Drug Fractures–But Patients Aren’t
-Alert Net
03/29/2010 - “I broke the left femur (shattered it 2 times in 2006 and 2007),” while on Fosamax writes a 72-year-old patient this week on askapatient.com. “I now walk with a walker and the Dr. says it can never be repaired.” “I twisted my left leg while shopping & broke left femur in two places, requiring surgery, pins and a rod,” wrote a 61-year-old patient on the site after taking Fosamax for 13 years. “Then in 2/08 I jarred same side foot coming off a step & developed a stress fracture that won’t heal. I now have a stress fracture on the right side femur after walking on the beach.”
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Hernia patch suits head to court Monday
-The Providence Journal
03/29/2010 - The first of more than 3,000 lawsuits accusing a Cranston company of manufacturing and marketing faulty hernia repair patches will head to trial Monday in U.S. District Court.
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Is Avandia Harmful for The Heart?
-HSJ
03/25/2010 -Avandia is a diabetes drug that is usually given to senior citizens. It helps control blood sugar levels by making the cells of the body more sensitive to the action of insulin. Avandia is for people with Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes. It is sometimes used in combination with other medications, but it is not for treating Type 1 diabetes. 
However, there are recent studies that Avandia is harmful for the heart, and increases the chances of getting a heart attack.
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Woman files lawsuit against Bayer for Yasmin health affects.
-Justice News Flash
03/23/2010 - Bayer Pharmaceuticals is facing a lawsuit that contends the drug maker knowingly sold birth control pills that were risky, which led to the plaintiff’s organ failure as a result of taking the pregnancy-preventative drug. The lawsuit was filed in the San Mateo Superior Court, by the plaintiff, Louise Thanos, of Montara, as reported by the San Jose Mercury News.
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Durom Cup fails to adhere to bone, suit alleges
-Southeast Texas Record
03/23/2010 - Plano resident Victor Barakat received a left total hip replacement using a Durom Cup, an implantable orthopedic reconstructive device. Claiming he endured almost three years of pain with symptoms of a loose implant, Barakat underwent a revision surgery in April 2009 to remove and replace the Durom Cup because it had failed to properly bond to the bone.
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Take bisphosphonates, break a leg?
Though two reports contend a connection exists between taking the drugs over a long period of time and getting these fractures, the FDA says so such connection exists.
-LA Times
03/22/2010 - Long-term use of osteoporosis drugs seems to change bones in a way that could lead to unusual leg fractures, according to two reports presented earlier this month at a meeting of orthopedic surgeons. Doctors have reported seeing the unusual fractures in some patients on bisphosphonate drugs such as Fosamax.
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Saudi Arabia suspends Glaxo diabetes drug Avandia
-Reuters
03/22/2010 - Saudi Arabia has suspended GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK.L) diabetes drug Avandia for six months, arguing that potential heart risks outweigh its benefits. The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) was the first healthcare regulator to take such action. Its decision means detailing and advertising of Avandia is banned and patients on Avandia will be referred to their doctor for consultation.
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Fixodent and Super Poligrip Denture Cream Lawsuits Move Closer to Trial
-1888 Press Release
03/22/2010 - On March 31, 2010 attorneys involved in Super Poligrip/Fixodent Denture Cream litigation will appear before Judge Sandra Moss, in Philadelphia to discuss discovery issues to move the cases closer to trial On February 18, 2010, Glaxo "GSK" announced that it would stop manufacturing, marketing and advertising Super PoliGrip denture cream products containing zinc. Procter & Gamble, "PG", which manufactures Fixodent has not followed suit.
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About 1,100 Birth Control Lawsuits Over Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella Filed
-Oromo Index
03/19/2010 - The number of birth control lawsuits over Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella filed against Bayer Health Care has risen to about 1,100 cases, according to an annual report released by the drug maker, and the number will likely continue rising rapidly over the next year as thousands of other women are considering claims for serious injuries that may have been caused by side effects of the birth control pills.
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Many Avandia defenders have drug co. ties –study
-Reuters
03/19/2010 - Virtually all of the experts who wrote favorably about GlaxoSmithKline Plc's troubled diabetes drug Avandia had financial ties to drug makers, a finding that shows the need for reform of such relationships, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.
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The Time To File A Paxil Birth Defect Claim Is Running Out
-1888PressRelease
03/18/2010 - It appears that the time to seek compensation for birth defects allegedly caused by exposure to the antidepressant Paxil during pregnancy is running out. Court records indicate many cases have been resolved and have been removed from the docket. Parents who took Paxil during pregnancy and gave birth to a child with a congenital heart defect should act quickly to determine whether they my file a claim on behalf of their child.
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Montara woman sues drug company over birth control pills
-Mercury News
03/18/2010 - A Montara woman has filed a lawsuit against Bayer Pharmaceuticals asserting it sold birth control pills that it knew were risky and that she suffered organ failure as a result of taking them. Louise Thanos took Yasmin birth control pills, which are also called Yaz, from November 2007 to November 2009, but in March 2008 she had major health problems, including gallbladder failure, the lawsuit filed in San Mateo County Superior Court says. READ MORE::

Lawsuits claim two denture creams are making people ill
-Plain Dealer
03/16/2010 - Go through life and you can't help but worry about your health -- about prescription drugs and their side effects, about finding a lump, about an aneurysm doing you in. But your denture cream crippling you? Add that to the list. Hundreds of people across the United States have developed serious health problems that researchers have tied to zinc in denture adhesives.
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UBS Says Avandia lawsuits pose up to $6B risk to GS
-Ennislaw
03/15/2010 - The UBS (Union Bank of Switzerland) reported publicly last week that pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline PLC could end up liable for more than $6 billion in settlements and compensation for serious health complications caused by the company’s popular diabetes treatment medication Avandia. The type-2 diabetes prescription drug has been linked with severe heart problems, including heart attacks.
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Leading Osteoporosis Drug Fosamax Could Make Your Condition Worse...
-The Healthier Life
03/15/2010 - The drug Fosamax is used to treat osteoporosis and osteopenia. It is supposed to strengthen bones to offset bone-weakening problems... but ironically, it turns out that it may actually be weakening them even more! Merck, just can’t get away from bad press – or bad medicine for that matter.
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Lawsuit against Yasmin/Yaz birth control pill filed by Canadian women
-Top News NZ
03/15/2010 - Bayer's popular oral contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin have a number of lawsuits being filed against them by a group of Canadian women. These women have alleged that the warnings on the pills were not adequate as there were cases of stroke and other health problems being faced by women.
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B.C. residents sue maker of quit-smoking drug
-CBC
03/12/2010 - Three British Columbia residents are suing Pfizer, alleging the drug company's quit-smoking product Champix can cause serious psychiatric reactions. Plaintiff Alicia Pickering, 34, said she was a normal, healthy woman until she started taking Champix to kick her smoking habit. Within days of starting the drug, the married mother of two experienced a dramatic change in personality and was consumed with thoughts of dying, she said.
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Oral Bisphosphonates: Ongoing Safety Review of Atypical Subtrochanteric Femur Fractures
-FDA
03/11/2010 - FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients that at this point, the data that FDA has reviewed have not shown a clear connection between bisphosphonate use and a risk of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures. FDA is working with outside experts, including members of the recently convened American Society of Bone and Mineral Research Subtrochanteric Femoral Fracture Task Force, to gather more information and evaluate the issue further.
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Bayer Accused in Canadian Lawsuit of Hiding Yaz Risks
-Bloomberg
03/11/2010 - Bayer AG, Germany’s largest drugmaker, was accused in a lawsuit of ignoring health risks of the contraceptive Yaz and advertising the drug as safe to boost sales. The Yasmin family of birth-control pills, known as Yaz and Yasmin, carries a four times increased risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism compared with other contraceptives, according to the suit, filed today in St. Catharines, Ontario, by two women. They seek class-action, or group, status to represent all women who used the drugs.
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Long-term use of popular osteoporosis drug may harm bone
-LA Times
03/11/2010 - Medications called bisphosphonates are standard tools for the treatment of osteoporosis. They include Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel and Reclast. But new data released Wednesday raise some concern about whether the drugs are safe for long-term use.
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Hundreds of Lawsuits Claim Paxil Causes Birth Defects
-ParentDish
03/11/2010 - The makers of the antidepressant drug Paxil are facing an increasing number of lawsuits alleging the medication causes birth defects, and one family has already won a settlement of $2.5 million, online investigative news site The Public Record reports.
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Fosamax Scare: Those With Osteopenia Gauge Risk
FDA to Look for Link Between Femur Fractures and Bone-Loss Drugs
-ABC News
03/10/2010 - Twice doctors have prescribed medications for Jeanette McLearen with great certainty, only to second-guess the outcomes. After taking hormone replacement for 15 years, the Warren, Mich., retiree was diagnosed with breast cancer. And now, after seven years of taking the controversial drug Fosamax, she is terrified of bone fractures. Just this week ABC's Dr. Richard Besser reported that Fosamax, one of a class of bisphosphonates used to treat osteoporosis that is supposed to make bones stronger, may actually weaken them after long-term use.
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Osteoporosis Drugs, Like Fosamax May Increase Risk of Broken Bones in Some Women
Long-term Use of Popular Class of Osteoporosis Drugs May Have Opposite Effect for Some Women, Experts Say
-ABC News
03/09/2010 - Sandy Potter, 59, of Queens, N.Y., was jumping rope with neighborhood children when she felt her thigh bone snap. "I went up in the air and I came straight down to the ground," Potter said. "The pain was excruciating." Potter, who was diagnosed with osteoporosis at age 48, had been taking the popular osteoporosis drug Fosamax for eight years before breaking her femur. Fosamax, one in a class of drugs called bisphosphonates, is supposed to make bones stronger, and for many women, it is safe and effective. But now there's mounting evidence that, for some women, taking these medications for more than five years could cause spontaneous fractures.
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Woman's Death Blamed on Psoriasis Drug Raptiva
-Courthouse News Service
03/09/2010 - The psoriasis drug Raptiva killed a woman by giving her viral encephalitis, her mother and son claim in Superior Court. Raptiva was pulled from the U.S. market on June 8, 2009 after dangerous side effects and deaths from infections were reported across Europe, Canada and the United States.
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Rosiglitazone - A lifesaver or killer drug?
-DNA
03/08/2010 - With its alarming rise and high number of diabetes cases, India is called the diabetes capital of the world — the sugar disease is emerging as an enormous health problem in the country. Various studies have shown that the high incidence of diabetes in India is mainly because of sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, obesity, stress and consumption of diets rich in fat, sugar and calories. Among the various drugs used to treat the disease, one of it is Rosiglitazone, which is used to treat type II diabetes. However, lately there has been some dispute over the effectiveness of the medicine and its side effects. READ MORE::

More FDA Corruption
-AlterNet
03/08/2010 - FDA and Avandia a diabetes drug linked to 83,000 heart attacks. The FDA’s own research showed Avandia to be associated with a significant increase in heart attack risk, and yet the FDA did nothing to protect the public. The AMA admitted Avandia was dangerous. In its journal “Among patients with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes, rosiglitazone (avandia) use for at least 12 months is associated with a significantly increase risk of myocardial infarction.”
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Number Of Paxil-Related Birth Defect Cases Soar
-The Public Record
03/08/2010 - Since Paxil came on the market in 1992, there have been three separate types of failure to warn lawsuits filed against GlaxoSmithKline over Paxil; birth defects, suicide, and addiction. Roughly 150 suicide cases were settled for an average of about $2 million, and about 300 cases involving suicide attempts were settled for an average of $300,000, according to a December 14, 2009 report by Bloomberg News. Glaxo paid an average of about $50,000 each to resolve about 3,200 cases linking Paxil to addiction problems.
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Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella Birth Control Controversy Surround Bayer
-24/7 Press
03/05/2010 - Controversy continues to surround Yaz and Yasmin, the most popular contraceptive pills in the country and the top-selling pharmaceuticals for Bayer HealthCare. The Food and Drug Administration recently determined advertising campaigns for the pills to be dangerously misleading because they overstate the drug's ability to improve acne and other conditions while understating the dangers posed by potential side effects. Quality control issues at a manufacturing plant that produces some of the hormones in the pills also drew the fire of the FDA, which provided Bayer with a warning letter regarding the problems. READ MORE::

As Use of Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants Grows, Studies Raise Concerns
-New York Times
03/04/2010 - About a decade ago, just as a new generation of metal-on-metal artificial hips were starting to be used, some studies noted their potential to produce high levels of metallic ions, causing what were thought to be allergic reactions in some patients.
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Medtronic-induced 'pre-emption' concept takes another hit with ruling on depression suits
-MinnPost
03/04/2010 - Thirteen people died when the 35W bridge collapsed in August of 2007. Their families filed suits against the designers, inspectors and contractors working on the bridge at the time of the collapse, and have so far received settlements from the state of Minnesota and the contractor. Other suits are scheduled for trial in 2011. Coincidentally, 13 deaths have been linked to a recalled heart device made by Medtronic. The next of kin for those deaths cannot sue the maker of that product, however, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling from 2008 that effectively prohibited lawsuits against the manufacturers of medical devices.
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Questions raised about ongoing Avandia studies
CTV.ca
03/03/2010 - While health regulators in both Canada and the U.S. wrangle over what to do about the diabetes medication Avandia, some are raising concerns about why clinical studies are still recruiting patients to test the controversial drug. Avandia, or rosiglitazone as it's known generically, was once heavily promoted for Type 2 diabetes because it helps to lower blood-sugar levels in patients. But it has come under intense scrutiny in recent years.
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Ghostbusting in Paxil Birth Defect Litigation
-Health Sentinel
03/03/2010 - A month before the first Paxil birth defect trial against GlaxoSmithKline was set to begin, the Associated Press ran the headline, "Glaxo Used Ghostwriting Program to Promote Paxil," in reporting on a program called "CASPPER," which allowed doctors to "take credit for medical journal articles mainly written by company consultants."
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KV Pharmaceutical Subsidiary Pleads Guilty to Two Felonies Regarding Oversized Drugs
-EarthTimes
03/03/2010 - Ethex Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of St. Louis-based drug manufacturer, KV Pharmaceutical Company, pleaded guilty to two felonies and was sentenced today in connection with the manufacturing of oversized prescription drug tablets, the Justice Department announced today. The government had charged that, despite having knowledge that the two drugs did not meet required specifications, Ethex violated the law by intentionally withholding this information from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). READ MORE::

Bayer's Birth-Control Problem Is Exploding: 1,100 Lawsuits Allege Yaz Causes Blood Clots
-BNET
03/01/2010 - About 1,100 lawsuits have been filed against Bayer (BAY.DE) alleging its top-selling Yaz birth control pill causes potentially fatal blood clots, the company disclosed in its 2009 annual report. While it was well-known that the brand was attracting litigation — at least 129 suits were reported filed against it in November 2009 — the disclosure indicates that Bayer’s Yaz problem is far larger than previously anticipated.
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Woman Says "Yaz" Caused Blood Clots
-WREG News
03/01/2010 - Vicki Parsons had a near death experience three years ago. In June of 2007, she and her husband were on vacation when she noticed a pain in her foot. Days later she was rushed to the hospital. The doctor came back with bad news. "The doctor came in there and scratched his head and I was like what's wrong. He said you have a massive blood clot in your lungs and in your leg," said Parsons. Puzzled, the doctors ran different tests. In the end, they said it was her birth control. Parsons says she started taking Yaz just three weeks before. READ MORE::

6 Things You Should Know About Avandia
-U.S. News
03/01/2010 - To the chagrin of many diabetics, the medication Avandia is back in the news because of its possible link to heart problems. A Senate Finance Committee report released on Saturday says that the drug's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, knew the type 2 diabetes drug had possible harmful cardiac effects several years before a 2007 New England Journal of Medicine study initially raised concerns about Avandia. GSK, for its part, says in a press release that it rejects the report's findings, adding that the committee's conclusions on the safety of Avandia are "based on analyses that are not consistent with the rigorous scientific evidence supporting the safety of the drug."
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County files lawsuit against drug giant over diabetes medication
-Mercury News
03/01/2010 - Claiming that a major drugmaker made billions of dollars on a diabetes medication that caused heart attacks and strokes, Santa Clara County on Friday filed a lawsuit charging a decade of false advertising and seeking compensation on behalf of patients and providers in California.
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Doctor Says Fosamax May Increase Risk Of Fractures
- clickondetroit.com
02/27/2010 - Nearly 40 million prescriptions have been written for the popular osteoporosis medication called Fosamax. It's part of a group of drugs called bisphosphonates that are supposed to make bones stronger, but now at least one doctor said there's mounting evidence that these medications could cause spontaneous fractures.
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Major Medical Alert: Diabetes drug Avandia responsible for monthly heart attacks and heart failures
-Examiner
02/24/2010 - Good Morning America reported that a Senate report released on Monday shows that the Diabetes drug Avandia is responsible for 500 heart attacks and 300 heart failures monthly. But yet, the FDA has not removed the drug from the market .
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GSK to face FDA meeting over Avandia safety record
-The Independent
02/24/2010 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a public meeting on the possible heart risks of GlaxoSmith-Kline's (GSK) diabetes treatment Avandia in July, the US regulator said yesterday, but it urged doctors to continue prescribing the drug until any new advice was issued.
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Dr. Steven Nissen On Diabetic Drug, Avandia, Shown To Damage The Heart
-Vitals
02/23/2010 - Avandia, a controversial diabetes medication, was linked to 304 deaths in the third quarter of 2009 according to a confidential government report obtained by the New York Times. Dr. David Graham and Dr. Kate Gelperin of the FDA recommend that it be taken off the market.
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GlaxoSmithKline pulls denture adhesive, citing risk of zinc overdose
-The Denver Post
02/23/2010 - GlaxoSmithKline PLC, the maker of a denture adhesive that a Bennett woman claims caused neurological damage to her legs, has stopped manufacturing three versions of Super Poligrip that contain zinc because of "potential health risks from long-term, excessive use of the products."
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U.S. Urges Glaxo to Pull Avandia on Heart Risks
-Wall Street Journal
02/22/2010 - Confidential studies by Food and Drug Administration officials recommend that GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia, a diabetes medicine, get pulled from the market because it is linked to heart attacks. The studies, released as part of a report on Avandia by staff of Senate Finance Committee members Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and Max Baucus (D., Mont.), also say any head-to-head trial where patients get Avandia and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.'s diabetes medicine Actos would be "unethical and exploitative."
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Paxil Birth Defect Trial - Battle of the Experts
-by Evelyn Pringle
02/22/2010 - In the first Paxil birth defect trial that resulted in a $2.5 million verdict against GlaxoSmithKline in October 2009, the infant, Lyam Kilker, was born with three heart defects; an atrial septal defect, a ventricular septal defect, and an interrupted aortic arch, after his mother took Paxil while pregnant.
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Avandia (rosiglitazone): Ongoing Review of Cardiovascular Safety
-FDA Medwatch
02/22/2010 - FDA notified healthcare professional and patients that it is reviewing the primary data from a large, long-term clinical study, RECORD, on possible cardiovascular risks with the diabetes drug, Avandia (rosiglitazone). In addition to the clinical trial, a number of observational studies of the cardiovascular safety of rosiglitazone have been published and FDA has been reviewing these on an ongoing basis.
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Remove Diabetes Drug Avandia From Market: FDA Reports
Controversial medicine Avandia raises users' heart risk, leaked documents suggest
-HealthDay News
02/20/2010 - The blockbuster type 2 diabetes drug Avandia raises users' odds for heart attack and heart failure and should be removed from the market, according to confidential government reports. The New York Times on Saturday reported on documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that find that if people now taking (rosiglitazone) Avandia switched to a similar medication, Actos, about 500 heart attacks and 300 cases of heart failure would be eliminated each month.
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Senate report links diabetes drug Avandia to heart attacks
-CNN
02/20/2010 - The diabetes drug Avandia is linked with tens of thousands of heart attacks, and drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline knew of the risks for years but worked to keep them from the public, according to a Senate committee report released Saturday.
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Controversial Diabetes Drug Avandia Harms Heart, U.S. Concludes
-The New York Times
02/19/2010 - Hundreds of people taking Avandia, a controversial diabetes medicine, needlessly suffer heart attacks and heart failure each month, according to confidential government reports that recommend the drug be removed from the market. The reports, obtained by The New York Times, say that if every diabetic now taking Avandia were instead given a similar pill named Actos, about 500 heart attacks and 300 cases of heart failure would be averted every month because Avandia can hurt the heart. Avandia, intended to treat Type 2 diabetes, is known as rosiglitazone and was linked to 304 deaths during the third quarter of 2009.
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The zinc in Poly-grip denture cream implicated in causing neurological damage
-Examiner
02/19/2010 - A health warning is in effect as GlaxoSmithKline are warning consumers to read the label properly before applying poly-grip denture cream. Apparently the zinc in the mixture may be linked to neurological damage. The major pharmaceutical company has received over 400 complaints of consumers having adverse effects from using the denture cream. READ MORE::

Did Popular Birth Control Drug Cause Death?
-WREG
02/18/2010 - There are a growing number of lawsuits across the country from women claiming to have been harmed by the birth control drug, Yaz. The latest involves the death of a local college student who had been taking YAZ for six months.
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Sudden bone breaks reported in patients taking Fosamax
-NBC News
02/18/2010 - You might have heard of the drug Fosamax. Nearly 40 million prescriptions have been written for the popular osteoporosis medication. It’s part of a group of drugs called bisphosphonates that are supposed to make bones stronger. But now some doctors say there’s mounting evidence that these medications could cause spontaneous breaks and fractures. "I was on my way to work, walking up the hill to catch the bus and I heard a snap. And I didn’t realize that it was my leg until I fell."
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Accutane linked to severe skin reactions
-CBC News
02/17/2010 - Rare but potentially deadly skin reactions have been found in people using Accutane to treat severe acne, Health Canada says. The department, in consultation with the drug's manufacturer, Hoffmann-La Roche, released the public advisory on Tuesday. "There have been very rare post-marketing reports of severe skin reactions," Health Canada said in a letter to health-care professionals. "These events may be serious in nature and can result in hospitalization, disability or death," it added in its advisory to the public.
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Side Effects Include Denial
-JewishJournal
02/17/2010 - Why would Pfizer spend $100 million on two-minute TV ads that use a minute of that time admitting that their drug Chantix can cause “changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood,” “weird, unusual or strange dreams,” and “suicidal thoughts or actions”? READ MORE::

Roche Ordered to Pay $25 Million to Accutane User
-Bloomberg
02/16/2010 - Roche Holding AG, the Swiss drugmaker, must pay $25.16 million in damages to a former user of its Accutane drug who blamed the acne medicine for his inflammatory bowel disease, a New Jersey jury ruled. Andrew McCarrell, 38, won the verdict today at a retrial in Atlantic City, New Jersey. An appeals court ordered the new trial after overturning a $2.62 million award he won in May 2007. McCarrell, a computer technician from Birmingham, Alabama, testified he got sick after taking the drug for acne in 1995. He needed five surgeries, including one to remove his colon.
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Paxil Birth Defects Litigation – First Trial A Bust For Glaxo
-Health Sentinel
02/16/2010 - GlaxoSmithKline has paid out close to $1 billion to resolve lawsuits involving Paxil since the drug came on the market in1992, according to a December 14, 2009 Bloomberg report. But the billion dollars does not cover the more than 600 Paxil birth defect cases currently pending in multi-litigation in Pennsylvania.
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Diabetes Drugs Avandia, Actos Tied to Fractures in Women
-The Palm Beach Post
02/15/2010 - Women who take diabetes drugs known as thiazolidinediones, which include Avandia and Actos, are at a greater risk of bone fractures, a new study finds. Women who took a thiazolidinedione drug for a year were 50 percent more likely to suffer a bone fracture than patients who didn't take the drug, the researchers found.
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Teen Says Acne Medication Accutane Caused Disease
-WFTV News
02/15/2010 - The family of an Apopka boy is in the process of filing suit against the maker of the prescription drug, Accutane. It's a medication that treats severe acne. Accutane has been involved in hundreds of lawsuits because of its sometimes deadly side effects. One 17-year-old boy says the drug made him so sick for so long that he can't attend school.
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Hydroxycut Linked To Other Cases Of Liver Damage
-Reuters
02/15/2010 - A new study strengthens evidence that the once widely advertised weight-loss supplement Hydroxycut caused serious liver damage in some users. Last May, 14 Hydroxycut products were recalled by the manufacturer, Canada-based Iovate Health Sciences, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to all consumers to stop using the supplements. The warning was based on 23 reports to the agency describing liver damage in Hydroxycut users -- ranging from inflammation to tissue death severe enough to require a liver transplant. The supplement was also linked to one death.
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Indy woman speaks on birth control suit
-WISHTV
02/11/2010 -Yaz and Yasmin Lawsuits have been filed in Indianapolis against Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Women across the country claim that the birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin caused serious health effects. One of those women is Gina Miller, the chief financial officer at a downtown Indianapolis company. She's a wife and mother of three young children, and as if all that weren't enough to keep her busy, she also runs up to 35 miles a week. To maintain this schedule, you have to be pretty healthy, and Miller was until she began taking Yaz, a contraceptive.
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Top-selling contraceptive Yaz stirs controversy
-The Daily Aztec
02/11/2010 - Many women have relied on contraceptives to prevent unplanned pregnancy for more than half a century. And in 2006, one pill claimed to be “beyond birth control,” promising to treat acne and premenstrual syndrome, thus enticing more women to choose this pill instead of others on the market. But a recently filed lawsuits and a $20 million corrective ad campaign for misleading commercials have raised questions about the safety of this pill. READ MORE::

Hoosier women sue Bayer over Yasmin pill
Birth control pills did serious damage, they say; maker calls products safe
-Indy Star
02/08/2010 - More than 50 women claim in lawsuits filed in Indianapolis that they suffered strokes, heart attacks or other serious health problems while taking the birth control pills Yasmin or Yaz, manufactured by Bayer Healthcare Corp. Across the nation, dozens of lawsuits have been filed in the past few months by women claiming similar health problems after taking the pills.
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N.J. Court Revives Accutane Suicide Suit, Reversing Exclusion of Expert Opinion
-The National Law Journal
02/05/2010 - A New Jersey suit alleging Accutane caused a 19-year-old's suicide is back on track, thanks to an appeals court ruling that gives the plaintiffs another shot at admitting expert testimony that the acne drug causes depression.
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Denture cream, zinc under fire; neurological problems cited
-Louisville Courier Journal
02/05/2010 - Using denture cream might seem like an innocuous thing. But if it contains zinc, you should be mindful of possible health risks, some health-care providers say. Dr. Sharon Nations, a Texas neurologist, and colleagues have seen neurological problems in people who used large amounts of zinc-containing denture cream, such as two or more tubes a week. And similar cases have spawned lawsuits across the country, according to media reports. READ MORE::

Hospitals Dispute Medtronic Data on Wires
-The Wall Street Journal
02/05/2010 - Some leading hospitals are reporting failure rates for Medtronic Inc.'s fracture-prone defibrillator wires—including among young people—that are significantly higher than what the company has publicly disclosed.
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Suspected culprit in Mineral Wells woman's debilitating disorder: denture cream
-Strar-Telegram
02/04/2010 - After a year of seeing doctor after doctor, she finally found out what was causing the symptoms, but she could hardly believe what the physician was telling her. "Within five minutes of seeing him, he asked me if I wore denture cream," said Gilley, 26, who was forced to get dentures as a teenager after a genetic condition ruined her teeth. "I handed him the tube; he told me to stop using it."
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Woman sues drugs giant over jab she blames for ruining her life
-DailyRecord
02/01/2010 - A woman claims she has been left wheelchairbound and warned she could die because of a drug given before a routine scan. Doctors have been advised to stop using Omniscan on certain patients since Margaret Roxburgh's ordeal. Now Margaret, 54, is taking the drug's makers to court. She was found to have Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) days after being injected. Omniscan is a chemical marker that works in the bloodstream to help doctors analyse scan results.
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Liver fears over Hydroxycut supplement
-Pharmacy News
02/01/2010 - The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has been urged to reconsider the availability of a weight loss and muscle toning supplement after the first case of it causing liver damage was reported in Australia. A 23-year old man was admitted to hospital in Sydney with severe acute hepatitis, elevated liver enzymes and jaundice after taking Hydroxycut Hardcore daily for 10 weeks, doctors who treated him reported in a letter to the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) published today.
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Yaz Gallbladder Removal Lawsuit Filed Against Bayer By Woman
-Ennislaw
01/29/2010 - A Michigan woman has filed a lawsuit against Bayer over its popular birth control pill Yaz, alleging that side effects caused her to have her gallbladder removed and suffer blood clots. The Yaz lawsuit was filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by Asia Moore. It is among hundreds of other cases pending against the makers of Yaz that involve allegations that the drug maker failed to adequately research the potential side effects of Yaz or warn about the increased risk of gallbladder disease, stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis or sudden death.
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Judge refuses to dismiss Fosamax ONJ case, sets trial
-Reuters
01/29/2010 - A Manhattan federal judge refused on Friday to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that Merck & Co Inc's osteoporosis drug Fosamax caused jaw damage to an Indiana woman during the nearly eight years she took the pill.
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Patient Says Medtronic Infuse Bone Graft Device is Dangerous
-Courthouse News
01/26/2010 - Medtronic pays doctors to promote a medical device for off-label uses, and the InfuseBone Graft is "unreasonably dangerous" because its active ingredient can travel from the implant site to the esophagus or trachea, turning soft tissue into bone, a married couple claims in Los Angeles Superior Court.
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GE Attempts to Silence Doctor Who Warned About Dangers of Medical Imaging Drug
-NaturalNews
01/22/2010 - GE Healthcare, a British subsidiary of multinational giant General Electric, is suing Henrik Thomsen, a senior radiologist and professor of radiology, for sounding the alarm about the dangers of the company's medical imaging drug, Omniscan. After witnessing kidney patients who had received the drug develop potentially fatal conditions, Thomsen publicly exposed the drug's dangers which caused a firestorm of controversy.
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Graco stroller recall targets 1.5 million for finger risk
-CNN
01/21/2010 - About 1.5 million Graco strollers have been recalled because they could pose a risk of fingertip amputations and lacerations to children, federal safety officials announced Wednesday. The recall includes certain models of strollers and travel systems made by Graco Children's Products, including the Graco Passage, Alano and Spree Strollers and travel systems, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
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Woman Files Lawsuit Against Yaz Manufacturer Following Stroke
-DrugWatch
01/20/2010 - A woman filed a lawsuit against Bayer HealthCare, the manufacturer of Yaz birth control, after she experienced a stroke and other serious side effects while taking Ocella, a generic version of the oral contraceptive.
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Adverse Reactions from Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents Used During MRI Rarely Occur, Study Suggests
- Health Canal
01/20/2010 - Acute adverse reactions from gadolinium-based contrast agents used during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help improve the information seen on the images rarely occur, according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
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Yaz, Yasmin Birth Control Pills Side Effects Prompt New Round of Lawsuits
-DFW Catholic
01/18/2010 - Jesse, the mother of a newborn in Bloomfield, NE, began taking the birth control pill Yasmin and never suspected it would cause problems. She had talked to her doctor about its possible side effects and he mentioned only blood clots. But after only a few months on the drug, she suffered severe stomach pains, and a medical exam revealed that she needed gall bladder surgery.
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Lawsuits claim harm from Pfizer quit-smoking drug Chantix
-Reuters
01/18/2010 - Three personal injury lawsuits were filed against Pfizer Inc on Thursday, claiming its smoking cessation drug Chantix caused attempted suicides and death. The lawsuits, filed in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, claim that at the time the plaintiffs took Chantix, Pfizer did not tell doctors and patients about dangers it allegedly knew were related to the drug, including depression and thoughts of suicide.
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Baxter lawsuits spike two years after heparin recall
-Medill Reports
01/18/2010 - Recent weeks have witnessed a spate of lawsuits against the pharmaceutical company Baxter International Inc. in connection with its previously contaminated batch of blood thinner products. The company said Wednesday that it expects recently filed class action lawsuits to be dismissed. But, at any rate, they will have no significant effect on the drugmaker’s financials. Over the past 10 days, 12 lawsuits have been filed against Baxter in federal courts around the country. Meanwhile,more than 50 cases have been filed in Illinois Circuit Court against the Deerfield-based company, according to Bloomberg LP.
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CARRIER AIRV CEILING ASSEMBLY 9999: EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:AIR CONDITIONER RECALLED
-NHTSA
01/14/2010 - CARRIER IS RECALLING CERTAIN AIRV CEILING ASSEMBLIES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 2007 AND 2009, P/NOS 99-00469-11, 99-00469-02, AND 99-00469-17, SOLD TO BE INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON VARIOUS RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AND ALSO SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT. THE HEATER ELEMENT IN THESE ASSEMBLIES MAY BE DEFECTIVE WHICH COULD CAUSE THE UNIT TO CREATE SMOKE OR SPARKS.
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Yaz Contraceptive lawsuits going to trial
-UPI
01/12/2010 - The federal courthouse in East St. Louis, Ill., will hold pretrial proceedings for as many as 25,000 lawsuits involving a popular contraceptive, officials say. The lawsuits against Bayer Corp., makers of the contraceptive pill Yaz, have been filed all over the country, but will be handled by U.S. District Chief Judge David Herndon as a multidistrict litigation assignment, the Belleville News-Democrat reported Monday.
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Zinc blamed for denture-wearers' problems
-Stl Today
01/12/2010 - Zinc in denture adhesives has been blamed in dozens of cases of nerve damage, including that of a North Carolina man who says 20 years of using the glues caused him to become disabled. The products, namely Poligrip brands from GlaxoSmithKline and Fixodent from Procter & Gamble, use zinc as a bonding agent. Scientists have only recently drawn a link between the zinc-containing denture creams and possible neurological problems.
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Acne Meds Accutane & Claravis Took Her Colon, Woman Says
-Courthouse News
01/11/2010 - A woman says Roche Laboratories' acne drug Accutane and its generic form Claravis gave her such a bad case of inflammatory bowel disease she had to have her colon removed. Roche pulled the drug from the market in June 2009, but it was too late for her, Nazeena Gangji claims in Essex County Court.
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C.R. Bard finds insurer willing to cover future hernia claims
-MassDevice
01/07/2010 - N.J.-based C.R. Bard settles with an unidentified carrier to secure insurance coverage for possible financial claims resulting from upcoming product-liability trials for its line of hernia-repair products. With the first of what may be a long string of product-liability trials now only months away, C. R. Bard Inc. (NYSE:CRB) has convinced an insurance carrier to again cover potential claims.
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Family alleges man died from tainted Chinese blood thinner
-South East Texas Record
01/07/2010 - The family of an east Texas man who allegedly died after taking a contaminated blood thinner has filed a lawsuit against the drug's manufacturers and the medical facility where the drug was administered.
According to the suit filed Dec. 30, Lloyd James Robinson was administered heparin during treatment at the Lufkin Dialysis center. Robinson then suffered a hypersensitivity-type adverse reaction and died, the suit claims.
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Thinning Bones? How to Tell if You Need an Osteoporosis Medication
- U.S. News
01/05/2010 - To hear Sally Field tell it, reversing bone loss with the drug Boniva is important because you have only "one body and one life." And the 63-year-old actress--who looks around 45 in commercials for the bone-building drug--implies that many, if not most, healthy and fit middle-aged women are on the road to osteoporosis. They're not.
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New SSRI warning: antidepressants increase risk of stroke and death
-NaturalNews
12/31/2009 - As NaturalNews previously reported the U.S. is a nation on mind altering antidepressant drugs. An astounding number of Americans, some 27 million, are now taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil. As a handful of doctors and researchers tried to warn the medical community and the public over a decade ago when these drugs began to soar in popularity, SSRIs can affect the brain and body in a host of detrimental ways.
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Avandia Heart Attack Risks Lead To Side Effects Lawsuit Local resident's Avandia lawsuit part of national effort
-Gary Post Tribune
12/30/2009 - A local resident's lawsuit against a drug maker for not properly warning patients about how its product increases the risk of heart attacks is joining hundreds of similar lawsuits across the country.
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Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents Possibly Dangerous
-HealthDay News
12/30/2009 - In patients with renal function impairment, the use of gadolinium-based contrast agents is risky because it can lead to the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, according to a study in the January issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Widower sues over wife's death at Brandon hospital
- St. Petersburg Times
12/30/2009 - TAMPA — Mable Mosley checked into Brandon Regional Hospital complaining of shoulder and neck pain on a Saturday last year. The following Tuesday, she stopped breathing. A doctor's report said she choked on her own vomit. After days on life support, Mosley, a 68-year-old county school bus aide for special-needs children, died. On Tuesday, her husband sued the hospital, its corporate owners and seven pharmacists, claiming they dispensed enough pain medicine to kill her.
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Another Woman Dies of Hormonal Contraceptive in Switzerland from Pulmonary Embolism
-LifeSiteNews
12/26/2009 - The Swiss Federation of Service to Patients (Patientenstellen der Schweiz) has called for a ban on a particular type of contraceptive pill after it was linked to the death last month of a 17-year-old German girl who died in a Swiss hospital. The girl, who died at the University Hospital of Basel, was taking a pill that includes drospirenone, a synthetic progestin, which is a compound included in newer brands, such as Yaz, Yasmin, and Yasminelle.
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Stop-smoking drug's side effects can be serious
-sgvtribune
12/26/2009 - What's the most important thing you can do for your health? If you smoke, the answer is unequivocal. Quit! Of course, that is much easier said than done. Nicotine is incredibly addicting. Anything that can help someone kick the habit is a blessing. But some blessings carry a curse.
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Judges to evaluate Digitek case experts
-TheWestVirginiaRecord
12/23/2009 - Judges from four states will gather in Charleston to help U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin evaluate experts in litigation over heart medicine Digitek.
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Osteopenia is neither a disease nor a disorder -- so why are so many women treated for it?
- Minnesota Post
12/22/09 - Any woman who’s been told by her doctor that she has osteopenia (low bone density, but not low enough to be osteoporosis) — and especially any woman who’s taking medication for it — needs to read (or listen to) Monday's National Public Radio (NPR) story on how pharmaceutical companies successfully “changed the definition of a disease and created a whole new category of people who saw themselves as needing treatment.”
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YAZ, Yasmin lawsuits filed locally against Bayer
-TribLive
12/17/2009 - Bayer Corp. was named in at least a half-dozen federal lawsuits filed this week in Pittsburgh alleging the company's birth control products called YAZ and Yasmin are unsafe and potentially deadly.
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Ennis & Ennis, P.A. Announces Nationwide Free Legal Consultations For Users of Paxil
-Ennislaw
12/16/2009 - Bloomberg news reported yesterday that GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Paxil has paid almost $1 billion to resolve lawsuits over Paxil since it came on the market in 1993. GlaxoSmithKline, the largest U.K. drug maker has paid approximately $390 million for suicides and attempted suicides and another $200 million for birth defect and Addiction cases. Ennis & Ennis, P.A. will continue to investigate and offer free nationwide consultations for users of Paxil who have committed Suicide, Attempted Suicide, Addiction issues and women who have taken Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy who have given birth to children with Birth Defects.
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GSK's $1B Paxil Problem Highlights Murky Disclosures From Euro Drug Companies
-BNET
12/15/2009 - British drug company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has paid $1 billion to settle lawsuits related to Paxil. The fact that it was disclosed by Bloomberg and not the company itself illustrates how lousy financial disclosure rules are in Europe and why drug companies based there cannot be trusted to tell the truth about what is going on with their litigation liabilities and, by extension, the safety of their drugs.
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Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella Birth Control Serious Side Effects Risks
-J.Murawski
12/14/2009 - Many women across the nation have sustained serious injury after taking contraceptives under the names Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella. Users of these drugs have reported serious side effects such as strokes, heart attacks, DVT (blood clots in legs), Pulmonary Embolism (blood clots in lungs, and dehydration, leading to kidney stones or gall bladder disease.
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Glaxo Said to Have Paid $1 Billion in Paxil Suits
-Bloomberg
12/14/2009 - GlaxoSmithKline Plc has paid almost $1 billion to resolve lawsuits over Paxil since it introduced the antidepressant in 1993, including about $390 million for suicides or attempted suicides said to be linked to the drug, according to court records and people familiar with the cases.
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Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella Birth Control Lawsuits
-TheDailyNews
12/10/2009 - The latest “problem drug” TV commercials about Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella – which are known to cause blood clots, strokes and even death in some women – have been tough to miss. The birth control pills are manufactured by Bayer Healthcare and Barr Laboratories. Meanwhile, attorneys have seen “several dozen cases and we get more every day,” said one lawyer of a mass tort litigation group, which is primarily responsible for handling the multitude of cases.
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Suicide of 13-year-old Secaucus is linked to acne drug, parents say
-The Star-Ledger
12/10/2009 - A 13-year-old Secaucus teen who committed suicide was taking an acne medication that some studies suggested a link to psychological issues, and his parents suspect the drug somehow caused him to suffer a brief psychosis and commit suicide, a report in NorthJersey.com said.
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Injury added to insult: Dyes injected for imaging are more dangerous than the MRIs
-Natural News
12/09/2009 - By now most Natural News readers are aware of the dangers from excessive CT scans, X-Rays, and other imaging health screenings. But what about those dyes injected into your body for the purpose of increasing image contrast and clarity?
READ MORE::

Zimmer Durom Hip Lawsuit - Zimmer Hip Lawsuits
Zimmer Durom Implant Patients Can Join and Seek Legal Settlements
-24-7 Press Release
12/08/2009 - The Zimmer Durom Cup has been marketed in the United States since 2006. Appoximately 12,500 patients have been implanted with the device. The Durom Cup is primarily used in the United States in Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) surgeries and has been used abroad for hip resurfacings. Zimmer Durom Recall may affect hip replacement patients who have been implanted with a Zimmer Durom Cup since 2006.
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Levaquin Side Effects Lawsuit News: Tendon Ruptures
Beware of drug's side effects
-Patriot-News
12/07/2009 - Fluoroquinolones, also known as quinolones, are prescribed to people millions of times each year. They are used to treat many types of bacterial infections: respiratory, urinary tract and sinus, to name a few. Like all medications, this class of antibiotics has side effects. What differentiates it from others is that quinolones can cause severe and permanent disability. Even from taking just a few pills.
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Bayer sued over birth control Yaz's risks
-The Washington Times
12/01/2009 - After 13 hours of intensifying pain, two trips to the emergency room and two CT scans, doctors finally found what was ailing Lottie Green. In her left lung, the pulmonologist told her, was the largest blood clot they had ever seen and there were others in her right lung as well, she said. Soon after the 41-year-old Bethesda, Md., resident was released from a hospital last month, Ms. Green joined hundreds of other women in lawsuits against Germany's Bayer AG, the m
aker of the popular oral contraceptive Yaz.
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New Yasmin/Yaz Medical Research
-Drug Recall Lawyer Blog
12/01/2009 - A flurry of new medical articles have come out in the past week regarding Yasmin and Yaz. Here are links and some “talking points.”
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Lawsuit claims denture cream caused mystery illness
-TheDenverPost
11/30/2009 - A Bennett woman who had spent her life as a dancer, athlete and coach was barely into her 40s when she began to lose the use of her legs. Doctors and specialists spent two years testing Rae Ann Schmaltz, initially believing she had multiple sclerosis but later looking for anything, including tropical diseases and Lou Gehrig's disease. She endured endless poking and prodding, including 160 blood tests, urine tests, MRIs, even spinal taps. All were negative. And then, prodded by Schmaltz's 19-year-old daughter, they looked in her mouth. Doctors now believe Schmaltz suffers from a copper deficiency caused by an abundance of zinc found in the Poligrip she used to secure her dentures.
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Ennis & Ennis, P.A. Announces Nationwide Free, Confidential, Consultations For Users Of Yaz And Yasmin Birth Control Pills
-PRWeb
11/24/2009 - Ennis & Ennis, P.A. is offering free nationwide confidential consultations for users of Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills who have suffered a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), Pulmonary Embolism, Stroke, Heart Attack or other related cardiac issues or had their Gallbladder removed. Women can call toll free at 1-800-856-6405 or go to the firm’s website at http://www.ennislaw.com and fill out an online case evaluation form. Ennis & Ennis also recommends women who have had these Yaz side effects to go to www.fda.gov and fill out a Medwatch form so the FDA becomes aware of the seriousness of this issue. Attorney Holly Ennis does not recommend discontinuing use of Yaz or Yasmin unless first consulting with your physician.
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Maytag refrigerator sparks close-call fire in Portsmouth
Fire damage in the kitchen. Started by a malfunction in the fridge.
Maytag has recalled more than 1.6 million refrigerators this year.
- East Bay RI
11/25/2009 - An elderly woman saved herself and saved her house on Tuesday by keeping up with her smoke detectors, said Fire Chief Jeff Lynch, after her Maytag refrigerator caught fire in her kitchen.
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Pittsburgh Mother Joins Lawsuit Against Yaz Birth Control Pill
Mom Says Daughter Was Taking Yaz When She Fell Ill
-ABC News
11/24/2009 - A Pittsburgh-based drug company has been hit with a lawsuit claiming it misled women, including a local teenager whose mother says her daughter nearly died from birth control. "She was short of breath, she was having severe chest pains and her face was changing colors," said Dana Kraus of her daughter. Kraus said her 15-year-old daughter, Katie, had been taking the conceptive Yaz for about six months when the teen suddenly felt like she was suffocating.
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Another suit filed against GSK over Avandia in St. Clair County
- St. Clair County Record
11/24/2009 - More than 30 people say GlaxoSmithKline was wrong in selling a diabetes drug without first warning of potential serious side effects from which they or their deceased relatives suffered.
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US lawsuit over Merck bone drug Fosamax dismissed
-Reuters
A Manhattan federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Merck & Co's osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes jaw damage, two months after a jury deadlock led to a mistrial in a similar case. U.S. District Judge John Keenan on Monday found that Bessie Flemings, 74, a Mississippi resident whose primary dentist labeled her oral hygiene as "poor," failed to show that her use of Fosamax caused the death of jawbone tissue, a condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw, or ONJ.
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Ranbaxy recalls drugs for skin disease from US
-IndianExpress
11/23/2009 - Ranbaxy Laboratories has recalled from the US market a batch of 4,348 cartons of Sotret Isotretinoin capsules used in treating skin infections. According to the information available on US health regulator Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) website, Ranbaxy through its US-based subsidiary Ranbaxy Laboratories Inc, has issued a 'nation-wide class III recall' for a batch of Sotret Isotretinoin capsules of 40 mg strength.
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Recalled Ford SUV Bursts Into Flames
-KRGV
11/19/2009 - A Donna family says they're left stranded. They're SUV caught fire and they claim they never knew about a recall that might have prevented it. The family says the car was bought used. They never got Ford's recall notice. The 1999 Ford Expedition was sitting in this driveway. It burst into flames. Part of Blanca Villasenor's home caught fire, too.
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Yaz pilots Google sponsored links format
-Medical Marketing & Media
11/19/2009 - Bayer's Yaz is trying out a paid search format similar to that proposed by Google for products carrying black-box warnings. The Yaz-branded sponsored link appears in a yellow-highlighted box atop Google searches on terms including “Yaz,” “the pill” and “birth control.”
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Arkansas man claims diabetes drug caused heart attack
-The Southeast Texas Record
11/19/2009 - An Arkansas man with diabetes but an otherwise clean bill of health claims his diabetes medication Avandia caused him to suffer a heart attack. Kenneth L. Bryan, 58, filed a personal injury lawsuit against GlaxosmithKline on Nov. 18 in the Texarkana Division of the Western District of Arkansas. Bryan states that around the same time he was given a clean bill of health in December 2003, he began taking the prescription drug Avandia.
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Medtronic gets FDA warning letter after inspection
-Reuters
11/19/2009 - Medtronic Inc. confirmed on Wednesday it had received a warning letter from U.S. health regulators calling for corrective actions based on an inspection of its Mounds View, Minnesota, facility, the headquarters of its cardiac rhythm management (CRM) business, the company's largest unit. The letter from the Food and Drug Administration comes in the wake of problems Medtronic has had with its leads that are used with implantable cardioverter defibrillators, known as ICDs.
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Quebec's pregnant women taking dangerous drugs
-The Gazette
11/18/2009 - Physicians have long known that anti-acne drug Accutane increases by 10 times the risk of a congenital malformation if taken by pregnant women. At least six per cent of pregnant women in Quebec take prescription medications that are known to harm the fetus, raising questions about the medical judgment of some of their physicians, especially general practitioners, suggests a new study by Université de Montréal researchers.
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Bayer Tries New Google Drug Ad Format But Lawyers Spoil the Party
-BNET
11/18/2009 - Bayer is trying out the new Google-invented ad format that includes a fixed link to a drug’s risk and side effect information. The ads are for Yaz, Bayer’s troubled contraceptive. The experiment will be closely watched by other drug companies, all of whom are seeking a way to utilize Google ads without falling afoul of the FDA, which previously warned against their use because the tiny, text-based promos do not contain warning information.
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Yaz Side Effects: FDA Warning Letters
-InjuryBoard
11/17/2009 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent several warning letters to Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for what the FDA termed “misleading” advertising spots it found “particularly troubling” because they served to “undermine the communication of important risk information, minimizing these risks and misleadingly suggesting that Yaz is safer than has been demonstrated by substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience.” READ MORE::

Drug-Eluting Stents Break More Often Than Thought
-DOTmed
11/15/2009 - Drug-eluting stents might break more often than anybody realized, according to a new study in the Nov. 17 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Although the clinically reported rate of fracture of drug-eluting stents is about 1 or 2 percent, researchers at the CV Path Institute in Gaithersburg, Md. say the true rate could be much higher.
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Daily Dose: The Mysterious Disappearing Accutane
-Woman’s Day
11/14/2009 - Ever since my early 20s I’ve been fortunate to have decent skin (I consider it payback for having pretty bad breakouts during my teen years), but I’ve known several people for whom topical creams just weren’t enough to combat blemishes. That’s when they turned to Accutane (isotretinoin), an oral medication that works wonders for the skin but is known for major side effects, including serious birth defects.
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US judge requests mass tort status for Yasmin birth control pill claims
-Michelmores Medical Negligence News
11/13/2009 - With the growing numbers of claims in the US alleging an increased risk of pulmonary embolism and other severe side-effects from the oral contraceptive Yasmin, a court in New Jersey has requested that the actions be centralised and given mass tort status. READ MORE::

Patients left in dark after medical recall
Thousands of patients affected
-WPRI News
11/13/2009 - Thousands of patients are affected by a hernia patch recall , but some of those patients say they were never told about the potential danger. Diane Conetta of Cranston is one of those patients. "What frustrates me the most is that I wasn't even told. Nobody notified me," Conetta said. Conetta had a hernia patch implanted during surgery in 2005. Two years later, the manufacturer, Davol Incorporated, recalled some Kugel Mesh Patches after receiving reports the plastic ring inside the patch can break.
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Birth control dangers
-Fox News
11/12/2009 - Within the past year both Christine Navarro and Robyn Dunn were rushed to the hospital with life threatening blood clots. At the time Christine was taking the Yaz birth control pill and Robyn was taking its sister birth control drug Yasmin.
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Roche stops market Accutane over IBD link
-The Examiner
11/11/2009 - Accutane a sobriquet of the formal isotretinoin, a type of vitamin A, that has been manufactured since 1982. During its registered patent that ended in 2002, was linked to serious birth defects. Women who took it had to sign a consent form, prescribed two forms of oral contraceptives, submit to monthly pregnancy tests, and register with the government. READ MORE::

Birth Control: Bitter Pill
-KTLA News
11/11/2009 - LOS ANGELES -- "I woke up and I couldn't breathe. The pain was unimaginable. I can't even describe it." Christine Navarro, 22, is recalling the worst night of her life. "It felt like someone was squishing my lung, and pushing on the entire left side of my body." And Robyn Dunn, a 31 year-old ultra-marathoner, has a similar memory. "I was having a lot of anxiety, out of breath, and I knew something was wrong, and that I should stop that race. And I've never dropped out of any race in my entire life." Within the past year both Robyn and Christine were rushed to the hospital with life-threatening blood clots. At the time, Christine was taking the 'Yaz' birth control pill.
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Birth control pill makers targeted in Madison County
- Madison County Record
11/11/2009 - After a birth control pill spent months in the spotlight during commercials aimed at correcting misrepresentations about it, the pill is now at the center of a Madison County lawsuit. Cathy M. Walton filed a lawsuit Nov. 4 against Bayer and its subsidiaries, Berlex and its subsidiaries and an unknown number of manufacturers, alleging her ingestion of the birth control pill Yasmin, which is similar to Yaz, forced her to undergo surgery to remove her gall bladder.
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Pfizer Broke The Law By Promoting Drugs For Unapproved Uses
-Bllomberg
11/05/2009 - Prosecutor Michael Loucks remembers clearly when lawyers for Pfizer Inc., the world’s largest drug company, looked across the table and promised it wouldn’t break the law again.
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Marshall resident claims denture cream caused zinc poisoning
-The South East Texas Record
11/05/2009 - MARSHALL - A Marshall resident and an Arizona resident believe they are the victims of zinc poisoning and possible neurological damages caused by their ingestion of Super Poligrip Denture Adhesive Cream.
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More claims filed against Medtronic's defibrillators
-The St. Clair Record
11/05/2009 - Three Illinois residents say they are susceptible to sudden shocks after defective implantable defibrillators manufactured by Medtronic were inserted into their hearts. Lillian Tengstrand, Effie Thomas and Marcus Williams filed a lawsuit Oct. 14 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Medtronic, Medtronic USA, Medtronic International Technology and Medtronic Puerto Rico Operations.
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Take Two Kickbacks...
-Mother Jones
11/02/2009 - So your doctor says it's time to consider that hip replacement. Trouble is, more than a dozen firms make artificial hips, and there've been plenty of recalls—no small inconvenience when the recalled product resides in your pelvis.
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Isotretinoin Use Linked to Increased Risk of IBD: Presented at ACG
-DoctorsGuide
11/01/2009 - Results from a retrospective study presented here at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 74th Annual Scientific Meeting suggest that use of isotretinoin is associated with the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
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Suicide Blamed on Acne Drugs
-Courthouse News
11/01/2009 - Parents say their daughter committed suicide because drug companies failed to warn them of the side effects of their acne drugs. Their daughter, whose age is not specified, killed herself after taking Claravis and YAZ for acne, the parents claim in Mahoning County Court.
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Hylla to hear motions in Accutane suit
-The St.Clair Record
11/01/2009 - It's been over a month since Madison County Circuit Judge David Hylla heard arguments in a case over the acne drug Accutane and, with the case's Oct. 19 trial date past, he is scheduled to hear more motions in the suit on Nov. 3.
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Warnings strengthened for Tysabri
-Pharmacy News
10/29/2009 - A growing association between a widely used multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri (natalizumab) and a potentially deadly brain infection has been reflected in strengthened warnings for prescribers and patients.
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Minn. judge dismisses Medtronic heart device suits
-Reuters
10/28/2009 - A Minnesota state court judge has dismissed a batch of lawsuits against Medtronic Inc stemming from the October 2007 recall of the medical device maker's Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads.
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Ennis & Ennis, P.A. is Still Accepting Accutane Cases against Hoffman La-Roche
-OpenPress
10/27/2009 - Ennis & Ennis, P.A. announces today it is still investigating and accepting Accutane cases against the manufacturer of the drug Hoffman La-Roche. David Ennis states, "although Hoffman La-Roche announced in June 2009 that it will no longer sell Accutane due to generic competition and large legal costs defending the drug this does not absolve La-Roche from liability from patients who took the drug in the past and have suffered Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease".
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Drugs used during MRI scans that have been linked to a rare disease are being widely used in South Africa.
-Times LIVE
10/26/2009 - An agent used during MRI scans has been named as a health risk for those with kidney problems. But radiologists say local patients have little to fear. US researchers have found that the drugs - contrast agents containing the potentially toxic metal gadolinium, which make scans easier to read - pose health risks to people with impaired kidney function.
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Diabetes drugs may leave heart at greater risk
Working harder to lower blood glucose in Type 2 diabetics doesn't help the heart, studies say.
-LA Times
10/24/2009 - Medications for Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes are very effective at controlling blood sugar levels. You'd think, then, that the drugs would also be very effective at controlling complications of the disease related to those spikes in blood sugar: cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage and amputation of limbs. Surprisingly, though, that has not turned out to be the case for cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. READ MORE::

PML Found in Patient on Rituximab Monotherapy
-Medpage Today
10/24/2009 - A case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) has been reported in a rheumatoid arthritis patient taking rituximab (Rituxan) who had not previously received anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy, according to the FDA and the drug's manufacturer.
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Newark woman sues maker of Yaz birth control
- Oakland Tribune
10/23/2009 - A 39-year-old Newark woman has filed a lawsuit this week against Bayer Corp., blaming its popular birth control product Yaz for causing her stroke and other related health issues. Susan Galinis, the mother of 3-year-old twin girls, took the prescription-only product for four weeks in the summer of 2008, and wound up suffering a stroke that caused her to be hospitalized for six months, said her attorney.
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Confusing Choices for Doctors and Type 2 Diabetes Patients
-GEN
10/23/2009 - Given the current worldwide type 2 diabetes epidemic, it’s hard for drug developers to ignore the huge potential for new, better, and safer oral drugs. The U.S. market alone has reached $5 billion annually, and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise across the globe.
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Pharmaceutical company behind Yaz forced to air corrective advertising
-Independent Florida Alligator
10/22/2009 - Back in 2008, pharmaceutical maker Bayer released a series of ads for Yaz, a birth control pill. The ads claimed that Yaz can treat various premenstrual symptoms and help clear up acne on skin. But oops-they weren't supposed to say that. The FDA said that these ads made claims that it hadn't approved, and they didn't adequately disclose the health risks associated with Yaz.
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Lawsuits Against Yaz Increasing
-empowerher
10/22/2009 - While all birth control pills have side effects, Yaz and its sister pill, Yasmin (which contains less estrogen) seems to be taking the cake for increasing lawsuits for its effect on women.
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Accutane trial continues with discovery, trial had been set for Oct. 19
- Madison County Record
10/21/2009 - What would have been Madison County's first trial involving acne medicine Accutane has been put off again as discovery in the case continues. Plaintiff Jason Peipert filed notice of another deposition Oct. 13 as the defendants in the case have attempted to bar an unpublished study by the University of North Carolina.
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Bayer under pressure as birth control pills linked to blood clots
-Deutsche Welle
10/21/2009 - A hormone in some birth control pills made by Bayer may cause dangerous blood clots, studies have found. The pills have been linked to several recent deaths, but a ban is considered unlikely.
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Super PoliGrip Now Contains Zinc Warning: Adhesive has been linked to poisoning
-ConsumerAffairs.com
10/21/2009 - The makers of Super PoliGrip have apparently caved to consumer pressure, adding a zinc-related warning to packages of the popular denture cream. The move by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) comes after dozens of lawsuits and a prominent medical article outlined the danger of zinc poisoning resulting from overuse of denture adhesives.
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Specter of MRI disease haunts GE
-ProPublica
10/20/2009 - In May 2006, medical regulators in Denmark issued a warning that signaled trouble for General Electric. Danish researchers noted that, over a four-year period, 25 patients in Denmark and Austria had suffered a rare and crippling disease after undergoing an MRI, the scanning procedure used to diagnose everything from brain tumors to blown knees.
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Bay Area woman sues Yaz birth control
-ABC News
10/20/2009 - A Bay Area woman says the popular birth control pill known as Yaz caused her to have a stroke which has devastated her life. She is suing the drug's maker, Bayer, to take the pill off the market.
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Thiazolidinediones have a role for appropriate diabetic patients
-Heartwire
10/20/2009 - Although the Rosiglitazone Evaluated for Cardiac Outcomes and Regulation of Glycemia in Diabetes (RECORD) trial and other trials found that rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline) increases risk of heart failure and fractures, thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are still useful for appropriate diabetic patients.
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Bayer's Legal Woes: 125 Suits Over Yaz; FDA Allegedly Not Told of Trasylol Study
-BNET
10/19/2009 - Bayer faces more than 125 lawsuits over its Yaz contraceptive and new cases are being filed around the country at a rate of up to up to six a day, according to Courthouse News Service. The cases all claim the same thing: That the new progesterone ingredient that Bayer used for Yaz causes more dangerous blood clots to form than previous formulations. READ MORE::

Ford SUV catches fire, more recalls made
-WINK News
10/19/2009 - NAPLES, Fla. - Millions of Ford vehicles were recalled this week for fire danger. One Naples man knows firsthand what can happen if the problem isn't fixed. Jose Sosa's SUV caught fire while it was parked in his driveway. He said it was part of a recall last June, but didn't know about it. Ford said four and a half million vehicles could potentially burst into flames without warning.
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Ford recalls 4.5m vehicles on fire risk
A faulty cruise-control switch prompted the Ford recall.
-Bloomberg News
10/19/2009 - Ford Motor Co. said 4.5 million more vehicles may have a faulty cruise-control switch that could cause a fire, prompting the automaker to expand a recall that was already its biggest.
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Pfizer to pay $1.3 billion criminal fine for misbranding its drugs
-NaturalNews
10/19/2009 - In the largest criminal fine ever levied against any drug company in the world, a unit of U.S.-based Pfizer, Inc. was sentenced to pay $1.3 billion in criminal fines and revenue forfeiture. It's all part of a $2.3 billion settlement announced by the Justice Department. The case centers around Pfizer's criminal "off-label marketing" of four drugs, including the painkiller Bextra. After whistleblowers filed lawsuits in three states, the U.S. Justice Department took an interest in the case and prosecuted Pfizer for criminal acts.
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Man Discovers Used Car Was Recalled When It Explodes
-NBC News
10/17/2009 - When Mike Gerrin bought his 2002 Ford F-150, he had no idea that it had been recalled for a faulty part. That is, until the truck burst into flames. It happened on October 7. Gerrin had just taken a quick trip out to pick up a sandwich. He was in his house eating, when he heard what he thought was fireworks. When he looked outside, he saw his truck was in flames.
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GSK antidepressant Paxil to blame for baby's heart defects, US jury rules
-Telegraph
10/16/2009 - A US family has been awarded $2.5 million (£1.6 million) in damages after a Philadelphia jury decided that the antidepressant Paxil, known as Seroxat in Britain, was responsible for their son's birth defects. GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the British manufacturer of Seroxat, said it would appeal against the verdict in the case, which is the first of 600 such cases to come to trial.
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Fire on Ford truck linked to cruise control
-NBC News
10/16/2009 - A Port St. Lucie woman lost her Ford F-150 truck to fire Wednesday night, a fire that investigators trace back to the vehicle's cruise control system. Maryanne Komar said when her dogs started barking at 10:30 p.m., she knew something was wrong. She rushed to the window of her home on the 1500 block of SE Pitcher Rd. That's when she saw her truck, parked in her driveway, engulfed in flames. The flames quickly spread to her boat, which was parked beside it.
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Investigation Of Contaminated Heparin Syringes Highlights Medication Safety Issues
-ScienceDaily
10/16/2009 - An outbreak of bloodstream infections appears to have been caused by the contamination of pre-filled heparin and saline syringes made by a single company, according to a report in the October 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
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Ford recalls 4.5M vehicles over switch's risk of fire
- Detroit Free Press
10/14/2009 - Ford Motor Co. is recalling 4.5 million vehicles due to a faulty switch that can overheat and catch fire. It’s the automaker’s eighth recall in a decade involving the same switch, which has now resulted in the recall of more than 14 million vehicles.
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Pulmonary Embolism Leads To Woman's Death After Using Birth Control
-EmaxHealth
10/13/2009 - Swissmedic, the medical regulatory agency in Switzerland, is looking into the death of a young woman who suffered a pulmonary embolism that appears to be a side effect of her birth control medication. According to the agency, the woman had been using Yaz, an oral medication made by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, for about 10 months when her death occurred in mid-September.
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Glaxo Ordered to Pay $2.5 Million for Paxil Defects
-Bloomberg
10/13/2009 - GlaxoSmithKline Plc must pay $2.5 million over claims that its Paxil antidepressant caused birth defects, a Pennsylvania jury concluded in the first of 600 such cases to come to trial.
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Deaths Linked To Trendy Birth Control Pill
-The Bulletin
10/12/2009 - It was mid-August, 2008, when 24-year-old Tanya Hayes began to experience breathlessness and what her family described as a “nasty, hard cough.” A busy student, Tanya ignored the symptoms until one afternoon when she collapsed in a car park in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia. Five hours later, she was pronounced dead of a pulmonary embolism.
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Maytag Expands Recall of Refrigerators Due to Fire Hazard
-NBC News
10/10/2009 - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Maytag®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand refrigerators announced today an expansion of refrigerators recalled due to fire hazard.
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Gulf Stream Motorhomes with Norcold Refrigerators|
- U.S. Recall News
10/10/2009 - GULF STREAM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MOTORHOMES EQUIPPED WITH NORCOLD MODEL 1200LR, 1200LRIM, AND 1201LRIM REFRIGERATORS WITH SERIAL NUMBERS BETWEEN 1273701 AND 1536607, NON-CONSECUTIVELY. A FATIGUE FAILURE IN THE SECTION OF THE COOLING UNIT WHICH CONTAINS THE REFRIGERANT COULD ALLOW THE LIQUID SOLUTION TO SLOWLY LEAK.
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Glaxo Ignored Paxil’s Birth-Defect Risks, Lawyer Says
-Bloomberg
10/09/2009 - GlaxoSmithKline Plc officials intentionally ignored the possibility that the Paxil antidepressant caused birth defects, a lawyer said in closing arguments of a trial over the drug.
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Depression Is a Dilemma for Women in Pregnancy
-The New York Times
10/06/2009 - When Sherean Malekzadeh Allen of Marietta, Ga., learned she was pregnant, she was 43, had been married for two years, had gone through two miscarriages and had all but given up hope of having a baby. But instead of being overjoyed, Ms. Allen was immobilized: panic-ridden, nauseated, listless and thoroughly depressed.
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California couple filesTexas suit over tainted heparin
-The Southeast Texas Record
10/01/2009 - While in Bowie County, Tracey Underwood believes she was given multiple vials of contaminated heparin and as a result developed superior vena cava syndrome. Alleging the drug was intentionally contaminated to raise profits, California residents Tracey and Brian Underwood filed suit against Baxter Healthcare Corp., Baxter International Inc. and Scientific Protein Laboratories on Sept. 28 in the Texarkana Division of the Eastern District of Texas.
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Study finds certain diabetes drugs may cause bone fractures
-DrugStoreNews
10/01/2009 - A certain class of diabetes drugs may put patients at higher risk of bone fractures, according to a study published in the online edition of the journal PLoS Medicine. READ MORE::

Woman alleges pill caused death of unborn baby, sues drug maker
-The Southeast Texas Record
09/30/2009 - A pregnant woman claiming her birth control pills are responsible for her blood clot and the death of her unborn baby has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the drug's manufacturer.
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On Yaz, Bayer Believes "a Multiple of a Rare Event Is Still a Rare Event"
-BNET
09/29/2009 – The mainstream media has finally woken up to Bayer’s problems on its Yaz contraceptive brands. The New York Times published a story over the weekend about the 74 lawsuits against the company alleging that the pills cause potentially fatal embolisms in users. A close look at recent events at Bayer indicate that the company seems to see the world one way, even though everyone else sees it another.
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Yaz and Yasmin: the Facts Behind the Hype
-TheFasterTimes
09/29/2009 - The New York Times reported September 25 on the controversy surrounding Yaz and Yasmin, two popular birth control pills (BCPs). Part of the controversy stems from problematic marketing and manufacturing processes identified by the Food and Drug Administration. However, the principal concern is whether these medications increase the risk of blood clots.
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Are Yaz and Yasmine Safe? What You Should Know About Your Birth Control
-Twirlit
09/29/2009 - Conflicting reports are out about the safety of Bayer’s popular lines of birth control: Yaz and Yasmine. While a Bayer sponsored study shows the pills are no less safe than other birth control pills in their incidences of stroke or blood clots, some women, their attorneys and other researches argue just the opposite.
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Avandia Study Shows Increased Risk Of Heart Failure
-Ennis & Ennis, P.A.
09/28/2009 - Avandia is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Recently however, studies have shown that Avandia significantly increases the risk of heart attack and heart related deaths.
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Oral Contraceptive Linked to Death from Blood Clot
-MedIndia
09/28/2009 - German drugmaker Bayer is in serious trouble after Swiss medical authorities revealed that they are investigating reports that a woman died after consuming a low dose contraceptive manufactured by Bayer.
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Merck Fosamax lawsuit declared mistrial!
-JusticeNewsFlash
09/28/2009 - Manhattan federal judge declares first of nearly 1,500 plaintiffs lawsuits against Fosamax manufacturer a mistrial. Reports of violence and dessention in the U.S. District court jury deliberation room leads to New York federal judge declaring mistrial.
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Diabetes drug could lead to heart failure: Study
-CalgaryHerald
09/26/2009 - New research involving nearly 40,000 Ontario patients is questioning the use of a widely prescribed diabetes drug that an expert in drug safety says should be removed from the market. The study, published this week by the British Medical Journal, found that rosiglitazone — sold under the brand name Avandia — is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and death compared to a similar drug, pioglitazone, or Actos.
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Health Concerns Over Popular Contraceptives
-The New York Times
09/26/2009 - The oral contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin are the top-selling pharmaceutical line for Bayer HealthCare, largely as a result of marketing that presents them as much more than mere pregnancy prevention. Yaz, in particular, the top-selling birth control pill in the United States, owes much of its popularity to multimillion-dollar ad campaigns that have promoted the drug as a quality-of-life treatment to combat acne and severe premenstrual depression. READ MORE::

Bayer’s Yaz Consumer’s Death Probed By Swiss Agency
-Bloomberg
09/26/2009 - Bayer AG, Germany’s largest drugmaker, said its Yaz contraceptive is part of an investigation by a Swiss health regulator into the death of a young woman who took the pill. The Swissmedic agency and an investigative judge are looking into the case of the woman, who died from the effects of pulmonary embolism, Bayer’s Swiss health unit said in a statement posted on its Web site yesterday.
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Study Shows Small Risk of Heart Defect From SSRIs Taken During Pregnancy
-WebMD
09/25/2009 - New research adds to the evidence that babies born to women who take antidepressants during pregnancy have a small increased risk for a specific heart defect. READ MORE::

Hylla hears motions in Accutane case set for trial Oct. 19
-The Madison County Record
09/25/2009 - A defense motion to bar a doctor's testimony regarding whether he warned patients about the risks of taking acne medicine Accutane was granted Thursday by Madison County Circuit Judge David Hylla.
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Setback for Taxus Liberte Stent
-WSJ
09/24/2009 - SAN FRANCISCO—Heart stents made by market leader Boston Scientific Corp. took a scientific drubbing at a big cardiology conference, after rival products from Medtronic Inc. and Abbott Laboratories appeared safer in several studies.
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Prescription Avandia Has Been Linked To Cases Of Serious Side Effects And Fatalities
The prescription drug Avandia (rosiglitazone) causes an increase in liver problems, heart problems and bone density problems resulting in fractures
-OfficialWire
09/24/2009 - The prescription drug Avandia (rosiglitazone) causes an increase in liver problems, heart problems and bone density problems resulting in fractures. It has been linked to cases of death due to liver failure and heart failure. Patients who have taken Avandia should be aware of possible side effects and should know when to seek treatment for serious Avandia related health problems.
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Hylla to hear motions Thursday in Accutane case
-The Madison Record
09/24/2009 - Madison County Circuit Judge David Hylla is scheduled to hear motions Thursday in a medical malpractice case against a local dermatologist who prescribed the acne medicine Accutane. Godfrey native Jason Peipert sued Dr. Daniel Goran of Edwardsville, Hoffman LaRoche Inc., and Roche Laboratories in 2003, claiming he developed Crohn's Disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder, after using the drug Goran prescribed 10 years ago.
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Coachmen Travel Trailers with Maytag Refrigerators
-US Recall News
09/24/2009 - COACHMEN INDUSTRIES IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002 THROUGH 2006 TRAVEL TRAILERS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN MARCH 2002 AND JUNE 2005 EQUIPPED WITH CERTAIN MODEL MAYTAG REFRIGERATORS. THE RELAY THAT TURNS ON THE REFRIGERATOR CAN OVERHEAT.
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Bone density and osteoporosis
- Kansas City Star Midwest Voices
09/23/2009 - The recent mistrial concerning claims that Merck's anti-osteoporosis drug Fosamax allegedly weakens jaw bone tissue reminds us of the rather complicated issues many older people face in dealing with bone density problems. By some estimates half of all women and one third of all men over 65 will develop bone density problems.
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Tendon / Ligament Injuries and Tendonitis: Symptoms or Side Effects?
-US Recall News
09/23/2009 - Tendon and ligament injuries and tendonitis are often symptoms of conditions or diseases such as, or caused by lifestyle or workplace activities, but could also be side effects associated with certain medications, such as Levaquin.
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Medical device firm flies in controversial surgeon
-TheAge
09/22/2009 - A CONTROVERSIAL American surgeon being investigated by the US Senate over his financial ties with medical device giant Medtronic was flown by the company to Australia to lecture doctors at a medical conference last month.
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Glaxo Linked Birth Defect of Fetus to Paxil, Ex-Executive Says
-Bloomberg
09/18/2009 - Officials of GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the U.K.’s largest drugmaker, said in 2001 that a birth defect in the fetus of a woman taking its Paxil antidepressant likely was linked to the drug, according to court testimony.
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Trial opens here in Paxil lawsuit
-Philly Enquirer
09/17/2009 - GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C. for years ignored evidence that its antidepressant Paxil may have caused birth defects, a lawyer told a Philadelphia jury today on behalf of a woman who says that taking the drug during her pregnancy caused her three year-old son's heart problems.
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Pennsylvania Poised to be Center of State Court Yaz(R) Yasmin(R) Ocella(R) Birth Control Litigation
- US Newswire
09/17/2009 - Yesterday, Judge Sandra Mazer Moss, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, consolidated all lawsuits filed in Philadelphia that involve Bayer's popular birth control pills, commonly known as Yaz or Yasmin. Philadelphia is likely to be the country's center for state court litigation involving this widely used birth control pill.
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Heart Palpitations, Slow Heart Rate, Low Blood Pressure: Symptoms or Side Effects?
-US Recall News
09/17/2009 - Heart palpitations, slow heart rate, and low blood pressure are often symptoms of diseases or conditions like hormonal changes or Sleep apnea, but could also be side effects associated with certain medications. Below is a list of diseases and conditions associated with symptoms like heart palpitations, slow heart rate, and low blood pressure, as well as a list of medications related to similar side effects.
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FDA Sends Warning Letter to Makers of Yaz – Yasmin
-US Recall News
09/17/2009 - As if the makers of Yasmin / Yaz didn’t have enough to worry about with pending lawsuits related to major side-effects, now they’ve been served a warning letter from the FDA for quality control problems at a plant in Germany that manufactures one of the ingredients in the drug.
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Eight locals sue hip replacement manufacturer over alleged defects
- Bakersfield
09/17/2009 - A hip replacement was supposed to cure Mary Shelton's pain. Instead, the Bakersfield woman replaced one pain with another. Shelton and seven other local folks are suing the manufacturer and distributor of a hip replacement system.
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FDA hits Medtronic sutureless catheter with Class I recall
Design flaw caused leakage, other problems in 10 patients when implant was used with Medtronic IsoMed infusion pumps.
-MassDevice
09/16/2009 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified a letter intended to correct a labeling error made by Medtronic Inc. with its Sutureless Connector intrathecal catheters as a Class I recall, the agency's most severe level of call-back.
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Glaxo Executive’s Memo Suggested Burying Drug Studies
-Bloomberg
09/16/2009 - An executive of GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the world’s second-biggest drugmaker, talked about burying negative studies linking its antidepressant drug Paxil to birth defects, according to a company memo introduced at a trial.
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Merck Case Over Fosamax Ends in Mistrial in New York
-Bloomberg
09/14/2009 - A federal judge declared a mistrial in the first case to go to a jury over claims that Merck & Co.’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes so-called jaw death after a lone juror refused to exonerate the company.
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Weight Loss Drug Hydroxycut Reformulated and on Shelves
-ExamHealth
09/14/2009 - Just four months after it was recalled from consumers’ shelves, the weight loss supplement Hydroxycut has been reformulated and returned to a store near you. The popular weight loss product was removed from the market because it was linked to serious liver damage and one death.
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VA ISSUES FURTHER CHANTIX AND ZYBAN WARNINGS
-VA Watchdog
09/14/2009 - "Family members and caregivers should also be alerted to the potential for changes in mood or behavior and contact the health care provider if they observe these changes..."
The VA is the premier organization for promoting smoking cessation programs. However, they tend to push drugs as the "helper of choice" for those veterans who wish to give up the cigarettes. The two drugs used by the VA are Chantix and Zyban (varenicline and bupropion, respectively).
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Fosamax Plaintiffs Lawyer: Mistrial a 'Shock' to Merck
-Am Law Litigation Daily.
09/13/2009 - To those tracking the first product liability trial accusing Merck's osteoporosis drug Fosamax of causing debilitating jaw bone deterioration, it should come as no surprise that a mistrial was declared Friday. But the lead plaintiffs lawyer's view of the eight-member jury's failure to reach a verdict may be a bit more eyebrow-raising.
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What Is Ulcerative Colitis? What Causes Ulcerative Colitis?
-Medical News Today
09/13/2009 - Ulcerative colitis is a fairly common chronic (long-term) disease that causes inflammation of the colon (the large intestine). It is a form of inflammatory bowel disease that has some similarity to Crohn's disease, a related disorder.
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BMJ: Ingredient in Bayer's Yaz Causes More Blood Clots Than Rivals
-Bnet
09/12/2009 - Folks inside the Yaz brand management team at Bayer have another pill-induced headache this month in the form of a BMJ study that indicates the progesterone ingredient of Yaz is more risky than those in other contraceptives.
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Suicide and Aggressive Behavior Found as a Result Of Taking Anti-Smoking Drugs
-PR inside
09/12/2009 - In January of this year, David Collins killed himself with a shotgun just three months after he began taking Chantix (varenicline) a smoking cessation drug made by Pfizer. Linda Collins who is David Collins widow has filed a lawsuit in Indianapolis against Pfizer over Chantix (Champix in other countries) its side effects and its possible failure to provide warnings to users.
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Medtronic warns about heart device battery
-Reuters
09/11/2009 - Medtronic Inc said it is warning doctors about problems with 6,300 implantable heart devices because the batteries in the devices drain sooner than normal.
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Mistrial Declared In Merck Fosamax Liability Case
-Wall Street Journal
09/11/2009 - A judge declared a mistrial Friday in a closely watched case involving Merck & Co.'s osteoporosis drug Fosamax after a jury failed to reach a verdict amid tense jury deliberations.
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Fosamax Judge Rejects Merck Bid To Exclude Experts' Testimony
-CNN
09/09/2009 - A federal judge denied a bid Wednesday by Merck & Co. to exclude the testimony of several expert witnesses and dismiss 24 personal-injury cases over its osteoporosis drug Fosamax. In an order Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John F. Keenan rejected efforts to exclude testimony by two doctors on whether Fosamax can cause a severe jaw condition known as osteonecrosis before three years of continuous use.
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Merck loses effort to dismiss 24 Fosamax cases
-Reuters
09/09/2009 - A Manhattan federal judge has rejected Merck & Co's effort to dismiss 24 cases alleging that its Fosamax drug treatment for osteoporosis causes jaw damage. In an opinion released Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John Keenan ruled that the plaintiffs could introduce testimony by two doctors to show that the drug can cause jaw damage after less than three years of continuous use.
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Despite 98 Suicides and 188 Suicide Attempts, FDA Favors Chantix Over Electronic Cigarettes:
Tobacco Control Expert Dr. Michael Siegel Calls for a Scientific, Not Ideological or Political Response to the Electronic Cigarette Issue
-Emailwire
09/09/2009 - An article in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now acknowledged receiving 98 reports of suicides and 188 reports of suicide attempts that appear to be linked to use of Chantix, a prescription medication for smoking cessation. In addition, the FDA has received reports of patients taking the drug being involved in motor vehicle crashes.
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Jury in bellwether Fosamax case unable to agree
-FiercePharma
09/09/2009 - The jury in the bellwether Fosamax case against Merck said today that they could not reach a decision, but the federal judge presiding over the case sent them back to the deliberation room to keep trying. The jury is to decide whether osteoporosis drug Fosamax caused a woman's osteonecrosis of the jaw--or "jawbone death." The plaintiff is asking for at least $1 million.
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Judge To Give Jury 'Cooling Off' Period In Fosamax Case
-CNN Money
09/09/2009 - A U.S. judge called for a daylong "cooling off" period in a product-liability case over Merck & Co.'s (MRK) osteoporosis drug Fosamax after jury deliberations became tense on Wednesday.
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Yaz/Yasmin birth control pills: Serial Killers?
-Examiner
09/08/2009 - Yasmin is the brand name for a birth control pill that is generically known as drospirenone. It is also a treatment for moderate acne and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in women. Yasmin is produced by Berlex Laboratories, Inc.(this name changed to Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals in 2008) as an oral contraceptive.
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Merck Jury Told to Keep Deliberating in Fosamax Case
-Bloomberg
09/08/2009 - A federal judge instructed a jury to continue deliberating whether Merck & Co.’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax caused a Florida woman’s “jaw death,” after the panel told the judge it couldn’t decide.
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What's Really in Supplements? Regulators and Physicians Raise Alarms About Dangerous Ingredients in Many Herbal Remedies
-Wall Street Journal
09/08/2009 - When Dan Gerkey was trying to get into better shape a few years ago, he tried out a dietary supplement from a local store that promised to help build his strength. At first, the stuff worked. But after several weeks the police officer, who lives in Fraser, Mich., started feeling exhausted, and his wife noticed a yellowish tinge in his eyes.
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Pfizer’s smoking-cessation drug cautions behavioural changes
-Hindu Business Line
09/08/2009 - Pfizer has updated the label on its smoking-cessation product Champix, to alert health professionals of behavioural changes, including depressed moods and suicidal thoughts, reportedly associated with such products.
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Yaz and Yasmin: Potentially Dangerous
-24-7 Press Release
09/05/2009 - Two recently released studies in the prestigious British Medical Journal show oral contraceptives including Yaz and Yasmin cause a dramatic increase in the risk of blood clots. The data indicates users of the pills are 6.3 times more likely to suffer blood clots that can lead to dangerous health problems such as heart arrhythmia, heart attacks and strokes. READ MORE::

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics and double vision
-Examiner
09/04/2009 - In the September issue of Opthalmology, researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland analyzed 171 case reports from the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects, World Health Organization, and Food and Drug Administration to determine the association of the antibiotics and diplopia (double vision).
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Suicidal Thoughts and Rage: What are Causing Your Symptoms of Side Effects
-US Recall News
09/04/2009 - Suicidal thoughts and Rage are often symptoms of conditions like clinical depression, and bipolar disorder. Since everyone handles depression differently, the symptoms of this disease manifest in different ways. Extreme anger is a common – but often ignored – symptom of depression, especially in men.
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39 Digitek plaintiffs must answer questions
-The West Virginia Record
09/03/2009 - Thirty-nine individuals suing drug companies Actavis Totowa and Mylan Bertek over Digitek heart medicine must answer questions loaded with trouble for their lawyers. On Aug. 26, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Stanley ordered the 39 to admit or deny that their lawyers possessed no medical or pharmacy records when they filed complaints.
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Jurors weigh jaw risk of Merck osteoporosis drug
-Reuters
09/03/2009 - Jurors heard sharply different closing arguments on Wednesday in a trial over whether or not Merck & Co's Fosamax drug treatment for osteoporosis caused a Florida woman's jaw damage. The trial in New York is Merck's first out of some 1,280 plaintiff groups involving almost 900 cases over U.S. lawsuits by patients who claim Fosamax caused the condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw, or ONJ.
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Fosamax Case Goes to Jury
-The Wall Street Journal
09/03/2009 - A lawyer for Merck & Co. told a jury Wednesday that the osteoporosis drug Fosamax isn't the cause of a severe jaw problem suffered by a 71-year-old Florida woman who took the drug for years.
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Some antibiotics can cause double vision
-LA Times
09/02/2009 - Add one more side effect to the growing list of adverse events associated with the family of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones: double vision. The powerful drugs are widely used to treat infections, including bacterial or chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, urinary infections and some skin infections. But they have been associated with a wide variety of side effects, including tendinitis (an inflammation of tendons) and tendon rupture, gastrointestinal problems, liver damage, central nervous system problems and skin phototoxicity.
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Yaz Lawsuits Heat Up – Is a Recall on the Horizon?
-US Recall News
09/02/2009 - Several lawsuits have been filed against Bayer due to serous side effects associated with Yasmin / Yaz. Here we discuss the implications such a lawsuit would have on a potential recall. Both the drugs are oral contraceptives that contain synthetic versions of the hormones estrogen and progestin, and are associated with side effects including stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder problems, and kidney problems.
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Carter Albrecht's Dad Explains Why, Two Years Later, He and His Wife are Suing Pfizer
-UnfairPark
09/02/2009 -Yesterday in Dallas federal court, Carter Albrecht's parents, Ken and Judy, finally sued Pfizer, claiming that its smoking-cessation drug Chantix played a "direct and proximate" role in Carter's shooting death almost two years ago to the day.
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Merck’s Fosamax Didn’t Attack Woman’s Jaw, Jury Told
-Bloomberg
09/02/2009 - Merck & Co. didn’t cause a Florida woman’s “jaw death” with its osteoporosis drug Fosamax, a lawyer for the company told jurors at the close of the first trial of hundreds of claims over the medicine. Fosamax plaintiffs say Merck, the U.S. drugmaker buying Schering-Plough Corp., misrepresented the drug’s safety and failed to warn doctors and patients that it might hamper blood flow to the jaw, which causes jawbone-tissue death. READ MORE::

Medtronic CEO defends paid physician consulting contracts
-FierceHealthcare
08/29/2009 - Lately, medical device companies and pharmaceutical giants have been taking a lot of heat for their relationships with doctors. Critics suggest that it's seldom, if ever, a good idea for doctors to get paid for collaborating with such companies, as the payments essentially come down to a kickback in most cases.
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Studies tipping toward surgery to prevent strokes
-Reuters
08/29/2009 - Surgery may be a better way to clear blockages in neck arteries and prevent strokes than less invasive treatment such as angioplasty, European researchers reported on Friday.
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Dr. David Polly Resigns From American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Board
-DotMed
08/28/2009 - Under intense scrutiny for not revealing a relationship with Medtronic, Dr. David Polly, a well-known spine surgeon, has resigned from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Board.
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Maytag Recalls Refrigerators Due To Fire Hazard
- TWICE
08/27/2009 - Maytag, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), has voluntarily recalled 46,000 refrigerators due to a fire hazard. The refrigerators have an electrical failure in the relay - the component that turns on the refrigerator's compressor - that can cause overheating and pose a serious fire hazard.
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Maytag, Magic Chef, Performa by Maytag, Crosley Refrigerators
-ConsumerAffairs
08/26/2009 - Maytag Corp. is expanding its recall of Maytag, Magic Chef, Performa by Maytag and Crosley brand refrigerators. An electrical failure in the relay, the component that turns on the refrigerator’s compressor, can cause overheating and pose a serious fire hazard. The latest recall is for 46,000 refrigerators. About 1.6 million units were recalled in March 2009.
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Recalled SUV may be linked to fire
-TheDailyAdvertiser
08/26/2009 - Investigators are looking into whether a faulty cruise control switch could have sparked a fire that destroyed an SUV and two homes in Lafayette on Saturday. Firefighters responded to the 300 block of Macklyn Drive after a 1999 Ford Expedition caught fire under a carport.
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Gadolinium and Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis Symptoms
-US Recall News
08/26/2009 - Gadolinium is a contrast agent used in MRI. Gadolinium can cause side effects ranging from minor skin irritations to debilitating, and sometimes fatal, Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF). Gadolinium is especially dangerous for patients with poor renal function. Below is a list of side effects associated with Gadolinium, including the symptoms of NSF. READ MORE::

Diabetes drug linked to heart failure risk
-UPI
08/25/2009 - Canadian scientists say they have discovered rosiglitazone (Avandia) a type 2 diabetes drug, might be linked with increased risk of heart failure and death. The scientists from the University of Toronto and the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto, said the linkage was found among older patients, compared to a similar drug, pioglitazone (Actos).
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Birth control pill 'Yaz' named in suit against Bayer, Walgreens
-St.Clair Record
08/24/2009 - After a birth control pill spent months in the spotlight during commercials aimed at correcting misrepresentations about it, the pill is now at the center of a St. Clair County lawsuit. Kerry Sims filed a lawsuit Aug. 18 against Bayer and Walgreens, alleging her ingestion of the birth control pill Yasmin, which is also known as Yaz, caused her to experience a blood clot in her lung and infection surrounding the clot.
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Researchers decry use of diabetes drug Avandia
-The Canadian Press
08/23/2009 - Some Ontario researchers are calling into question the continued use of the controversial diabetes drug Avandia, saying a competing drug in the same class is as effective and less dangerous. The scientists, from Toronto's Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, said people taking Actos or pioglitazone for Type 2 diabetes are 23 per cent less likely to be hospitalized for heart failure and 14 per cent less likely to die than people taking Avandia or rosiglitazone.
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Surgeon accused of faking study resigns
-UPI
08/21/2009 - A surgeon accused of faking a study on a bone growth drug used to treat wounded Iraq war veterans has resigned from a St. Louis university, the school said. READ MORE::

Rosiglitazone safety questioned, again, this time in population-based study
-TheHeart.org
08/20/2009 - Toronto, ON - The risk of dying or being hospitalized with heart failure, but not of MI, is lower among older diabetic patients taking pioglitazone (Actos, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America) than in those taking rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline), suggests a retrospective analysis based on outpatient data from across Ontario.
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Stop prescribing killer diabetes drug, scientists warn:
Rosiglitazone, brand name Avandia, has higher rates of heart failure and death than similar alternative
-Guardian UK
08/20/2009 - Scientists say doctors should stop prescribing a commonly used diabetes drug, after studies show that it is linked to higher rates of heart failure and death than a similar alternative.
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Digitek MDL judges deny request to transfer cases to Texas judge
- West Virginia Record
08/20/2009 - AUSTIN, Texas -- Manufacturers and distributors of heart medicine Digitek succeeded in consolidating 19 personal injury suits from 12 counties, but were taught a lesson in judge shopping. On Aug. 5, multi district judges in Austin transferred suits against drug maker Actavis Totowa and distributor Mylan Pharmaceuticals to a pretrial judge, but denied a motion to put Jefferson County District Judge Milton Shuffield in charge of the cases.
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Glaxo's Avandia riskier than Takeda drug -study
-Reuters
08/19/2009 - GlaxoSmithKline Plc's diabetes drug Avandia is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and death among older patients compared with Takeda Actos, according to Canadian research.
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Diabetes drug could lead to heart failure: Study
-The Vancouver Sun
08/19/20019 - New research involving nearly 40,000 Ontario patients is questioning the use of a widely prescribed diabetes drug that an expert in drug safety says should be removed from the market. The study, published this week by the British Medical Journal, found that rosiglitazone — sold under the brand name Avandia — is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and death compared to a similar drug, pioglitazone, or Actos.
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Surgeon Tied to Bone Product Inquiry Resigns
-The New York Times
08/19/2009 - A former Army surgeon accused of falsifying a study on a bone growth product used on severely injured Iraq war veterans has resigned his teaching position at Washington University in St. Louis, a spokeswoman said Tuesday night. The surgeon, Dr. Timothy R. Kuklo, 48, was placed on leave earlier this year while the university investigated charges against him. Medtronic, a maker of the bone growth product Infuse, also suspended his consulting contract. The company paid him nearly $800,000 the last few years.
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The good and the not-so-good of osteoporosis drugs
- North Island Midweek
08/18/2009 - “Do you treat osteoporosis?” asked Patty. “I have been doing some research and I sure want to avoid the Fosamax that my doctor has prescribed for me.” Patty, 65, had recently read an article about the bisphosphonates, the drugs that are used to treat osteoporosis. These include Fosamax, Actonel and Didrocal. The most notable things she remembered from the article were the increased risk of jaw necrosis (death of the jaw bone), increased risk of esophageal cancer and atrial fibrillation.
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Off-label Botox applications linked to deaths
-Grinza
08/17/2009 - Botox, the famous anti-wrinkle drug, has been linked to fatal and severe complications in cerebral palsy patients, a treatment unapproved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Botox and other similar products use a purified form of botulinum toxin that temporarily paralyzes the muscles to stop repetitive movements, preventing wrinkles from forming.
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On mission to sue med-tech makers
-StarTribune
08/17/2009 - As Michele Meyer navigated the hallways of Congress earlier this month, meeting lawmakers and telling her story, she felt as though her daughter Katie was beside her, urging her on. "She would have been right there," said Meyer, of Cambridge, Minn. "She was very outgoing, exuberant, true to herself and her own beliefs." But Katie, 30, died in 2008 after surgery to remove a heart defibrillator wire made by Medtronic Inc. that had been recalled for safety reasons.
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TZDs may increase risk for fracture in men, women
-Endocrine Today
08/17/2009 - Men and women who are exposed to thiazolidinediones may be at increased risk for fractures, especially with pioglitazone. A prospective cohort study examined risk for fractures in 84,339 adults (mean age, 59; 43% women) from British Columbia, Canada, who began treatment with a TZD or sulfonylurea.
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Low-estrogen birth-control pills safer than others
European research finds that oral contraceptives with high doses of the hormone increase users' risk of blood clots
-The Globe And Mail
08/15/2009 - Many women are not using the safest birth-control pills possible, new research suggests. While it is well established that taking oral contraceptives slightly increases the risk of blood clots, two new European studies say that risk varies depending on the type of product chosen.
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Drug companies will get chance to prove bogus claims
-TheWestVirginiaRecord
08/15/2009 - CHARLESTON - U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Stanley will give drug companies Actavis Totowa and Mylan Pharmaceuticals a chance to prove that lawyers filed bogus suits in national litigation over heart medicine Digitek.
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THE most popular oral contraceptive in Ireland is not the safest, research suggests.
-IrishExaminer
08/14/2009 - Yasmin is the preferred choice among Irish women but it carries an almost six-fold added risk of blood clots, compared with women not on the pill.
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Accutane trial set to begin in Madison County
-The Madison St.Clair Record
08/13/2009 - Madison County Circuit Judge Dave Hylla is set to preside over a medical malpractice trial Monday involving acne medication Accutane. Godfrey native Jason Peipert sued Dr. Daniel Goran, Hoffman LaRoche Inc., and Roche Laboratories in 2003, claiming he developed Crohn's Disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder, after using the drug Goran prescribed 10 years ago.
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Kanawha woman files suit against diet product maker
-The Charleston Gazette
08/12/2009 - CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Kanawha County woman has filed a lawsuit against the makers of popular weight-loss product Hydroxycut, alleging that they falsely marketed their products as safe and effective dietary supplements.
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Belle Mead woman pitches Medical Device Safety Act to Congress
-MyCentralJersey
08/12/2009 - Several years ago, Jan Beadling was driving with her daughter when she went into cardiac arrest and slipped into a coma. Beadling was rushed to a hospital, and her life was saved, but it was two weeks before Beadling started breathing again on her own.
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Fosamax lawsuits begin
-WHYY News
08/12/2009 - Hundreds of patients who used the osteoporosis drug Fosamax are suing the manufacturer over damage to their jawbones. The first of hundreds of lawsuits against pharmaceutical company Merck will begin in New York. A jury will decide whether the company misrepresented the side effects associated with Fosamax treatment.
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Misuse of Fluoroquinolones May Be Causing Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
-DG News
08/11/2009 - Use of a fluoroquinolone may be undercutting its utility as a first-line defense against drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), according to a study published in the August 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Merck readies for first Fosamax trial
-Reuters
08/11/2009 - Merck & Co on Tuesday is slated to fight the first of numerous U.S. lawsuits brought by patients who claim they suffered jaw damage from the company's widely used Fosamax treatment for osteoporosis. Some 1280 plaintiff groups, involving almost 900 cases, have alleged jaw problems due to Fosamax, a one-time blockbuster product that recently began facing generic competition in the United States.
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Merck Faces First Trial of Claim That Fosamax Attacks Jawbone
-Bloomberg
08/10/2009 - Merck & Co., the drugmaker facing 900 lawsuits over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes the death of jawbone tissue, goes to trial tomorrow in a case that may affect all the others.
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Antibotic Type- Please Read. Ive Experienced Adverse effects from Cipro for a UTI
-pgcitizen
08/06/2009 - Fluoroquinolones were originally designed and approved for serious infections which do not respond to traditional antibiotic therapy. However, they are increasingly being prescribed for routine infections that do not warrant such powerful and dangerous antibacterials.
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FDA Safety Information: Stop Recalls Before They Start
-TheLedger
08/05/2009 - Warnings and recalls are necessary components of any system that seeks to protect consumers and their health. Yet these actions - which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has regularly used to warn consumers after specific over-the-counter supplements caused health problems in users - are not acceptable alternatives to effective testing and regulation before such products are sold.
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Bettendorf man testifies in Washington about medical device failure
-Quad City Times
08/05/2009 - Two years ago, Michael Mulvihill was driving through a construction zone in western Ohio when he saw a blue flash and felt a jolt. At first, the Bettendorf man said, he thought that he had hit something in the road. Instead, he said, it was something in his chest - the defibrillator that had been implanted a little more than a year earlier for an irregular heart beat and pulse rate.
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FDA Signs Off On Botox Warning; Changes Generic Name
-The Wall Street Journal
08/04/2009 - The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it approved a new warning on Allergan Inc.'s (AGN) Botox and a similar product about the possibility of life-threatening breathing and swallowing problems, following up on an earlier announcement about tougher warnings.
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Health 101: Does the FDA approve weight loss supplements?
-Examiner
08/04/2009 - Within the past 12 months over 86 weight loss supplements have been flagged by the FDA as unsafe. Over 70 products tested positive for potentially harmful prescription drugs and chemicals that were not declared by their manufacturers. Fourteen Hydroxycut products were also recently recalled after the FDA reported possible liver damaging side effects.
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Statement By Merck & Co., Inc. Regarding FOSAMAX® (alendronate Sodium) And Rare Cases Of Osteonecrosis Of The Jaw
-Medical News Today
08/02/2009 - Merck is committed to putting patients first and providing accurate information regarding the efficacy, safety and tolerability of our medicines. Merck offers the following statement concerning the osteoporosis medication FOSAMAX® (alendronate sodium) and reports of jaw problems associated with delayed healing and infection of the jaw often following tooth extraction.
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U of M surgeon's ties to Medtronic under scrutiny|
-MPR News
07/31/2009 - A University of Minnesota spine surgeon is now part of a larger look into the financial relationship between doctors and private medical companies. U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is asking the U of M for information on Dr. David Polly, a surgeon who was paid more than $1 million in consulting fees by medical device maker Medtronic, which is based in Fridley.
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Patient safety advanced by revised heparin standards
-ScienceBlog
07/31/2009 - Continuing to help ensure the identity, purity and quality of heparin, the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention has revised written and physical standards for the widely used blood thinner.
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Merck Won’t Face Punitive Damages in Fosamax Trial
-Bloomberg
07/30/2009 - Merck & Co., facing more than 850 lawsuits over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax may cause irreversible “jaw rot,” won’t face punitive damages in the first trial, a federal judge said.
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Woman Claims Denture Cream Crippled Her
-NewsNet5
07/30/2009 - BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Like most moms, Marianne Chapman plays Xbox with her little one. But unlike most moms, Chapman said she doesn't have full use of her hands to compete. The 31-year-old said the problems started years ago. "I woke up and had no feeling in my hands," Chapman said.
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Spine Surgeon Didn't Disclose Medtronic Pay in Testimony
-The Wall Street Journal
07/29/2009 - In May 2006, University of Minnesota spine surgeon David Polly urged a Senate committee to fund research into the severe arm, leg and spine injuries suffered by soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere.
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FDA Warns Consumers Not to Use Body Building Products Marketed as Containing Steroids or Steroid-Like Substances
Agency issues Warning Letter to American Cellular Laboratories for marketing and distributing potentially harmful steroid-containing products
-FDA
07/29/2009 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a Public Health Advisory (PHA) warning consumers to stop using body building products that are represented as containing steroids or steroid-like substances. Many of these products are marketed as dietary supplements.
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U surgeon's deals with Medtronic draw fire
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa also is scrutinizing whether the University of Minnesota adequately oversees potential conflicts of interest.
-StarTribune
07/29/2009 - A top spine surgeon at the University of Minnesota who has reaped more than $1 million consulting for Medtronic Inc. is facing tough questions from a prominent U.S. senator investigating financial conflicts in medicine.
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Bone-building drug led to stress fracture
-The People's Pharmacy
07/28/2009 - Two weeks after I suffered a thighbone fracture that had started as a hairline stress fracture, a friend alerted me to your column citing an article in The Journal of the American Medical Association (Feb. 18). I showed it to my doctors, and we all agreed that my fracture was caused by long-term use (12 years) of Fosamax.
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Diabetes drug Avandia comes under new criticism
-LA Times
07/25/2009 - The diabetes drug rosiglitazone, already under fire because it has been found to increase the risk of heart attacks, can also produce liver failure and death in some patients, researchers from the activist group Public Citizen said this week.
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Man Says Botox Left Him Crippled
-Courthouse News Service
07/24/2009 - Botox injections for writer's cramp left a man with devastating brain injuries, including "multiple ischemic brain lesions" and "dementing encephalopathy," he says in an $11 million claim against Allergan, which makes the drug.
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Woman Needed New Liver After Taking Recalled Drugstore Diet Supplement
-FOX News
07/23/2009 - The Food and Drug Administration in May warned Americans to immediately stop using the over-the-counter diet drug Hydroxycut because of concerns over liver failure. READ MORE::

More Jefferson County suits filed over Digitek dosage
-The South East Texas Record
07/23/2009 - Actavis, UDL Laboratories and Mylan Pharmaceuticals are being sued by at least three different plaintiffs who claim they or their deceased relative took a prescription drug for heart problems that contained twice the approved level of its active ingredient.
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Dangerous Diet Supplements Remain On The Market
-CBS News
07/22/2009 - "Rapid Weight Loss"… "Get the Body You Want"… But at what cost? These powerful claims are being made about a popular diet supplement, but the key ingredient is known to cause liver damage. So why is it on the market? CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine has a serious warning.
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Medtronic Recalls Its Quick-set Infusion Sets
-Diabetes Health
07/22/2009 - Minneapolis-based Medtronic Inc. is recalling some lots of its Quick-set infusion sets over concerns that they may cause insulin pumps to deliver too much or too little insulin. READ MORE::

Dräger Initiates a Voluntary Device Recall of Stabilet Contacts Current Users
-FDA
07/20/2009 - Draeger Medical Inc. recommends the removal of Stabilet Infant Warmer models 200, 300, 1250, 1500, 200/3000, 2000, 2200/3200, 3000, and 3200 from service and replacing them with alternative warmers as soon as it is feasible.
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Experts Welcome FDA Order For Warning Labels On Anti-smoking Drugs
-Medindia
07/20/2009 - Smoking cessation experts have heartily welcomed the US FDA’s order for warning labels on anti-smoking drugs Chantix and Zyban. Varenicline, marketed as Chantix and bupropion, marketed as Zyban, might set off changes in behavior — hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and attempts at suicide.
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Denture Adhesive Can Be Toxic to Some Patients
-PRWeb
07/17/2009 - A recent report in the medical Journal Neurology www.neurology.org search "denture cream" documented several patients in which zinc poisoning was a result of their denture cream. In the past, dental patients commonly reported disliking the smell, taste, and general messiness of denture creams.
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Kuklo-Medtronic timeline gets messier with new details
-MinnPost
07/16/2009 - The Dr. Kuklo-Medtronic timeline got a little messier last night with new disclosures reported by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Dr. Timothy Kuklo, a former military surgeon, is under fire for allegedly falsifying data in a study of Medtronic's bone-growth product Infuse.
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Medical-Device Suits Allege Kickbacks
-The Wall Street Journal
07/16/2009 - Former employees of certain medical-device makers allege in lawsuits unsealed in a Texas federal court that the companies paid kickbacks to heart surgeons to get the doctors to use their products to treat the heart-rhythm defect called atrial fibrillation.
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Serious Side Effects From Yaz and Yasmin Oral Contraceptives
-Best Syndication
07/15/2009 - If you are taking either Yaz or Yasmin birth control pills, be aware that there could be some severe effects on your health. Those who have elevated blood potassium should not take these pills, because they can raise your blood potassium. A high potassium level in the body can cause:
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Medtronic Recalls 60,000 Paradigm Quick-Set Infusion Sets
-US Recall News
07/14/2009 - Medtronic has issued a recall of specific lots of infusion sets that are for use with MiniMed Paradigm insulin pumps. These infusion sets may not work properly, resulting in a delivery of too little or too much insulin, which could result in injury or death.
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Lawsuit: MRI dye linked to disease
RI woman among those joining a lawsuit
-WPRI
07/14/2009 - A Warwick woman has joined 516 other plaintiffs in a massive lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies that make certain dyes used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The woman, who did not want to be identified, was diagnosed with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in 2006 after being injected with a contrast-agent made with gadolinium.
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Anti-smoking drugs may increase risk of depression
-Examiner
07/14/2009 - Psychiatric issues in patients using anti-smoking drugs has led the Food and Drug Administration to call for the agency’s strongest warning, a “Black Box” warning.
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No new Alzheimer's indication for Avandia
-FiercePharma
07/13/2009 - Poor Avandia. The GlaxoSmithKline drug failed an Alzheimer's disease trial, dashing the company's hopes of a new indication and up to $300 million in additional sales. "We saw no efficacy in this study, or the two adjunct trials," Michael Gold, Glaxo's vice president of neurosciences, told Bloomberg.
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Medtronic Voluntarily Recalls Specific Lots of
Paradigm® Quick-Set® Infusion Sets In The United States
-FDA
07/13/2009 -  Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) said today (07/10/2009) that it has initiated a recall of specific lots of Quick-set® infusion sets that are used with MiniMed Paradigm insulin pumps. An infusion set is a thin plastic tube used to deliver insulin from an insulin pump to a diabetes patient, and is typically replaced by the patient every three days.
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Medtronic Paradigm Quick-Set Infusion Sets
-FDA MedWatch
07/13/2009 - Medtronic, Inc. and FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients of a recall of Quick-set infusion sets that are used with MiniMed Paradigm insulin pumps because the affected infusion sets may not allow the insulin pump to vent air pressure properly.
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Study cites danger of zinc poisoning from denture creams
-Times Standard
07/12/2009 - If you use denture cream, you might want to sit down while you read this. Remember the old saying, “What you don't know won't hurt you?” That's not the case with some denture creams. Glaxo Smith Kline, the maker of PoliGrip and Super PoliGrip, and Proctor & Gamble, the makers of Fixodent, are being sued because their products contain zinc, a potentially harmful element when taken in high doses.
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Glaxo’s Avandia Fails to Benefit Alzheimer’s Patients in Study
-Bloomberg
07/12/2009 - GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s diabetes drug Avandia failed to benefit patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a company-funded study. The findings are another setback for Avandia, once the biggest-selling drug for diabetes in the world, and raise questions about the theory that Alzheimer’s is a form of diabetes of the brain. Sales of Avandia haven’t recovered since a study linked the drug to heart attacks in May 2007.
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Medtronic Recalls Insulin Devices
-The Wall Street Journal
07/12/2009 - Medtronic Inc. is recalling three million insulin-infusion sets, estimating that 60,000 of them could cause improper insulin delivery and lead to serious injury or death. READ MORE::

Hydroxycut recalled: Southeast Texans suing for liver damage
-KFDM News
07/12/2009 - Two Southeast Texans have hired an attorney after experiencing adverse side effects when taking Hydroxycut, a popular dietary supplement that has been linked to liver problems. One death due to liver failure has been reported to the FDA.
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Acne Drug Accutane No Longer Sold
Generic Versions Still Available as Isotretinoin
-WebMD
07/09/2009 - Accutane won't be sold any more, drug giant Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. has announced. Generic versions of the acne drug, called isotretinoin, are still available from several manufacturers. But Roche, which has sold the drug to 13 million patients since 1982, will not be one of them.
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Health Canada Warns Against Pain Relief Patch
-AHN
07/09/2009 - Health Canada warned medics against prescribing a pain relief patch which is suspected to have caused 52 deaths in the country from 1992 to 2007.
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The legal effects of withdrawal
-Irishtimes
07/07/2009 - The withdrawal of Roaccutane, the anti-acne drug, in the US has a huge effect on legal cases against its manufacturer here. The withdrawal last week of the anti-acne drug, Roaccutane, from the US market has “relevance” for up to 10 pending cases here against the drug manufacturer, Roche Pharmaceuticals, according to the main solicitor taking the cases. READ MORE::

5 Risks Linked to Diabetes Medications Like Lantus, Avandia, Actos: Cancer, heart failure, fractures, and eye and liver problems among some diabetes drugs' possible risks
-U.S.News
07/07/2009 - For the 200 million diabetics worldwide, the past few years have brought some disturbing findings about risks that may be associated with certain diabetes drugs. Recent concerns that Avandia (rosiglitazone) might cause cardiovascular problems, for example, have led some experts to call for it to be pulled from the market, although it remains available today.
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Accutane off shelves, but lawsuits live
-THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
07/06/2009 - Since 1982, Accutane has been a godsend and a curse. Millions of people who have used the prescription acne medication call it a miracle. But the drug also has been the target of lawsuits, federal investigations and scientists who say the drug is overused and that its dangers outweigh its benefits.
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FDA: Unregulated Supplements Pose Health Risk to Unaware Consumers
-dvids
07/06/2009 - BAGHDAD – Rows of colorfully designed jars and plastic tubs scream "Shock your muscles" and promise "Get ultra-ripped fast" or "Gain 12 pounds in 2 weeks!" At the end of the aisle, slick magazines line the shelves showcasing the newest methods to gain mass or how to push 20 percent more weight instantly when you use their new technique.
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Diabetes debate
-Indian Express
07/06/2009 - In a new study, GlaxoSmithKline refuses to accept the claim that its product Avandia puts patients at high risk of heart attacks; diabetologists say the final word is not yet out.
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Suicide Warnings Required for Anti-Smoking Drugs
-The Washington Post
07/03/2009 - The Food and Drug Administration announced today that it is requiring the smoking-cessation drugs Chantix and Zyban to carry the strongest type of safety warning possible to alert patients that the medications can cause serious mental health problems, including depression and suicide.
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Accutane Finally Removed From the Market Proving Again That Lawsuits Are the Last Line of Defense Against Unsafe Drugs
-ThePopTort
07/03/2009 - Over the weekend Roche Holding, the maker of the dangerous acne drug Accutane took it off the shelves. This is a development that consumer groups have been calling for for years (as noted in Center for Justice & Democracy’s report, The Bitterest Pill, How Drug Companies Fail to Protect Women and How Lawsuits Save Their Lives.)
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FDA warning issued for smoking cessation drugs
-Examiner
07/02/2009 - Chantix and Zyban are both commonly prescribed drugs used to treat nicotine addiction in smokers hoping to quit the habit. Both drugs have proven to be successful in reducing nicotine cravings in addicted smokers, although serious side effects have been reported.
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Rapid City Dentist Says Patients Need to Disclose Medical History
-BlackHillsToday
07/02/2009 - The old saying “knowledge is power” penned by English philosopher Francis Bacon is a motto doctors and dentists live by. The more they know about patients the better treatments they can provide.
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Millions of childrens' products from major retailers recalled:
Simplicity cribs, inflatable floats pulled for safety hazards: Regulators advise consumers to check homes for previously recalled Simplicity, Graco products
-South Florida Sun-Sentinel
07/02/2009 - Federal safety regulators have announced two large recalls of children's products, including one involving four million water toys, for serious safety hazards on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
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Problems for Infuse in study
-New York Times
07/01/2009 - Patients who received a bioengineered protein during spinal fusion procedures to correct neck pain had far more complications than patients who did not get it, according to a study released Tuesday.
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Public Health Advisory: FDA Requires New Boxed Warnings for the Smoking Cessation Drugs Chantix and Zyban
-FDA
07/01/2009 - The FDA is notifying the public that the use of Chantix (varenicline) or Zyban (bupropion hydrochloride), two prescription medicines that are used as part of smoking cessation programs, has been associated with reports of changes in behavior such as hostility, agitation, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts or actions.
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Healthy Living: Herbal, nutritional products linked to serious issues
-The Norwich Bulletin
07/01/2009 - The recent removal of Zicam and Hydroxycut products from the market highlights an important aspect of herbal medications: sometimes you don’t know what you are paying for. Zicam was a popular zinc-based flu remedy taken off the market due to reports of users losing their sense of smell, sometimes permanently. Hydroxycut weight-loss products have been linked to serious liver damage, and were removed from store shelves in May. READ MORE::

Drug At Center Of Local Trial Pulled From Market
-KDKA News
06/29/2009 - The drug maker, Roche, has pulled the acne drug Accutane off the market because of jury verdicts regarding bowel disease. The news comes as the drug's purported psychological effects are at the center of a defense argument in a local trial.
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BFAD orders recall of risky Hydroxycut weight-loss goods
-GMANews
06/29/2009 - MANILA, Philippines – If you have Hydroxycut weight-loss products in your house, you should stop using them and demand a refund from the store where you bought them.
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Roche Pulls Accutane Off Market After Jury Verdicts
-Bloomberg
06/27/2009 - Roche Holding AG, the world’s biggest maker of cancer drugs, is pulling its Accutane acne medicine from the U.S. market after juries awarded at least $33 million in damages to users who blamed the drug for bowel disease.
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FDA wants additional study of diabetes drug
-ChicagoTribune
06/27/2009 - In a blow to the diabetes treatment franchise of a Deerfield drug maker, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc. to conduct an additional heart safety trial of its experimental drug alogliptin, the company said this afternoon.
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Botox injection nearly kills woman - Cerebral Palsy treatment spread too far
-TheSpec
06/27/2009 - A Hamilton family is questioning Health Canada’s approval of Botox after their daughter became so ill she could have died within days of being given the drug to treat cerebral palsy.
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Diabetes drugs can lead to heart failure
-TheMedGuru
06/25/2009 - A latest study has revealed how a certain category of diabetes drugs can actually increase the risk of heart failure. The class of drugs under study were thiazolidinediones (TZDs).
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The recall of some Hydroxycut products points to the danger of weight-loss supplements.
-VeloNews
06/24/2009 - This past May the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) moved to ban the diet product Hydroxycut after receiving 23 reports of serious health problems related to the product, including one death due to liver failure.
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Coroner: Painkiller killed ex-Wilco member Jay Bennett
-ChicagoTribune
06/24/2009 - Former Wilco member Jay Bennett died of an overdose of a painkiller, the Champaign County coroner said Tuesday, and his office is investigating Bennett's death as an accident.
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Medtronic Gets Subpoena Regarding Disputed Study
-New York Times
06/24/2009 - Medtronic disclosed on Tuesday that it had received a Justice Department subpoena seeking information about its ties with a company consultant, a former Army doctor accused of falsifying a favorable medical journal article about a Medtronic bone growth product called Infuse.
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How diabetes drugs raise heart failure risk
-ThaindianNews
06/23/2009 - A new study may help explain how a class of diabetes drugs increases the risk of heart failure. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) have been controversial since a 2007 analysis of Avandia (rosiglitazone), a TZD made by GlaxoSmithKline, suggested that patients taking it are at higher risk of heart attack.
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Drug 'reports' found to be faked
-TorontoStar
06/22/2009 - From the creation of fake academic journals, to bogus stories submitted to real journals, to falsified results in some of academia's most respected publications – the pharmaceutical industry has been rocked by allegations that the world's biggest drug companies put public relations above public safety.
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$788,000 Paid to Doctor Accused of Faking Study
-TheNewYorkTimes
06/20/2009 - Medtronic said on Wednesday that it had paid nearly $800,000 over an eight-year period to a former military surgeon who has been accused by the Army of falsifying a medical journal study involving one of the company’s products.
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Hydroxycut and choosing a safe weight loss supplement
-Examiner
06/19/2009 - Americans spent $1.67 billion in 2007 on weight loss supplements. Ninety percent of the market belonged to one company. Selling over 9 million units in 2008, Hydroxycut’s reign as king has come to an end.
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GSK: RECORD trial results do not change Avandia’s CV risk stigma, bone fracture risk, physicians say
-Pharmawire
06/19/2009 - The final results of the RECORD study demonstrated that overall rates of cardiovascular (CV) hospitalization and cardiovascular death - the two primary endpoints - were similar in patients taking Avandia (rosiglitazone) compared to those receiving metformin and sulfonylurea.
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Diet Pills Recalled on Reports of Liver Damage
-MainStreet
06/17/2009 - If you’re using dietary supplements to lose fat as you shed layers of clothes this summer, steer clear of Hydroxcut to avoid severe and potentially fatal liver damage.
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Denture Adhesive Toxic to Some Patients
Denture cream has found to have general health consequences.
-PRWeb
06/17/2009 - A recent report in the medical Journal Neurology documented several patients in which zinc poisoning was a result of their denture cream. In the past, dental patients commonly reported disliking the smell, taste, and general messiness of denture creams. READ MORE::

Headline : Merck faked to promote drug
-DownToEarth
06/17/2009 - Pharma giant Merck has been accused of using unscrupulous methods, including publication of fake journals, to promote its anti-arthritis drug Vioxx.
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Moms and drugs: Dangers during and after pregnancy
Decision to medicate often difficult in pregnancy
-CalorieLab
06/16/2009 - Only a dozen prescription drugs (all related to pregnancy, such as those for epidurals and to induce labor) have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use during pregnancy, yet two-thirds of women take at least five different medications during the course of their pregnancy and labor.
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Dieters warned over weight loss pills
-TheIndependent
06/15/2009 - Dieters have been warned to stop taking the best-selling weight loss supplement, Hydroxycut, after it was linked to 23 cases of serious liver damage and one death.
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Recent study links Avandia and Actos to increased bone breaks
-Examiner - Knoxville
06/15/2009 - Be careful!Dr. Merri Pendergrass presented a study of bone fractures in close to 70,000 patients taking either rosiglitazone (Avandia) or pioglitazone (Actos) at the 2009 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions. Fracture risk appears to be increased by 40% for patients taking these medications.
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Medtronic Paid Surgeon While He Was in the Army
-TheNewYorkTimes
06/13/2009 - Medtronic has acknowledged that it paid a former Army surgeon, who is now accused of falsifying research about one of its products, to give speeches and train other doctors on the company’s behalf while he was in the military.
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More evidence links glitazones to broken bones
-WebMD
06/13/2009 - New Orleans, LA - The largest study to date looking at whether the risk of bone fractures is increased in the setting of thiazolidinedione drugs (TZDs) suggests that fracture risk is more than 40% higher in people taking TZDs and that both men and women are vulnerable.
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Just in: the psoriasis drug Raptiva has been banned in Europe
-Examiner
06/12/2009 - In a manner similar to the COX inhibitor Vioxx, Raptiva became the latest victim of the pharmaceutical industry world-wide due to the development of serious side-effects in patients. Raptiva was approved in the US in 2003 and in Europe reaping millions of dollars in sales world-wide before being pulled from the market due to the reports of a multitude of side-effects in patients.
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Botox must have stronger warnings, American regulator says
-Telegraph U.K.
06/11/2009 - Botox – the cosmetic wrinkle eliminating injection favoured by celebrities – must have stronger warnings on its packaging after serious side effects, the American drugs regulator has said.
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House Bill Would Create Artificial Joints Registry
-The New York Times
06/11/2009 - Two House Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday to create a national database of patients who received artificial hips and knees, a system already used in some other countries to track how patients fare, reduce unnecessary surgeries and weed out inferior products. READ MORE::

FDA Alerts Patients to Medtronic Pacemaker Recall
-FDA News
06/11/2009 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting patients to the Class I recall of certain Medtronic Kappa and Sigma pacemakers. These devices may fail due to a separation of wires that connect the electronic circuit to other pacemaker components, such as the battery. 
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What's behind drug causing tendon issues?
-Ask the Doctor : Peter Gott
-GoErie
06/09/2009 - Q I recently heard a statement on television made by an attorney with regard to Levaquin, causing tendon rupture and asking anyone who suffered with the problem to call a toll-free telephone number. What on earth is this all about?
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Docs say Avandia fears aren't laid to rest
-FiercePharma
06/09/2009 - Doctors aren't so sure that the Avandia-exonerating safety study is as conclusive as presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting. Some physicians are calling the study "flawed." In an editorial in the Lancet--where the research was published--two doctors wrote that the study's limitations prevent any "definitive conclusions" about Avandia's effects on cardiac safety.
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EU-wide Recall of Raptiva (efalizumab) to be Initiated
-PharmaLive
06/08/2009 - LONDON - The European Medicines Agency has agreed to an EU-wide recall of all of the remaining batches of Raptiva, from Merck Serono. This means that within the next few days all batches of Raptiva will be recalled from wholesalers, pharmacies and hospitals. Following this, the medicine will no longer be available anywhere in the European Union. READ MORE::

Zimmer’s hip takes a hit
Patients sue over cup; firm blames surgeon training
-TheJournalGazette
06/08/2009 - It’s been more than two years since Trudie Millerburg had hip replacement surgery, and she is still putting the pieces back together. Millerburg, 63, a retired clinical lab scientist, can’t stoop to dust the bottom of her cabinets. She can’t bend over to clear bugs off her car or garden. READ MORE::

A familiar story for hip replacement doctor
Zimmer Inc.’s Durom cup is a source of controversy.
-TheJournalGazette
06/08/2009 - When Dr. Lawrence Dorr noticed patients had problems with the Durom cup, a hip-socket implant, loosening last year, he didn’t wait to act. He felt a moral obligation, he said, especially considering what he’d been through about a decade before.
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Avandia Raises Risk of Heart Failure, Fractures
But study found diabetes drug didn't increase chances of heart disease, death
-HealthDay News
06/08/2009 - The diabetes drug Avandia significantly raises the risk of both heart failure and bone fractures, but it does not boost the odds for either cardiovascular disease or death, new research has found.
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FDA Monitoring More Than 20 Drugs For Potential Risks
-RedOrbit
06/06/2009 - The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday released a list of a variety of drugs that it is currently testing for possible safety issues. The list contains two-dozen different drugs, which vary from treatment of sleep disorder to weight-loss. Pfizer Inc’s Chantix, a drug aimed at helping people stop smoking, is among the drug varieties currently being monitored by the FDA. Regulators are seeking to determine whether or not the drug poses a possible risk of accidental injury or vision impairment to patients.
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The return of the dreaded 'Phossy Jaw'
-RDH Magazine
06/06/09 - During the early 19th century, it was discovered that adding yellow (now called white) phosphorous to matchstick heads made it easier to ignite matches. As a result, there was an enormous demand for these "strike-anywhere" matches.(1) During the industrial revolution, this new industry of matchmaking was profitable, and low wage workers spent 10 to 15 hours a day over large heated vats that contained yellow phosphorus.(2)
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Discredited Research Study Stuns an Ex-Army Doctor’s Colleagues
-The New York Times
06/06/2009 - Dr. Romney C. Andersen, a Walter Reed Army Medical Center surgeon, was surprised last summer when his neighbor, a fellow doctor, congratulated him on a new medical journal study bearing his name. Dr. Timothy R. Kuklo and copies of the signatures of other Army doctors on his study that authorities say he forged. “What study?” Dr. Andersen asked.
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Popular Weight Loss Drug Recalled: What You Need To Know About Hydroxycut
-Alternative Health Journal
06/05/2009 - An increasing number of weight loss drugs and supplements are being recalled due to their link to health problems. One that received a great deal of attention recently was Hydroxycut. Hydroxycut is marketed as a fat burner and considered to be a low cost diet aid. It was recalled by the FDA due to liver injuries resulting from the drug, some leading to death. Keep reading to find out more about the health dangers of Hydroxycut!
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Multiple Evenflo high chairs recalled:
High chairs' screws can loosen, fall out
-The Leaf-Chronicle
06/04/2009 - Evenflo Company is expanding its recall of Majestic High Chairs sold nationwide from January 2007 to March 2009. Plastic caps and metal screws on both sides of the high chair can loosen and fall out, allowing the seatback to suddenly fall back or detach from the high chair.
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Anti-clot drug combinations boost bleeding risks
-Reuters
06/03/2009 - CHICAGO - Heart patients are often given two or three different drugs to prevent life-threatening blood clots but these combinations can double, triple or even quadruple the risk of stomach or intestinal bleeding, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. READ MORE::

AS Medications Solution LLC. Announces a Nationwide Recall of All Lots of Digoxin Tablets 0.25mg Due to Size Variability
-FDA
06/02/2009 - A S Medication Solutions, LLC, a drug repackage company, announced today that all tablets of Caraco brand Digoxin, USP, 0.25 mg, distributed prior to March 31, 2009, which are not expired and are within the expiration date of August, 2011, are being voluntarily recalled to the consumer level.
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Super Poligrip Lawsuit Filed After Denture Wearers Suffered Zinc Poisoning
-AboutLawsuits
06/02/2009 - Earlier this month, a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on behalf of two couples who allege that severe and disabling injuries were caused by zinc poisoning from Super Poligrip denture adhesive cream.
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Hydroxycut hazard: The popular bodybuilding and weight-loss supplement has been linked to liver damage, but it's uncertain how many have suffered harm.
-ThePhiladelphiaInquirer
06/01/2009 - It was a case that might have puzzled TV's acerbic Dr. House. A 33-year-old woman with dark urine and yellowish skin complained of profound fatigue when she showed up at the emergency room at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Lab tests showed she had acute liver inflammation. Joseph Lim, a liver specialist at Yale, was on the case. He noted that the woman had been taking Hydroxycut supplements for weight loss for two weeks. Several reports in the medical literature had linked Hydroxycut (which is used for both bodybuilding and weight loss) to liver damage.
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Hydroxycut move shows limits of FDA
-TheCabin
05/29/2009 - The push to get Hydroxycut products off the market is the first test of legislation and federal regulations that have given the Food and Drug Administration some new regulatory powers over the herbal supplements industry. Those initiatives hold dietary supplement makers to specific manufacturing standards and require them to notify the FDA when they receive reports of serious adverse health effects suffered by consumers taking their products.
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Ennis & Ennis P.A. Announces Launch of New Hydroxycut Recall Website
-OpenPress
05/28/2009 - Ennis & Ennis P.A. announces the launch of a new website to assists users of Hydroxycut products due to the voluntary recall by the manufacturer, Lovate Health Sciences, Inc. This new Hydroxycut recall website will give consumers up-to-date news and legal developments related to the recall. Also Ennis & Ennis is announcing free legal consultations to consumers of Hydroxycut products to advise them of their legal rights.
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Two Hydroxycut Class Actions Filed: Suits follow recall of liver-damaging dietary supplement
-ConsumerAffairs
05/26/2009 - Two class action lawsuits have been filed in the wake of the recall of Hydroxycut, a popular weight-loss supplement that has been linked to liver damage and other life-threatening side effects.
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2 Cases of Achilles Tendinitis
-AdvanceWeb
05/26/2009 - PAs in family practice, emergency medicine and other specialties are likely to encounter quinolone-associated tendinitis and/or tendon rupture at some time, making it important to recognize the signs of and be aware of the risk factors for the condition.
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Reports of Brain Virus from Common Cancer Drug
-EmaxHealth
05/26/2009 - So far, 57 cases of an often fatal brain virus have been reported in association with administration of the cancer drug rituximab. The reports span 1997 to 2008, and include patients with anemia, rheumatoid arthritis and lymphoma, who developed the brain virus, progressive multifocal leukoencephalitis (PML).
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Medtronic Kappa and Sigma Series Pacemakers may have a defect which causes wire seperation and may lead to serious side effects for patients and may even result in death.
05/21/2009 -  Medtronic recently sent out a "Dear Doctor" letter which warned healthcare providers of defective Medtronic pacemakers. Specifically the "Dear Doctor" letter was warning of defective Medtronic Kappa Series and defective Medtronic Sigma Series pacemakers. According to the information that was sent out to healthcare providers the Kappa and Sigma pacemakers may fail due to seperation of wires that connect the electronic circuit to other components inside the pacemakers.
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Doctors call for better tracking of device wire problems
-MinnPost
05/15/2009 - A group of heart doctors is calling on Medtronic and other medical device companies to do a better job tracking defibrillator wire problems after they are on the market, the Wall Street Journal reports.
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Suit against GSK claims Avandia not worth the risks
-SoutheastTexasRecord
05/14/2009 - After taking Avandia for five years, Frank Casteel underwent heart bypass surgery in 2007. Now Casteel is suing the drug's manufacturer alleging that the drug is not worth the risks.
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Merck Paid for Medical ‘Journal’ Without Disclosure
-NewYorkTimes
05/14/2009 - Pharmaceutical companies routinely offer doctors reprints of articles from medical journals that are favorable to their products. But news of a Merck-sponsored publication for doctors in Australia, that has come to light in a personal injury lawsuit there over Vioxx, has raised eyebrows in international medical publishing.
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National class action certified against Guidant/Boston Scientific
-TradingMarkets
05/14/2009 - In a decision released May 8, 2009, Justice Cullity of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice certified a national class action against Guidant Corporation (subsequently purchased by Boston Scientific) on behalf of a class of 28, 443 individuals for claims relating to allegedly defective pacemakers. Litigation in the U.S. resulted in a settlement of $240 million in late 2007 on behalf of approximately 8,000 plaintiffs.
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Cerebral Palsy Botox treatments have new warnings
-Examiner
05/14/2009 - The Food & Drug Administration has released a new warning for the off-label use of Botox in spastic pediatric Cerebral Palsy patients. This is an update to the 2008 Early Communication regarding the drug. This new information will be added to the product label and patient information for future production of Botox A & B.
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Hydroxycut Recall: FDA Warns Against Weight-Loss Supplement
-About.com
05/13/2009 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning against the use of Hydroxycut, a weight-loss supplement linked to serious liver injuries. Hydroxycut's manufacturer has recalled 14 of its products, which are marketed as fat-burners, diet aids, and energy boosters.
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Examaning FDA Reports
-SportsIllustrated
05/13/2009 - In 2008, according to documents obtained by Sports Illustrated through a Freedom of Information Act request, the FDA received a variety of adverse health event reports from consumers using supplements.
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Patients injured by faulty medical devices want laws to hold manufacturers accountable
-Cleveland.com
05/13/2009 - Two summers ago, Bill Storms of Delaware, Ohio, says he got 138 electrical jolts over a five-hour period when the wires to his pacemaker went haywire. The 38-year-old truck driver had to visit several emergency rooms before the device could be turned off. READ MORE::

Hydroxycut Warning From FDA
-UKMedix
05/12/2009 - A warning has been put out by the Food & Drug Administration in America that people should not use a popular dietary supplement called Hydroxycut because of reports that it causes irreversible liver damage and even could be linked to the death of a nineteen year old boy.
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Hospital investigating whether Baxter's Heparin had role in death of 2 patients
-ChicagoTribune
05/12/2009 - Baxter International Inc. said medical care providers at a hospital in Delaware and U.S. health officials are investigating whether the deaths of two patients are linked to a brand of heparin blood thinner Baxter sells in intravenous bags.
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Hydroxycut Cut from Market
-EmpowHer
05/09/2009 - “Natural” does not mean safe. Billions of dollars are spent every year on supplements that do not have to be proven safe or effective. Hydroxycut has been added to the list of Herbalife and others to be dangerous and even deadly.
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Daily News: Baxter Heparin Use Suspended at Hospital
-Nurse.com
05/09/2009 - At least five adverse patient outcomes suspected to be associated with the use of pre-mixed bags of heparin from Baxter International Inc., prompted Beebe Medical Center, Lewes, Del., to suspend use of the products.
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Iovate Health Sciences U.S.A., Inc. Adds Hydroxycut-Branded Product Universal Product Codes to its Voluntary Nationwide Recall
-FDA Press Release
05/08/2009 -Iovate Health Sciences USA, Inc. of Blasdell, New York and Ontario, Canada announced today that it is adding Universal Product Codes (UPCs) with respect to the Hydroxycut-branded products sold in the United States and subject to the voluntary recall. These additions all involve additional packages and sizes of products previously referenced. READ MORE::

Elsevier published six ‘fake’ Australian medical journals on behalf of pharma companies
-Australian Life Scientist
05/08/2009 - AustraliaAcademic publisher Elsevier has admitted its Australian office produced six fake journals between 2000 and 2005. The Scientist revealed last week that pharma giant Merck paid Elsevier to produce a journal called the Australasian Journal of Bone and Joint Medicine which contained reprints or summaries of previously published articles, many with only one or two citations. READ MORE::

Unsafe and unregulated:
Hydroxycut recall shows the need for better controls on supplements
-HeraldTribune
05/08/2009 - The recall of Hydroxycut shows again why such products and their manufacturers' claims should be tested and verified by federal regulators before the supplements are marketed and sold.
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Heartburn drugs affect anti-clotting drugs
-UPI
05/07/2009 - The anti-clotting action of the medication clopidogrel -- Plavix -- can be compromised by common drugs for the treatment of heartburn, U.S. researchers said.
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Hydroxycut pulled after FDA warning
-Stars and Stripes
05/07/2009 - A sign tells shoppers that bottles of a new formula Hydroxycut weight reduction supplement is now ephedra-free. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service pulled the popular dietary supplement Hydroxycut from its shelves last weekend after government health officials urged dieters and bodybuilders to immediately stop using the product.
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Hydroxycut recalls products
-EveningObserver
05/06/2009 - As part of a manufacturer's recall, Tops Friendly Markets have removed from shelves several Hydroxycut products. The Food and Drug Administration is urging consumers to discontinue the use of Hydroxycut products as they have been associated with a number of serious liver injuries.
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Concerns Over Dietary Supplements Raised
-ScienceDaily
05/06/2009 - As the FDA warns consumers to stop using Hydroxycut products, a new editorial published in the May 2009 issue of The FASEB Journal shows that this FDA warning is not unique.
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US FDA Expresses Concern Over Safety of Botox-type Products: Botox-type drugs are attracting adverse notice from the US Food and Drugs Administration.
-MedIndia
05/05/2009 - A little after it approved Dysport, a rival to Botox, the agency said both drugs, along with a third called Myobloc, should carry black-box warnings to alert patients and doctors to serious safety risks.
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Hydroxycut Pulled From Shelves; FDA Warns Of Serious Liver Injuries, Heart Problems, & Death
-PNC
05/05/2009 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers nationwide to stop using Hydroxycut products and has issued a recall for 14 products under the name brand weight loss drug.
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FDA issued Hydroxycut product injury warning after liver injuries and one death.
-JusticeNewsFlash
05/05/2009 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) www.fda.gov issued a stop product use directive on May 1, 2009. All consumers are urged to stop using Hydroxycut health products which are sold and marketed to U.S. consumers as weight loss supplements. READ MORE::

Weight Loss Drug Recall: A popular weight loss drug has been recalled after users report major health problems. At least one person has died.
-CBS News
05/05/2009 - The popular weight loss drug Hydroxycut has been pulled from the shelves. Government health officials warn dieters using the supplement to stop after the FDA received 23 reports of liver problems including the death of a 19 year old male who used Hydroxycut. READ MORE::

Black Box Warning Required for All Botulinum Toxin Products by FDA
-Emaxhealth
05/04/2009 - The FDA has announced changes to the safety label on botulinum toxin due to reports that the effects of the toxin may spread from the area of injection to other areas of the body causing serious adverse problems. This new label requirement is required on Botox and Botox Cosmetic (botulinum toxin type A); Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B); and a new FDA-approved product, Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA). READ MORE::

Iovate Health Sciences U.S.A., Inc. Voluntarily Recalls Hydroxycut-Branded Products
-FDA
05/04/2009 - Iovate Health Sciences USA, Inc. of Blasdell, New York and Ontario, Canada announced today that it is voluntarily recalling Hydroxycut branded products sold in the United States.
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Maytag needs to ponder slow recalls
-Winnipeg Free Press
05/04/2009 - Recalls have become an all-too-common experience for consumers. The latest recall of Maytag refrigerators adds to the growing list. The recall involves 1.6 million refrigerators sold by Maytag, 193,500 of them in Canada.
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Hydroxycut Products Being Recalled After Reports of Death
-SmartAboutHealth
05/04/2009 - A dietary supplement called Hydroxycut is being recalled because it has been linked to liver damage and death in people taking it. The drug is marketed as one comprised of all natural ingredients, but nevertheless it is causing major health problems for people. READ MORE::

Faulty Cable Affects Thousands Of Heart Patients
-KGTV
05/02/2009 - SAN DIEGO -- A heart device that has been pulled off the market can still be found inside the bodies of thousands of people, including at least one San Diegan.
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10 Utahns, 2 others sue pharmaceutical company
-Deseret News
05/02/2009 - Ten Utahns and two people from Oregon filed federal lawsuits Thursday against the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline PLC alleging that the company was negligent in researching the drug Avandia, which caused them (or a spouse) to have heart attacks and subsequent health problems.
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F.D.A. Orders Warning Label for Botox
-TheNewYorkTimes
05/02/2009 - Botox and other similar antiwrinkle drugs must now carry the most stringent kind of warning label, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.
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Botox Must Warn of Muscle Weakness as U.S. Market Expands
-Bloomberg
05/02/2009 - Allergan Inc. was ordered by U.S. regulators to strengthen precautions on its wrinkle smoother Botox, hours after the first major competition to the treatment was approved for sale.
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Allergan to Resolve Botox Safety Labels Article
-TheWallStreetJournal
05/02/2009 - NEW YORK -- Allergan Inc., which reported a 64% slump in first-quarter profit Friday, said it will work with the Food and Drug Administration to appropriately update labeling for its Botox and Botox cosmetic products.
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Hydroxycut Diet Aids Recalled After Warning
-TheNewYorkTimes
05/02/2009 - Federal drug regulators warned consumers Friday to stop using the popular Hydroxycut line of weight-loss products, citing reports of a death due to liver failure and other instances of serious health problems.
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Hydroxycut products recalled after one death: FDA
-Reuters
05/02/2009 - The maker of the widely sold Hydroxycut weight-loss supplements is recalling 14 products after reports of liver damage and one death, U.S. health officials said on Friday. READ MORE::

FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Taking Hydroxycut Products
-The Wall Street Journal
05/02/2009 - WASHINGTON -- Consumers should "immediately stop" using Hydroxycut weight-loss products amid concerns they may cause jaundice and liver failure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
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FDA warns consumers to stop using Hydroxycut dietary supplements
-LA Times
05/02/2009 - Consumers using Hydroxycut products should immediately stop taking the dietary supplements, the Food and Drug Administration warned today after receiving reports of serious health problems related to the drugs.
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Wyeth Supreme Court Loss Breaks Drug Lawsuit Logjam
-Bloomberg
04/30/2009 - Just two months after the U.S. Supreme Court decided patients can sue drugmakers over injuries from medicines approved by the government, long-stalled lawsuits against GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. are again moving toward trials. READ MORE::

Doctors and Nurses, Still Learning
-TheNewYorkTimes
04/29/2009 - My patient was a young woman struggling with aggressive lymphoma who needed around-the-clock pain control. Because of her youth, and the hope that she might be cured, the attending physician was thinking of her future. He worried a patient-controlled analgesia pump could lead to a psychological dependence on narcotics.
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97 plaintiffs take aim at Digitek in St. Clair County
-MadisonCountyRecord
04/28/2009 - Actavis and Mylan Pharmaceuticals are being sued by 97 people in St. Clair County Circuit Court who claim they took a prescription drug for their heart problems that contained twice the approved level of its active ingredient.
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Psoriasis Drug Raptiva Pulled From U.S. Market
-Forbes
04/27/2009 - The troubled psoriasis drug Raptiva is being withdrawn from the U.S. market, California-based drug maker Genentech ( DNA - news - people ) announced Wednesday. The move comes almost two months after U.S. health officials issued a public health advisory on the drug after confirming a link to a rare, sometimes fatal brain infection.
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"I had an Allergic Reaction Immediately after the MRI Gadolinium Injection"
-LawyersandSettlements
04/25/2009 - Jason says he has been having complications from a gadolinium based-contrast agent he was injected with during an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). "I had an allergic reaction immediately after the gadolinium injection," says Jason. "Nobody told me beforehand about the risk factors, or even what it was." Jason found out later that gadolinium exposure is linked to nephrogenic systemic fibrosis / nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NSF/NFD).
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Denture creams are focus of lawsuits
-FayObserver
04/25/2009 - Q: I saw a lawyer advertising on TV about denture cream being a health hazard. What’s the story with this? A: Lots of potential lawsuits are brewing following a report last year that prolonged overuse of denture adhesives could lead to serious neurological problems. READ MORE::

FDA Cites Two Chinese Heparin Makers
-Wall Street Journal
04/18/2009 - WASHINGTON -- Two Chinese-based firms shipped contaminated heparin to the U.S. between 2007 and 2008 and one company lied to federal health regulators about their role in the matter, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
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Bayer Settles Suits Over Imaging Dye Tied to Disease
-Bloomberg
04/17/2009 - Bayer AG, Germany’s largest drugmaker, has started settling lawsuits over its Magnevist contrast agent used in diagnostic imaging tests. The company began negotiations in about 40 cases linking the product to a disease that hardens organs, Peter Burg, an attorney with Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh Jardine PC in Englewood, Colorado, said today. READ MORE::

Truck Catches Fire in Brooklyn Center Driveway
-FOX News
04/17/2009 - A mother and son had a very close call, as just moments after parking their pick-up truck in their driveway, it burst into flames. This happened on Lakeshore Drive this afternoon. Leslie Liner had just used her boyfriend’s Ford F-150 to pick up her daughter from school. After going in the house, a door-to-door salesman came and told her the truck was on fire. It was his first day on the job in the neighborhood.
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Faulty truck part could be cause of local garage fire: Cruise control switch blamed
-Press Publications
04/17/2009 - A possible default on a Ford truck caused a fire at a Lino Lakes home, according to an insurance company. Richard Rodriquez and his family were spending a quiet night at their home on Lindell Lane late last month when the doorbell rang. When he answered the door, his neighbor told him his house was on fire.
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Arrow International Announces Worldwide Voluntary Recall Of Intra Aortic Balloon Pump (IAB) Catheters|
-Medical News Today
04/16/2009 - Teleflex Medical announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified the voluntary medical device recall initiated on February 2, 2009 by Arrow International's Cardiac Care Division involving volume connectors for its 30cc, 40cc and 50cc Intra Aortic Balloon Pump (IAB) Catheters as a Class 1 recall.
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Hip replacement manufacturer sued in St. Clair County
-MadisonCountyRecord
04/15/2009 - Forty-two people from across the United States are suing a hip replacement manufacturer over injuries they say they sustained after an alleged defective device was placed into their bodies.
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Low blood sugar a dementia risk for diabetics
-The Malaysian Insider.
04/14/2009 - Older diabetics whose blood sugar drops to dangerously low levels have a higher risk of developing dementia, US researchers said today. The study by researchers at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California, suggests that aggressive blood sugar control resulting in blood sugar so low it requires a trip to the hospital may increase dementia risks in older adults with type 2 diabetes.
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Certain Diabetes Drugs May Pose Eye Risk
-Forbes
04/13/2009 - A class of diabetes drugs called glitazones are associated with an increased risk of a vision-threatening complication called diabetic macular edema (DME), which features swelling and fluid accumulation in the retina.
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Genentech Removing Raptiva From U.S. Market: Announcement Follows Reports of Three Deaths Associated With Use of Psoriasis Drug
-AAFP
04/11/2009 - Drug manufacturer Genentech has announced that it is voluntarily withdrawing its psoriasis drug efalizumab, which is marketed as Raptiva, because of life-threatening infections associated with use of the medication.
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FDA Statement on the Voluntary Withdrawal of Raptiva From the U.S. Market
-FDA
04/08/2009 - Today, Genentech, the manufacturer of the psoriasis drug Raptiva (efalizumab), announced that it has begun a voluntary, phased withdrawal of the product from the U.S. market. The company is taking this action because of a potential risk to patients of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare, serious, progressive neurologic disease caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system.
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Doctors warn of jaw damage from bone drugs
-TheNewsTribune
04/07/2009 - After Geneva Grimpo fell and broke her hand and her arm, doctors put the tiny, fragile-looking woman on drugs to strengthen her bones. Three years into her drug therapy, trouble began.
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Removing Medtronic Heart Cables Is Hard Choice
-TheNewYorkTimes
04/07/2009 - BOSTON — Pulling a medical device off the market is one thing. Removing it from the bodies of thousands of patients is a lot more complicated and dangerous. Consider the Sprint Fidelis, a heart defibrillator cable. In 2007 its maker, Medtronic, stopped selling it after five patients who had the cables died.
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Bill would empower Michigan patients to sue drug manufacturers
-TheGrandRapidsPress
04/06/2009 - Kathy Roaleen, 59, of Rockford, suffered life-changing side effects after taking tablets that might have contained higher dosages of morphine than prescribed. The drug maker later recalled the medicine. Lawyers told Roaleen she cannot sue.
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FDA Warns Drug Firms Over Internet Ads Article
-WSJ
04/06/2009 - WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration warned 14 major pharmaceutical companies about brief Internet ads that accompany searches on Google and other search engines, saying the ads were misleading because they didn't include risk information.
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Fall Danger Prompts High
-FOX News
04/05/2009 - A voluntary recall of almost 733,000 Evenflo high chairs was announced Thursday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recall involves all 643,000 Evenflo Envision high chairs as well as some 90,000 Majestic high chairs (95,000 of which were the focus of a recall in December).
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Injuries Prompt Evenflo High Chair Recall: Evenflo Recalls About 733,000 Envision and Majestic High Chairs Because of Fall Risk, Choking Hazard
-WebMD
04/03/2009 - About 733,000 Evenflo high chairs are being recalled because of fall risk, choking hazard, and reports of injured children. The recall includes all Evenflo Envision high chairs and also certain models of Evenflo Majestic high chairs.
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Diabetes drug class linked to vision-threatening complication
-EurekAlert
04/02/2009 - Treatment with the glitazone class of diabetes drugs leads to a "modest" increase in the risk of diabetic macular edema (DME)—a common complication that can lead to vision loss, reports a study in the April issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ajo), published by Elsevier.
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Data Support Gadolinium-NSF Link
-Renal and Urology News
04/02/2009 - Meta-analysis reveals a strong association between contrast agents and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. Evidence suggests a potentially causal link between gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with advanced kidney disease, according to researchers.
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Patients head to D.C. to lobby for right to sue Medtronic
-Minnesota Independent
04/01/2009 - Diana Levine sees a double-standard in the law. As her own case proves, people can sue when they are harmed by pharmaceuticals, but individuals hurt by defective medical devices cannot. She appears in a new video that targets Twin Cities-based defibrillator manufacturer Medtronic to support passage of the Medical Device Safety Act, which would effectively overturn the 2008 Supreme Court ruling in Riegel v. Medtronic that prevents patients receiving faulty devices from suing.
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Caraco Recalls Generic Pills Over Irregular Sizes
-Bloomberg
04/01/2009 - Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd. recalled generic heart tablets that may contain the wrong amount of medicine, sending the drugmaker down the most in four months in New York trading.
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Boston Scientific Stents Less Effective Than Rivals
-Bloomberg
03/30/2009 - Heart stents made by Boston Scientific Corp., the world’s biggest seller of the artery- clearing devices, were less effective in studies than those from Abbott Laboratories, Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic Inc.
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"My Brother Died from Fentanyl"
-LawyersandSettlements
03/27/2009 - Richmond, RI: "My brother was prescribed fentanyl patches for severe back pain and throat cancer," says Michael. "He was on conventional opiates for a long time but he was prescribed the fentanyl patches on July 10, 2007. The next day my mother found him dead." READ MORE::

Digitek suit claims too much medication in pills
-SoutheastTexasRecord
03/19/2009 - Another Jefferson County citizen has filed suit against Mylan Pharmaceuticals, claiming he suffered physical pain after he took the prescription drug Digitek, which allegedly contained twice the approved level of its active ingredient.
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Lawsuit claims pain med overdose killed wife
-TheTennessean
03/18/2009 - A Nashville man says too much pain medicine killed his wife after she had a hysterectomy. David Cohen filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Circuit Court against the New Jersey-based drug manufacturer Actavis Inc., alleging that the medication came from a defective prescription patch. He is seeking $20 million in damages.
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"I almost Died from Fentanyl"
-LawyersandSettlements
03/18/2009 - Munroe, NY: "I almost died from fentanyl in the Duragesic patch," says Vito. "Six patches in a box is like playing Russian Roulette—the third patch I wore definitely leaked and left me comatose."
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Avandia Causing Havoc For Patients
-LawyersandSettlements
03/18/2009 - Centerview, MO: As more lawsuits are filed against the maker of Avandia alleging the drug caused irreparable harm to patients, more patients are wondering if they too have suffered an Avandia heart attack or other Avandia side effects. Meanwhile, public interest groups are encouraging patients to avoid the drug and return to older medications that do not have as many complications.
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Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis Settlements Being Negotiated on Bayer Magnevist Lawsuits
-AboutLawsuits
03/16/2009 - According to U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, Bayer Healthcare has initiated settlement negotiations with a number of plaintiffs who have filed Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis lawsuits after receiving the gadolinium-based Magnevist MRI contrast agent.
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Fire department warns of defective refrigerators
-WindsorStar
03/14/2009 - Certain models of refrigerators pose a serious fire hazard and are subject to an international consumer recall, the Windsor fire department warns.
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Medtronic Says Broken Heart Wires Tied to 13 Deaths
-Bloomberg
03/14/2009 - Medtronic Inc. said fractures of wires in its cardiac defibrillators “may have been a possible or likely contributing factor” in 13 deaths, more than double the number initially suspected.
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True Stories: Serious complications of drugs for osteoporosis
-Recorderonline
03/14/2009 - Bones are formed, molded and absorbed continuously. Bone cells, called osteoblasts, are responsible for the new bone formation and cells known as osteoclasts absorb the bone. Osteoclast activity leads to thinning of the bones (osteoporosis), which results in fractures eventually. Around 60 years, the new bone formation slows down, osteoclast activity increases and bone thinning accelerates.
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Baxter Infusion Pump Recall: Pump Failure Could Result in Death
-AboutLawsuits
03/13/2009 - Baxter Colleague Infusion pumps, which are widely used at hospitals throughout the United States to deliver IV fluids and medicine, have been recalled by the FDA because the devices could delay or interrupt the infusion of fluids, potentially resulting in serious personal injury or death.
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And the Drug Companies and FDA Try to Kill Us Again in the name of Profits.
-Motley Fool
03/13/2009 - Leave it to the FDA to wait until the last minute to finally sound the alarm a drug with deadly side effects. By now, I'm sure you've heard that Genetech's psoriasis drug Raptiva not only might cause a brain infection, but it could even kill you. That's a heck of a risk to be taking to clear up your skin.
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Baxter's Colleague infusion pump under FDA's most serious recall
-ChicagoTribune
03/13/2009 - Baxter International Inc. disclosed Wednesday that the latest flaw it identified with its frequently problem-plagued Colleague infusion pump has been classified by the Food and Drug Administration as a "Class 1 recall," the regulatory agency's most serious recall designation.
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Accutane Risks
-InjuryBoard
03/13/2009 - Do you take Accutane to treat severe acne? If you do, hopefully your doctor has already warned you about all of the possible risks. If you are thinking about using Accutane, then there are some serious side effects that you need to be aware of.
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Recall Issued on Baxter Electronic Infusion Pumps
-Medscape
03/12/2009 - A class 1 recall has been issued on Baxter Healthcare Corp Colleague Single and Triple Channel Volumetric Infusion Pumps manufactured and distributed between February 1997 and December 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says. READ MORE::

Info about the Maytag recall
-Newsday
03/11/2009 - Here are the details of the refrigerator recall announced by the Maytag Corp. and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. It includes certain Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand side by side and top freezer refrigerators.
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Maytag Recalls About 1.6 Million Refrigerators Due To Fire Hazard
-CNN
03/11/2009 - Maytag Corp. and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Tuesday announced a voluntary recall of about 1.6 million refrigerators because of a fire hazard.
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Drug-eluting stents: Heart attack risk?
-WWLP
03/10/2009 - In recent years, there has been some concern about the use of some types of popular medical devices called stents. Stents are used to keep arteries open after a procedure called angioplasty. More than 2 million people receive stents each year, including a million Americans.
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Man Almost Overdosed on Fentanyl
-LawyersandSettlements
03/09/2009 - Payette, ID: After dealing with 10 major surgeries over 21 years, Roger has gained a lot of knowledge and experience regarding pain medications, pain management and pain clinics. He studies every medication before taking it, but fentanyl, by way of the Duragesic patch, was in a class all by itself.
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Review of Heart Side Effects for Diabetes Drugs Lead to Delay for Proposed Takeda Medication
-AboutLawsuits
03/09/2009 - Following the discovery of heart problems with Avandia and other diabetes drugs, the FDA is requiring that drug makers establish that proposed diabetes medications do not increase the risk of cardiovascular side effects, even if the New Drug Application was filed before the new guidance was issued in December 2008.
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Kugel Mesh Patch "Not Doing Its Job"
-LawyersandSettlements
03/06/2009 - Orlando, FL: Barbara F. is waiting to have the Kugel Mesh Patch taken out of her abdomen. Ever since she had hernia repair surgery, she has had problems with the hernia patch. She says her doctor has now decided that the patch needs to come out, but he is concerned that the Kugel Mesh has caused internal problems.
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Skin Patch Burns May Occur During MRI Scans Warns FDA
-AboutLawsuits
03/06/2009 - The FDA has issued a Public Health Advisory about the risk of burns from medicated skin patch drugs during MRI scans, as some of these medications may contain aluminum or other metal that could overheat, causing a potentially serious skin burn around the patch.
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Digitek plaintiffs face thorough fact sheets
-TheWestVirginaRecord
03/06/2009 - CHARLESTON - Individuals who sued manufacturers of heart medicine Digitek will feel more like patients than plaintiffs when they fill out fact sheets for a federal judge. READ MORE::

Patients' lawyers in Medtronic cases want new judge
-StarTribune
03/05/2009- Plaintiffs' lawyers in a set of lawsuits against Medtronic Inc. have asked for the recusal of U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle, who recently threw out hundreds of suits over a heart device manufactured by the Fridley-based firm.
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Osteoporosis Drugs Linked to Rotting Jaw Disease
-NaturalNews
03/05/2009- Widely used osteoporosis drugs can significantly increase the risk of bone death in the jaw, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Dentistry and published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
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Is the Duragesic transdermal patch recall worrisome? How about the possibility of an ultra hazardous mini-pain pump malfunction?
-InjuryBoard
03/05/2009 - Due to a Duragesic transdermal patch fold over defect, ALZA Corporation has been in the news lately. A recent FDA recall involved several lots of Duragesic with an expiration date in December 2009. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) acquired ALZA in 2001 for $10.5 billion. Another J&J subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceutica (1961) distributes Duragesic. READ MORE::

No Legal Shield in Drug Labeling, Justices Rule
-TheNewYorkTimes
03/05/2009- WASHINGTON — In a major setback for business groups that had hoped to build a barrier against injury lawsuits seeking billions of dollars, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said state juries may award damages for harm from unsafe drugs even though their manufacturers had satisfied federal regulators.
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Patients can sue drug companies, Supreme Court rules
-ChicagoTribune
03/04/2009- Patients have the right to sue drug companies when they believe they’ve been harmed by their products, the Supreme Court ruled today in a 6-3 decision. The much-watched case is a significant defeat for the drug industry and could open to door to thousands of lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies.
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KV Pharmaceutical Agrees to Improve Drug-Making
-Bloomberg
03/04/2009- KV Pharmaceutical Co., a St. Louis drugmaker, agreed to improve its manufacturing processes to resolve a U.S. Food and Drug Administration lawsuit filed in the wake of a shutdown of the company’s production.
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Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Expand Massive Drug Recall: KV Pharmaceutical Faces Class-action Lawsuits, SEC Inquiry
-AAFP
03/04/2009- KV Pharmaceutical Co. and its subsidiaries have expanded a recall initiated late last year to include a total of more than 90 drug products. The products were recalled for failing to comply with current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations established by the FDA.
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Raptiva Side Effects Include Meningitis
-LawyersandSettlements
03/03/2009- Springfield, IL: Kristina says she took only one dose of Raptiva before being rushed to the emergency room 24 hours later. "They suspected meningitis," says Kristina, "then one of the doctors at the hospital did some research and told me there were 2 other reported cases of meningitis associated with Raptiva."
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Various Infuse Bone Graft Lawsuits Filed against Medtronic Inc.
-TransWorldNews
03/03/2009- Medtronic Inc, one of the world’s largest medical technology companies, has recently been targeted in various lawsuits related to its Infuse Bone Graft, a medical device designed to stimulate bone growth.
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Local doctors urge caution with psoriasis drug Raptiva
-Newsday
02/25/2009- Some Long Island doctors are urging caution about a potent psoriasis drug linked to a deadly brain infection, as a report in a major medical journal today encourages more conservative prescribing for all medications. Raptiva, a drug that erases the red and scaly patches of psoriasis by tamping down the immune system, is the subject of a public health alert issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the wake of three deaths and a possible fourth.
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First Levaquin Tendon Tear Lawsuit Scheduled For Trial August 2010
-AboutLawsuits
02/24/2009- U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim, who is overseeing all federal lawsuits alleging tendon ruptures from Levaquin, has issued a pretrial order which identifies 15 cases that will begin case-specific discovery and sets out a discovery schedule where the first trial should begin on or about August 2, 2010.
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ETHEX Drug Overdose "Like Going to Hell and Back Again"
-LawyersandSettlements
02/24/2009- York, SC: Sandi I. is just one of many patients who say they suffered from a mix-up that led to an ETHEX drug overdose. Sandi was taking morphine, one of the drugs named in the recent ETHEX drug recall. Although Sandi survived her ordeal, she says she spent months with serious problems and wouldn't wish that experience on anyone.
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Study Finds More Failure of Heart Device
-NewYorkTimes
02/24/2009- A widely used heart device recalled two years ago by Medtronic may be failing in patients at a rate significantly higher than previously known, a new report by two prominent cardiac specialists indicated.
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Jaw problems linked to medication
-The Columbus Dispatch
02/23/2009- KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After Geneva Grimpo fell and broke her hand and arm, doctors put the tiny, fragile woman on drugs to strengthen her bones. Three years into her drug therapy, trouble began. Her lower jawbone poked out through sores on the left side of her mouth where her gums had decayed. The visible bone was dead, and she used her fingers to fish out tiny bits as they broke off.
READ MORE::

Psoriasis drug may be linked to fatal infection
- Seattle Times
02/23/2009- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned U.S. patients last week that it is investigating the possibility of a link between the psoriasis drug marketed as Raptiva, or efalizumab, and at least three deaths caused by a rare brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. The agency is looking into a fourth, unconfirmed, report of the deadly infection in a patient taking Raptiva.
READ MORE::

Psoriasis Drug Raptiva Tied to PML Deaths
-eFluxMedia
02/21/2009- The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said Genentech’s psoriasis drug Raptiva has been linked to three deaths from progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy or PML, a condition known as a side effect of the drug.
READ MORE::

Raptiva Sales Suspension Recommended in Europe After Reports of Brain Infections
-NewsInferno
02/20/2009- On the same day U.S. regulators warned that the psoriasis drug Raptiva had been linked to three fatal case of a rare brain infection, their counterparts in the European Union have recommended sales of the drug be suspended. In a statement, advisers to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) said that in light of the deaths, Raptiva’s benefits do not outweigh its risks.
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FDA: Psoriasis drug may be linked to 3 deaths
-LA Times
02/20/2009- The Food and Drug Administration today warned American patients that it is investigating the possibility of a link between the psoriasis drug marketed as Raptiva (efalizumab) and at least three deaths caused by a rare brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. The agency is looking into a fourth, as yet unconfirmed report of the deadly infection in a patient taking Raptiva.
READ MORE::

Genentech’s Raptiva Faces EU Suspension on Infections
-Bloomberg
02/19/2009- European regulators recommended suspending sales of Genentech Inc.’s psoriasis treatment Raptiva after the drug was linked to four cases of a deadly brain infection. READ MORE::

Judge Who Dismissed Hundreds of Medtronic Injury Cases Biased? Plaintiffs May Get New Life in Court
-Attorneyatlaw
02/14/2009- In a shocking twist to a landmark legal case, a Minnesota federal judge who recently dismissed the cases of hundreds of people allegedly injured by Medtronic Inc. heart-device wires has a son who is an attorney at a law firm which has represented the medical device maker in the past.
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A Fatal Step on Fentanyl Patch
-LawyersandSettlements
02/14/2009- Baton Rouge, LA: Lydia's daughter, Abbey, had muscular dystrophy and was on a host of pain medications. "Our doctors didn't feel comfortable giving Abbey so many different pills so about three years ago, they suggested the fentanyl patch," says Lydia. "Abbey took it for about a year before she passed away, just after the dosage was doubled." READ MORE::

Chantix Suicide: "Something Demanded I Do It"
-LawyersandSettlements
02/13/2009- Three Rivers, MI: When Melinda F. started reading other people's stories about Chantix side effects, she started to cry. That was because she had not realized that her use of Chantix may have caused her suicide attempt in November, 2007. Melinda says that she had never experienced anything like the depression she went through while taking Chantix.
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Avandia Health Problems "Frustrating"
-LawyersandSettlements
02/12/2009- Pine Mountain Valley, GA: Dave J. (not his real name) says he is not sure how long he took Avandia for, but he says he was definitely on the medication for a while. Since he took Avandia, Dave has had a number of medical problems, including at least one massive stroke. Following his medical problems, Dave has been unable to return to any of his jobs, which included being a high school teacher, an adjunct professor and a part-time deputy with the sheriff's office.
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Three local suits filed against Mylar over Digitek
-Southeast Texas Record
02/12/2009- Three Jefferson County residents have filed separate suits against Mylan Pharmaceuticals, alleging they suffered physical pain after they took the prescription drug Digitek, which they claim contained twice the approved level of its active ingredient.
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New Concerns Regarding Use Of Bisphosphonates
-EmaxHealth
02/10/2009- Bisphosphonates are a class of drug that slow bone resorption by reducing osteoclast function. Many studies have shown that this class of medication can improve bone density and reduce the risk of fracture in patients with a reduced bone density. They have been used commonly for more than a decade for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis, and are administered in two ways: orally and intravenously.
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Digitek Recall Lawsuits to be Coordinated Between Federal and State Court
-AboutLawsuits
02/10/2009- The Digitek recall lawsuits which are currently consolidated in an MDL before Judge Joseph Goodwin in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia will be coordinated with state court lawsuits pending in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia.
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Over 800 complaints on quit-smoking aid reported to Health Canada
-CBC
02/07/2009- A drug commonly used to help people quit smoking is the focus of more than 800 complaints from Canadian users, many of them reporting mood swings, depression or suicidal thoughts. Of the 818 complaints about Champix (varenicline tartrate) Health Canada has received complaints on its adverse reaction database, 520 involved psychiatric problems.
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ETHEX Corporation Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall Of Prescription Prenatal and Iron Supplements To Wholesale Level
-FDA MedWatch
02/04/2009- ETHEX Corporation, a subsidiary of KV Pharmaceutical Company is issuing a voluntary nationwide recall of the products identified below (all lots within their expiration dates) at a wholesale level. The Company is taking this action as a precautionary measure, because the products may have been manufactured under conditions that did not sufficiently comply with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP).
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ETHEX Corporation Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall: Previously Issued Recall to Wholesale Level On Certain Products Expanded to Retail Level
-FDA
02/04/2009- ETHEX Corporation, a subsidiary of KV Pharmaceutical Company (NYSE: KVa/KVb), is issuing a voluntary expansion to the retail level of a previously announced recall on certain products. The recall on the products listed below had previously been issued to the wholesale level, but is now being expanded to the retail level.
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"Extreme Pain" from Kugel Mesh Complications
-LawyersandSettlements
02/04/2009- Hardinsburg, KY: Tyler C. is a young man—far too young to be facing lifelong complications from the use of the Kugel Mesh Patch. Although he is only in his early 20s, Tyler has already had numerous surgeries to fix problems likely caused by his hernia patch. Unfortunately, Tyler faces still more surgeries, and he has no guarantee that those surgeries will fix his problems. READ MORE::

Drugs used to fight cancer and osteoporosis can create ‘dental cripples’
-The Kansas City Star
02/03/2009- Her problem is a growing concern for dentists nationwide. It is called osteonecrosis of the jaw, or ONJ, a condition in which the gums become painful and infected, exposing underlying areas of dead bone in the jaw. Dentists see ONJ in patients who take certain bone-strengthening drugs used to fight cancer or osteoporosis — drugs that include Fosamax, Boniva and Actonel, some of the most-prescribed medications on the market. READ MORE::

One Fentanyl Patch Almost Lethal Dose
-LawyersandSettlements
02/02/2009- Haliburton, ON: A few years ago Stuart suffered a back injury from a boating accident that caused two herniated discs and a great deal of pain. Stuart was taking a lot of painkillers and discovered he was allergic to many narcotics, including morphine.
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Fosamax Linked To Esophageal Cancer
-InjuryBoard
02/02/2009- Fosamax, a popular osteoporosis drug by Merck, and other similar drugs have been linked to some rare, but serious, side effects, including heart irregularity, osteonecrosis of the jaw and most recently esophageal Cancer.
READ MORE::

Oxycodone and Morphine Among Dozens of Drug Recalls
-AboutLawsuits
01/29/2009- Ethex Corp. and Ther-Rx Corp., two subsidiaries of KV Pharmaceuticals, have recalled an additional 35 types of drugs following a series of manufacturing problems which have allowed oversized pills to be distributed to consumers.
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Following Morphine Recall and Other Generic Drug Problems, KV Pharma Suspends All Shipments
-AboutLawsuits
01/28/2009- KV Pharmaceutical, the parent company of generic drug maker Ethex Corp., has announced that they are suspending manufacturing and shipping of all products. The action is being taken following a series of manufacturing problems over the past year, which has led to several recalls of Morphine Sulphate and other generic drugs which were sold with more of the active drug than they were supposed to contain.
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Nationwide recall of multiple ETHEX generic drug products due to manufacturing deficiencies
-FDA MedWatch
01/28/2009- FDA notified pharmacists and consumers that ETHEX Corporation has expanded two previous 2008 recalls to include over 60 generic drug products recalled to wholesalers, and two generic drug products, Hydromorphone HCl and Metoprolol Succinate, recalled to retailer level. These generic products may have been manufactured under conditions that did not sufficiently comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices.
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Spine Doctors Mandated to Disclose Financial Ties to Industry
-NewsInferno
01/27/2009- Some doctors will be required to disclose their financial ties to medical device companies as well as the dollar amounts associated with those relationships, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
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Will Fosamax Be the New Vioxx?
-medHeadlines
01/27/2009- 1999 was a good year for Merck. In its 64-page annual report it predicted arthritis medicine Vioxx–Our Biggest, Fastest and Best Launch Ever!–would prevent Alzheimer’s disease and colon cancer.
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"My Mother Died from a Fentanyl Overdose "
-LawyersandSettlements
01/26/2009- Olathe, KS: Melissa says that now she understands the effects of fentanyl, she believes her mother died from an overdose of this powerful opoid which was administered by way of the Duragesic patch.
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Plavix [Clopidogrel bisulfate] FDA safety review to evaluate differences in efffectiveness, genetic factors, potential drug interactions
-FDA MedWatch
01/26/2009- FDA notified healthcare professionals that the makers of Plavix have agreed to work with FDA to conduct studies to obtain additional information that will allow a better understanding and characterization of the effects of genetic factors and other drugs (especially the proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)) on the effectiveness of clopidogrel.
READ MORE::

Suit against drug maker claims woman died from too much morphine in tablets
-SoutheastTexasRecord
01/22/2009- The family of a Jefferson County woman has filed suit against drug manufacturer over allegations the woman's prescription contained a lethal amount of morphine because the tablets were too large.
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Study on osteoporosis drug and risk of heartbeat problems
-BMJ Group
01/21/2009- You may have read reports this week that women who take a medicine commonly used for osteoporosis face an increased risk of heart problems. But how big is the risk, and should you worry about it? We take a closer look at the evidence to find out.
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Heart risk of diabetes drugs
-BMJ Group
01/21/2009- Two medicines used to treat people with diabetes can increase the risk of serious side effects, new research has found. Rosiglitazone (brand name Avandia) and pioglitazone (Actos) are medicines for type 2 diabetes.
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Patients Concerned About Their Zimmer Hip Replacements
-LawyersandSettlements
01/18/2009- Livingston, TX: If you are worried about your Zimmer Hip replacement, you are not alone. Many patients who have had the Zimmer Hip prosthesis implanted are concerned that at any time, their hip will give out on them, leaving them unable to move.
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Patient "Totally Lost" Since Hernia Repair Surgery
-LawyersandSettlements
01/18/2009- McDonough, GA: Since she had a Kugel Mesh Patch implanted, Sarah H (not her real name) has suffered many complications. She believes that the Kugel Mesh hernia repair patch has caused a lot of her problems, but her doctors are still having trouble figuring out what exactly is going on with her.
READ MORE::

Patients Need To Be Aware of Medtronic Infuse Use In The Neck
-InjuryBoard
01/18/2009- Medtronic is facing more trouble over its Infuse Bone Graft. A Texas woman is reportedly preparing a lawsuit blaming off-label use of Infuse for injuries she suffered after cervical spine surgery. Mary Selke claims that bone formed in her neck and it made it difficult for her to breathe and swallow resulting in more surgery, this time of an emergency nature. READ MORE::

Serious Injuries Linked to Fosamax
-InjuryBoard
01/18/2009- Fosamax, the osteoporosis drug, has been linked with some rare, but serious, side effects, esophageal cancer and osteonecrosis of the jaw. Esophageal cancer is cancer of the esophagus and osteonecrosis of the jaw is a bone-killing infection.
READ MORE::

Gadolinium Can Make MRIs Hazardous to Your Health.
-LawyersandSettlements
01/14/2009- Cleveland, OH: Magnetic resonance imaging, known more commonly as an MRI, is one of the super tools of modern medicine. It provides doctors with a detailed picture of what’s going on deep inside a patient’s body. However, there is evidence to show that one of the chemical agents used to produce MRI can be extremely toxic to people with kidney disease.
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Glaxo EMails Show That Scientist Knew About Avandia
-InjuryBoard
01/14/2009-The Wall Street Journal reported on January 14 that internal emails from GlaxoSmithKline's scientists show that at the time that Glaxo was publically dismissing the notion that its diabetes drug, Avandia, posed an increased risk of heart attacks, its own scientists expressed concerns that Glaxo's own data was showing the same thing.
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Medtronic Infuse Bone Substitute Used Off-Label 17% of Time
-AboutLawsuits
01/13/2009- Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic have suggested that more than 1 in 6 surgeries in which the Medtronic Infuse bone substitute is implanted involve off-label use, for which the bone graft is not approved and which has been associated with an increased risk of serious and potentially life-threatening complications.
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FDA wants closer scrutiny of new diabetes drugs:
With type 2 diabetes already increasing heart risks, the FDA is seeking assurances that new drugs won't do further damage.
-AMNews
01/12/2008- Washington -- The Food and Drug Administration is asking the manufacturers of new drugs and biologics for type 2 diabetes to be more diligent in determining if their therapies pose cardiovascular risks.
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Walgreens Sends Urgent Drug Recall Information Letter Out to Ethex Morphine Sulfate Prescription Customers
-InjuryBoard
01/11/2009- Ethex Corporation has been recalling (four times in the past year to be exact) several of its prescription drug products, due to some of the tablets being oversized (upwards of twice the appropriate level of the active ingredient).
READ MORE::

Arthritis Patients Should Be Aware of Complication Tied to Bisphosphonate Use
-About.com
01/11/2009- It's not uncommon for arthritis patients to be prescribed one of the bisphosphonates. Fosamax (alendronate), Boniva (ibandronate), Actonel (risedronate), Aredia (pamidronate), and Reclast (zoledronic acid) are among the bisphosphonates -- a class of drugs prescribed to treat bone conditions such as osteoporosis and Paget's disease of bone.
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Osteoporosis drug Fosamax linked to serious diseases: Studies suggest the drug could raise the risk of cancer of the esophagus and a bone-killing infection in rare cases.
-LA Times
01/10/2009- Two recent reports have linked the osteoporosis drug alendronate (Fosamax) with rare but serious side effects. In a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine published Jan. 1, a Food and Drug Administration official reported that since Fosamax was first marketed in 1995, 23 cases of esophageal cancer in patients taking the drug -- including eight deaths -- have been reported to the agency.
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Warning on acne drug
-TaranakiDailyNews
01/09/2009- A Taranaki woman says a powerful acne drug made her sick, depressed and suicidal, and she is calling for stronger warnings about the horrific side-effects.
READ MORE::

Bone strengthening pills linked to jaw bone damage
-Reuters
01/09/2009- It has been known for a while that injections of a class of anti-osteoporosis drugs might trigger jaw bone decay after certain dental procedures, and now it seems that pill forms of the so-called bisphosphonate medications could have the same side effect.
READ MORE::

Alert for Duragesic, Other Fentanyl Pain Patches Issued by Health Canada
-NewsInferno
01/09/2009- Health Canada has announced that the makers of Fentanyl Transdermal System patches are changing dosage guidelines in order to reduce the risk of fentanyl overdoses. READ MORE::

Canada to strengthen warning on anti-smoking drug Champix
-GlobeLifeHealth
01/09/2009- A medication highly touted for its ability to help people quit smoking can pose serious health risks - including suicidal tendencies and other psychiatric problems - to those taking it, Health Canada warned yesterday in an announcement that it will be creating a stronger warning label for the drug.
READ MORE::

Death following bilateral complete Achilles tendon rupture in a patient on fluoroquinolone therapy: a case report
-7thSpace
01/07/2009- IntroductionRisk of tendon rupture, especially of the Achilles tendon, is one of the many potential side-effects of fluoroquinolone therapy. Achilles-tendon rupture may be painful, debilitating or, as seen in our patient, devastating.
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Medtronic Infuse Bone Graft to be Named in Another Lawsuit
-NewsInferno
01/07/2009- Medtronic could be facing more trouble over its Infuse Bone Graft product. According to a report on the website “Finance and Commerce”, a Texas woman is preparing to file a lawsuit that blames off-label use of Infuse for injuries she suffered after cervical spine surgery.
READ MORE::

Osteoporosis Drug Fosamax Linked to Two Serious Side Effects
-HealthNews
01/06/2009- Use of bisphosphonates has been associated with unusual bone fractures, severe bone, joint and muscle pain and an increased risk of atrial fibriliation (AF), a type of abnormal heart rhythm. Now, researchers have discovered that two other serious side effects associated with bisphosphonates may be more frequent than previously suggested: osteonecrosis of the jaw and esophogeal tumors.
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Cipro, Levaquin Still Popular Despite Tendon Risks
-NewsInferno
01/06/2009- Despite the fact that Cipro, Levaquin and other antibiotics called fluoroquinolones have been linked to serious tendon damage - including ruptures of the Achilles heel - not many patients are aware of the risk. According to an article in The Atlanta Constitution-Journal, drugs like Cipro and Levaquin are still being over-prescribed at an alarming rate in spite of this danger.
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Esophageal Cancer Risk Heightened with Osteoporosis Drugs
-TopNews
01/05/2009- A Food and Drug Administration official said Merck's popular osteoporosis drug Fosamax and other similar bisphosphonates could carry a risk for esophageal cancer and may have been related to at least 50 such cases since 1995.
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Osteoporosis Drug Fosamax May Raise the Risk for Jaw Infection
-eFlux
01/05/2009- The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday warned that Merck’s popular osteoporosis drug Fosamax and other similar drugs might increase the risk of developing a jaw infection. The disease is known as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and is characterized by pain, soft-tissue swelling, infection, loose teeth and exposed bone.
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Actavis Agrees to Keep Digitek Manufacturing Plant Closed
-AboutLawsuits
01/05/2009- Actavis, Inc. and the FDA agreed last week on a Consent Decree of Permanent Injunction, preventing the drug maker from distributing any products from their Actavis Totowa facility in New Jersey. This follows a series of manufacturing problems at the plant, including quality control problems which allowed oversized tablets of Digitek to be commercially released, resulting in hundreds of deaths and serious injuries.
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Some antibiotics overprescribed, effects not widely known
-ajc
01/05/2009- When Dr. J.T. Cooper hobbles around his Marietta medical office, the boot brace on his right foot is a reminder of a danger posed by some of the most popular — and misprescribed — antibiotics on the market. Like thousands of others who have taken Levaquin, Cipro and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cooper suffered a near-rupture of his Achilles tendon. Tendon side effects have been reported for at least 20 years, but drug makers only began sending letters to doctors warning them of the problem in recent months. READ MORE::

PriCara recalls pain patches
-HaysPharma
01/04/2009- PriCara has recalled two batches of Duragesic pain-relief patches in the US after it was suspected that the gel contained in them may leak. Lots of 50 of the 50mcg/hr patches, one sold by PriCara and the other by Sandoz, are being recalled with the cooperation of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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Hernia Repair Patch Caused Patient's Death
-LawyersandSettlements
01/04/2009- Hawthorne, CA: Venus Y's mother died as a result of complications from a hernia repair. The symptoms Venus' mother, Doris, suffered before she passed away are eerily similar to those suffered by other patients who have complained about problems with their Kugel Mesh Patch.
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Osteoporosis Drugs Cause Dental Disaster: Loose Teeth and Exposed Jaw Bones
- NaturalNews
01/03/2009- Want to watch your teeth fall out and have your jaw bone exposed inside your mouth? Just take osteoporosis drugs! That's the conclusion of dentists who are seeing an alarming increase of patients experiencing severe dental problems following their use of prescription osteoporosis drugs called biphosphonates (such as Fosamax).
READ MORE::

Fosamax Jaw Necrosis Risk Identified in New Study
-AboutLawsuits
01/02/2009- According to new research from the University of Southern California, School of Dentistry, Fosamax side effects have been linked with the development of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), a debilitating condition where the jaw bone deteriorates and decays.
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Report Links Osteoporosis Drug to Esophagus Cancer
Fosamax May Be Tied to 23 Cases of Esophageal Cancer, Report Says
-ABC News
01/01/2009- There could be some worrying news for the tens of millions of Americans currently taking Fosamax. A brief report from the FDA says that the osteoporosis drug Fosamax may be linked to 23 cases of esophageal cancer.
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Jaw disease alert for women taking popular osteoporosis pills
-Mailonline
01/01/2009- Alert: The osteoporosis drug Fosamax may raise the risk of jaw disease. Women taking tablets to protect their bones from osteoporosis could be at risk of serious jaw damage, claim researchers.
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Study Links Osteoporosis Drugs to Jaw Trouble
Condition marked by pain, swelling, loose teeth and exposed bone
-HealthDay
01/01/2009- The proportion of people taking widely prescribed oral osteoporosis drugs who develop a nasty jaw condition may be much higher than previously thought, a new study suggests.
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Johnson & Johnson recalls pain patches
-APP
12/31/2008- New Brunswick-based Johnson & Johnson said it is voluntarily recalling two lots of skin patches containing the pain medicine fentanyl because of possible cuts in the reservoir containing the drug.
READ MORE::

PriCara recalls Duragesic patches
-MPR
12/31/2008- PriCara, a division of Ortho-McNeil Janssen Pharmaceuticals, has voluntarily recalled one lot of 50micrograms/hour Duragesic (fentanyl transdermal system) CII patches and one lot of 50micrograms/hour fentanyl patches sold by Sandoz due to a cut-system defect.
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Digitek Problems Linked to 667 Deaths
-AboutLawsuits
12/30/2008- Following Actavis Totowa’s Digitek recall in April 2008, the FDA received a spike in adverse event reports involving the generic digoxin heart drug and it has been identified as the “primary suspect” in at least 667 deaths reported to the agency from April 1 through June 30, 2008.
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Oversized Tablets
-AboutLawsuits
12/29/2008- Another major Ethex recall was issued on December 23, 2008, this time involving generic Hydromorphone HCI tablets which may be oversized, posing a potential risk of overdose and other serious injury.
READ MORE::

Antibiotics Found to Harm Tendons
-Natural News
12/26/2008- The FDA has issued a call for "black box" warnings to be placed on certain antibiotics about the risk that they may cause tendonitis and ruptured tendons. The antibiotics affected are those in the fluoroquinolone family, including Bayer's Cipro (generic name ciprofloxacin) and Avelox, Johnson & Johnson's Floxin (generic name ofloxacin) and Levaquin, Depomed's Proquin XR, Merck's Noroxin and Oscient's Factive.
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ETHEX Recalls More Oversized Drugs
-NewsInferno
12/24/2008- ETHEX Corp. has announced another recall of oversized tablets. This time, the company is recalling a single lot of Hydromorphone HCl 2 mg tablets.
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Digitek Deaths May Have Topped 600
-NewsInferno
12/24/2008- A new report says that Digitek tablets have been named a suspect in more than 600 deaths. Digitek tablets were recalled in April by Actavis Totowa because of a manufacturing defect. Actavis said at the time that some Digitek tablets might have been oversized, and could expose patients to a dangerously high level of the drug’s active ingredient.
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Bone risk from diabetes drug
-NortWalesChronicle
12/23/2008- The Daily Mail today reports that regular use of a group of diabetes drugs, "doubles the chances of fractures in female patients," and could "more than double the risk of heart failure".
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KV Pharmaceutical Dives After Halting Drug Shipments
-Bloomberg
12/23/2008- KV Pharmaceutical Co. lost half its value in New York trading after the drugmaker, announcing a third recall of medicines that may contain excess doses, stopped shipping prescription tablets.
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Gadolinium Lawyers to Select from 193 NSF Lawsuits for First Trials
-AboutLawsuits
12/22/2008- Lawyers for the plaintiffs and lawyers for the manufacturers of gadolinium based MRI contract agents, have filed a joint list of 193 NSF lawsuits which are eligible to be among the first cases prepared for trial in the consolidated federal litigation.
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Actos Heart Failure Warning Strengthened in Canada
-AboutLawsuits
12/22/2008- Health Canada has said that the warning label information about potential Actos heart failure side effects will be strengthened to indicate that the diabetes drug should not be used in patients with pre-existing heart failure or taken together with metformin and a sulfonylurea.
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Diabetes Drugs Must Now Clear Cardiovascular Hurdle, Says FDA
-heartwire
12/19/2008- The Food and Drug Administration is now recommending that all new drugs developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes show that they do not increase the risk of cardiovascular events.
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Diabetes: Major drugs cause bone loss and fractures
-WDDTY
12/18/2008- The major drugs for treating type II diabetes can cause bone loss and fracture, a new study has discovered. The effects can occur within just a year of taking the drugs.
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Senator: Drugmaker Wyeth Paid Medical Ghostwriters to Tout Its Products
-Discover
12/16/2008- Pharmaceutical giant Wyeth is under scrutiny for its practice of paying ghostwriters to draft scientific journal articles favorable to its products and publishing them under the names of academic researchers.
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Medtronic Bone Graft Death to be Reported to FDA Following Lawsuit
-AboutLawsuits
12/16/2008- The Wall Street Journal reports that Medtronic, Inc. is notifying the FDA about the August death of Shirley Nisbet, whose family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the medical device manufacturer earlier this month alleging that fatal complications following her cervical spine fusion were caused by the Medtronic Infuse Bone Graft.
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Spinal Tap: Medtronic And A Patient Death
-Pharmalot
12/15/2008- The device maker was unaware for more than three months that a patient who underwent spinal surgery with one of its products had died, and will now report the episode to the FDA, The Wall Street Journal reports.
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Two Diabetes Medications Double Fracture Risks in Women
-HealthNews
12/14/2008- If you have diabetes you might want to ask your physician to review the risks of the medications before taking them. Two widely prescribed medication for diabetes, Actos and Avandia, have both been shown to double the risk of fractures among women. The fracture risk did not increas for men.
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Medtronic Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Infuse Bone Graft Problems
-AboutLawsuits
12/13/2008- A class action lawsuit has been filed against Medtronic, Inc. on behalf of shareholders, alleging that the company made false and misleading statements that failed to disclose their Infuse Bone Graft problems and the extent to which sales of the bone stimulator were dependent on “off-label” uses the company was promoting, which have been associated with a number of serious and life-threatening complications.
READ MORE::

Kugel Mesh Ordeal "Stressful"
-LawyersandSettlements
12/13/2008- Searcy, AR: In the months following the implantation of a Kugel Mesh hernia patch, Louise [not her real name] had several surgeries to try to repair complications that arose. The main complication Louise dealt with was a continual infection.
READ MORE::

CDC Identifies Cause of Heparin-Related Reactions
-PharmTech
12/12/2008- A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study confirmed that severe adverse reactions reported in the fall and winter of 2007 resulted from heparin contaminated with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS). The study, “Outbreak of Adverse Reactions Associated with Contaminated Heparin,” was published on The New England Journal of Medicine’s website on Dec. 3, 2008.
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Medtronic to Tell FDA About Patient's Death
-WSJ
12/12/2008- Medtronic Inc. said it was unaware for more than three months that a patient who underwent spinal surgery with one of its products had died, and the company is now moving to report the death to the Food and Drug Administration.
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Accutane Med Guide May Have Been Inadequate
-Pharmalot
12/12/2008- Whether a medication guide provided by Roche for its Accutane acne drug adequately warned of inflammatory bowel disease will have to be decided by a jury in litigation brought against the drugmaker by 84 people in a New Jersey state court, Mealey’s Emerging Drugs & Devices reports.
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Electronic filing, service begins in Mass Litigation Cases
-WestVirginiaRecord
12/12/2008- CHARLESTON -- For the first time in West Virginia history, a Circuit Court Judge sitting in one county has taken action on a case pending in another county using electronic filing and service through LexisNexis File & Serve.
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Fluoroquinolones like Levaquin are just Plain Toxic
-InjuryBoard
12/10/2008- Those who are familiar with pain pump cases know that bupivacaine is chondrotoxic. Joint cartilage is composed of cells called chondrocytes, and most of the anesthetic “caines” cause chondrotoxicity that can result in cell death and disappearance of cartilage. It is also evident that fluoroquinolones (quinolones) like Levaquin and Cipro are both chondrotoxic and toxic to tendon cells (tenocytes).
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Avandia, Actos May Impact Bone Density In Women
-InjuryBoard
12/10/2008- The widely prescribed diabetes drugs Avandia and Actos have been in the news lately because of concerns about the risk for heart failure. Now a British analysis finds Avandia and Actos double the risk of fractures in women, not in men.
READ MORE::

Osteoporosis Drugs May Suppress Bones' Ability to Heal
-NaturalNews
12/10/2008- The long-term use of osteoporosis drugs known as bisphosphonates can actually weaken bones by impairing their ability to heal, leading to fractures, according to a study conducted by researchers from New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
READ MORE::

Diabetes drugs double women's fracture risk
- USA Today
12/09/2008- Long-term use of a popular class of oral diabetes drugs doubles the risk of bone fractures in women with type 2 diabetes, a new study reports.
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Bone Drugs: The Latest Skeletons in Big Pharma's Closet
-NaturalNews
12/08/2008- Bisphosphonate bone drugs have been in the news recently, and if you look outside the mainstream media you will find that the news is not good at all. Instead of a product that actually cures illness or corrects deficiencies, bisphosphonates are just the latest scandalous skeletons in the closet of Big Pharma. Like many other skeletons in the closet, they are no more than scam drugs created for profit which cause more harm than good. READ MORE::

Chantix "The Worst Drug"
-LawyersandSettlements
12/07/2008- Gardena, CA: For some patients, the two words go together all too well: Chantix suicide is not an abstract phenomenon for these people. In fact, it is a very real possibility. Mitchell W. says he was surprised by the Chantix side effects he suffered, especially since he had not experienced any side effects during an earlier round of the anti-smoking drug.
READ MORE::

Morphine Overdose Killed Army Soldier
-InjuryBoard
12/06/2008- Earlier this year, a Fort Huachuca soldier died of a morphine overdose at the Army base's medical barracks, an investigation concluded this week, and authoritites are trying to determine who provided the drug, according to the Associated Press.
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GSK diabetes drug to carry risk warning
-TheEconomicTimes
12/04/2008- NEW DELHI: The country's drug quality regulator, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), has asked companies selling diabetes drug rosiglitazone under various brand names to carry a warning on their labels cautioning against its potential risk to heart patients. READ MORE::

Medtronic sued over off-label use
-MinneapolisStarTribune
12/04/2008- The family of a California woman who died after neck surgery has filed a lawsuit against Fridley-based Medtronic Inc., claiming the company's controversial bone-growth product caused her death.
READ MORE::

Side Effect Watch: Femur Fractures in Fosamax Patients
-WSJ
12/03/2008- A study in the June issue of the Journal of Orthopedic Trauma links Merck’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax to a rare type of fracture in the femur. The small, observational study looked at 70 patients who experienced low-energy femur fractures, which occur when someone falls from a standing height or less. Twenty-five patients (36%) were taking Fosamax on average for four years or more.
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Justice Department Probing Medtronic Infuse Bone Graft Marketing
-AboutLawsuits
12/03/2008- The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the actions of Medtronic, Inc., and whether they actively promoted and marketed their Infuse bone graft for un-approved uses. When the spinal bone growth implant is used for off-label, such as during cervical spine fusions, it has been associated with a number of serious and potentially life-threatening complications.
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Medtronic Is Sued Over Bone Product
-WSJ
12/03/2008- The family of a California woman who went into respiratory arrest and died after neck surgery filed a lawsuit blaming her death on the use of a fast-selling bone-growth protein made by Medtronic Inc.
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HeartMate II Heart Pump Recalled After 5 Deaths
-InjuryBoard
12/2/2008- The HeartMate II, a medical heart pump implant manufactured by Thoratec Corp., is being recalled after five people died while using the device. In five years of clinical studies with 1,972 implants, wear and fatigue to an electrical wire have been reported in 27 cases, requiring the implants to be replaced. Five deaths occurred when the implant could not be replaced.
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Chantix "A Nasty, Nasty Pill"
-LawyersandSettlements
11/30/2008- Patients who have a history of depression might be at risk for Chantix suicide when they attempt to quit smoking using the anti-smoking medication.
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Months of Pain Following Zimmer Hip Implant
-LawyersandSettlements
11/28/2008- Don. K knows first-hand the pain of a Zimmer Hip replacement gone wrong. He had a Zimmer Durom Cup implanted in his hip that required replacing shortly after his original surgery.
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J&J To Pay $16.6M For Duragesic Patch Death
-Pharmalot
11/28/2008- A jury in an Illinois state court awarded the money to the family of Janice DiCosolo, 38, who died in February 2004, because the patch she was wearing delivered a fatal dose of the fentanyl narcotice, which is the main ingredient in Duragesic, Bloomberg News reports.
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FDA Safety Changes: Heparin Sodium Injection, Photofrin, Noroxin
-Medscape
11/28/2008- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved safety labeling revisions to warn of the risk for medication errors and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in patients receiving heparin sodium injection, an increased duration of photosensitivity in patients with renal or hepatic impairment receiving porfimer sodium injection, and the risk for rare but fatal reactions in patients receiving norfloxacin and other quinolone antibiotics. READ MORE::

Avandia Death Risk Higher Even When Compared with Actos
-AboutLawsuits
11/28/2008- New data suggests that even when Avandia is compared with Actos, another diabetes drug in the same class of medications, it carries an increased risk of congestive heart failure and death.
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Animas battery caps on insulin pumps recalled
-EndocrineToday
11/28/2008- The FDA has announced a Class 1 nationwide recall of Animas Corporation battery caps used with the Animas 2020, IR1200 and IR1250 insulin pumps and OneTouch Ping System. The recall notice describes intermittent loss of contact between the battery cap and battery compartment in the insulin pump that may result in the device resetting, potentially leading to hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.
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Dextroamphetamine Recall
-US Recall News
11/28/2008- There has been a Dextroamphetamine recall by the ETHEX Corporation because the pills may have been oversized, which could result in an overdose.
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Propafenone Recall
-US Recall News
11/28/2008- As first reported on November 11th, there has been a Propafenone recall by the ETHEX Corporation because the pills may have been oversized, which could result in overdose of the drug Propafenone HCI.
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Susan Lark, MD Speaks Out Against the Newest Osteoporosis Drug, Reclast
-PRWeb
11/28/2008- Susan Lark, MD, noted medical researcher and women's health practitioner, has spoken out against the newest prescription osteoporosis medication on the market, Reclast, as well as other oral bisphosphonates such as Boniva, Actonel, and Fosamax.
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Animas Insulin Pumps: Battery Caps - Class 1 recall due to inadvertent device resetting, risk of hyperglycemia
-FDA MedWatch
11/26/2008- Animas Corporation and FDA informed consumers and healthcare professionals of a nationwide recall of battery caps used with the OneTouch Ping System, Animas 2020 Insulin Pump, Animas IR1200 Insulin Pump, and Animas IR1250 Insulin Pump. READ MORE::

Chantix Suicide a Real Possibility
-LawyersandSettlements
11/25/2008- Amy M. can tell you that the possibility of a Chantix suicide is very real, especially for people who already experience depression. She was on Chantix for just over a week when she began suffering serious side effects.
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Safety risks higher with Avandia than Actos -study
-Reuters
11/25/2008- Older diabetics who took GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia to control their blood sugar had a higher risk of death and heart failure while on the drug than those who took Takeda Pharmaceutical's Actos, a drug in the same class, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
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FDA Seizes Contaminated Heparin from a Cincinnati Manufacturer
- FDA News
11/06/2008 - As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ongoing efforts to ensure that heparin for patients remains safe, the government today seized 11 lots of heparin from Celsus Laboratories Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Glaxo Dismisses Avandia Liver Failure Risk
11/03/2008 - Following a petition filed last week by the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, which called for an Avandia recall due to a risk of liver failure and other life-threatening injuries, GlaxoSmithKline has issued a statement dismissing the claim that there are liver safety issue caused by side effects of Avandia.
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Public Citizen Petitions FDA to Ban Avandia, Cites Life-Threatening Toxicity as Top Diabetes Associations Advise Against Use
- Public Citizen
10/30/2008 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should immediately ban the dangerous diabetes drug Avandia because it can cause death from liver failure and has many other life-threatening risks that far outweigh its benefits, Public Citizen said in a petition filed today with the agency.
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Bisphosphonates May Increase Risk of Atrial Fibrillation
-MedPage Today
10/28/2008 - For patients who have osteoporosis, the use of bisphosphonates appears to increase the risk of serious atrial fibrillation, according to a meta-analysis.
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Accutane not to be taken lightly
-TheCollegian
10/08/2008- I would bet that no one at TU is making it through the college experience without encountering an occasional blemish or two on his or her sleep-deprived visage.
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Digitek Double Dose led to A-fib
-LawyersandSettlements
10/07/2008- - Lenoir, NC: Fran has been taking Digitek to control heart palpitations since 1980. She says they were manageable but right after the Digitek recall Fran didn't "feel right" and she was diagnosed with Atrial fibrillation. Fran believes she took the double dose Digitek heart drug.
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Kugel Mesh Patch: "People Who Get Shot Feel Better than I Do"
-LawyersandSettlements
10/05/2008- Phoenix, AZ: John H has suffered though a lot of pain, and many surgeries due to a hernia repair where a hernia patch was used to repair one of his herniated areas. Many of his symptoms and health problems following his hernia repair surgeries are consistent with those experienced by people who have had Kugel Mesh Patches implanted.
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Champix, a Slow-ticking Time Bomb
-The Healthier Life
10/03/2008- It’s not just the smokers who are suffering but also those supporting them in their effort. Here is a quote from one of our female readers: “... our relationship is at risk. All the symptoms of depression, suicide, upset stomach, fatigue, muscle pain, paranoia, lack of sex drive, etc...has taken a huge toll...”
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Zimmer Lawsuit Filed Over Failed Durom Cup Hip Replacement
-AboutLawsuits.com
10/03/2008- A lawsuit was filed last week in Florida by a man whose Zimmer Durom Cup failed only a few months after his hip replacement surgery. The complaint alleges that Zimmer manufactured and sold a defective hip resurfacing component, which was unreasonably dangerous and prone to loosen or fail.
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"Kugel Mesh Patch Really Affected My Life"
-LawyersandSettlements
10/02/2008- Huntsville, AL: Patients who have the Kugel Mesh Patch implanted to repair their hernia may have to undergo another surgery to have the hernia patch taken out. That's because the patch may be defective, causing serious injury to some patients.
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ADRAC : bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis of the jaw
-Xagena Medicine
10/01/2008- Bisphosphonates are drugs commonly used to prevent and treat osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. They are widely used in the management of advanced cancers that have metastasized to the bone, where the disease often causes bone pain and possibly even fractures.
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Merck sued, misleading drug marketing
-FOX News
10/01/2008- TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Attorney General Bill McCollum sued Merck and Company, Inc. on Tuesday, on behalf of Florida state agencies damaged by the company’s allegedly deceptive marketing and promotion of one of its prescription drugs.
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Warning on Tendon Injuries with Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics
-FDA Medwatch
10/01/2008- FDA has asked that a boxed warning be added to the prescribing information for fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The warning will remind healthcare professionals that patients taking these drugs may experience an increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture.
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Chantix Linked to Suicide Risk?
-InjuryBoard.com
10/01/2008- In early 2008, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory on the smoking cessation drug Chantix. Chantix, also known as varenicline, is manufactured by Pfizer.
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FDA Bans 28 Drugs Made By Indian Drug Manufacturer
-InjuryBoard.com
09/30/2008- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is halting the importation of twenty-eight drugs made by Ranbaxy Laboratories, a giant Indian generic drugmaker, due to deficiencies in manufacturing at two of the company’s plants.
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Medtronic Pain Pumps Recalled
-InjuryBoard.com
09/30/2008- The FDA has issued a recall for Medtronic drug pumps. The recall notice came Friday. The pumps involved are the Indura 1P Intrathecal Catheter, model 8709SC; Intrathecal Catheter, model 8731SC; Sutureless Pump Connector Revision Kit, model 8578, and Intrathecal Catheter Pump Segment Revision Kit, model 8596SC.
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Government Warns Of Potential Fire Hazard In Recalled Ford Vehicles
-InjuryBoard.com
09/30/2008- The government is asking owners of five million recalled Ford vehicles to bring their automobile to a local dealership to have a cruise control switch system repaired since the problem is tied to engine fires.
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Avandia – A Slow Killer
-LawyersandSettlements
09/30/2008- Cottage Grove, OR: Robert has lived his whole life without any serious illnesses. And until recently, he considered himself to be a pretty healthy man. Unfortunately, Avandia took that away from him, made him sick, and likely caused the need for triple by-pass surgery. READ MORE::

Digitek caused friend's Blindness
-LawyersandSettlements
09/29/2008- Albany, NY: At first, Jack thought he was suffering from pneumonia but he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and started taking Digitek in hospital. Luckily for Jack, his cardiologist took him off the medication months before the Digitek recall but his friend suffered loss of vision in one eye—permanently.
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Unbranded Ads Also Unpopular
-BRANDWEEK.com
09/28/2008- The money pharmaceutical companies are spending on ads is in decline for the first time ever. This has caused a dramatic collapse in an area that companies have always proudly backed: unbranded health education campaigns. Spend in the first half of the year for such ads, which describe an ailment but don't plug the branded solution, fell 3% to $2.4 billion, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
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Despite fire risk, 5 million recalled cars still on the road, unrepaired
-Miami Herald
09/27/2008- If your Ford, Lincoln or Mercury was part of the cruise-control switch recalls and you haven't done anything about it, don't delay. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, of the 12 million vehicles recalled, five million still haven't been brought to a dealership for a corrective repair.
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Medtronic catheter faces class 1 recall : Drug-pump part linked to one death
-TwinCities.com
09/27/2008- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined problems with a Medtronic catheter used in many of the company's implantable drug pumps should be considered a class 1 recall — the most serious type.
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FDA Updates Health Information Advisory on Melamine Contamination
-FDA
09/26/2008- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting consumers that seven Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products are being recalled by the Taiwanese company, King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd., due to possible contamination with melamine.
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"Levaquin has ruined my life in so many ways"
-LawyersandSettlements
09/26/2008- Therese was prescribed the antibioitic Levaquin in 2001 when she experienced shortness of breath, but just 3 days after taking Levaquin, she couldn't bend her wrists, knees or ankles. Luckily, Therese had the wherewithal to stop taking the drug; others have not been so fortunate.
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FDA Approved Drug brings Some to Suicide!
-JusticeNewsFlash.com
09/26/2008- Pfizer, the drug manufacturer of Chantix, faces numerous lawsuits which state that this specific drug has caused many of its users to have serious side effects, even that of suicide. Approved by the FDA, Chantix is taken to help individuals quit smoking, but at what cost?
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Digitek: "This Pill is Too Thick"
-LawyersandSettlements
09/25/2008- Tucson, AZ: Sue took Digitek for about 10 years to control her irregular heart beat and palpitations and she was doing OK until last fall, when Sue believes she was given pills that were on the Digitek recall." I got my prescription by mail from Medco and right away, I felt that the pills were too thick," says Sue.
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Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix Causes Potentially Deadly Traffic Accidents
-NaturalNews
09/25/2008- Pfizer's bestselling anti-smoking drug Chantix has been responsible for more than two dozen traffic accidents, due to side effects such as seizures and loss of consciousness, according to a study conducted by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. READ MORE::

1.6 Million Ford Windstars Investigated for Fire Hazard
-Consumeraffairs.com
09/25/2008- Federal safety regulators have expanded their investigations of Ford Motor Company vehicles that are in danger of erupting into flames to include the 1995 to 2003 Windstar minivan.
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Hernia Repair Patches: "Sick of Feeling Sick"
-LawyersandSettlements
09/25/2008- Keyport, NJ: If you thought you were safe from hernia repair problems because you do not have a Kugel Mesh patch implanted, you may want to think again.
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Bisphosphonates Cause Rare Eye Inflammation:
Finding just latest in list of potential adverse events for bone-saving medications
-U.S.News
09/25/2008- Doctors can now add inflammatory eye disease to the list of potential side effects from the bone medications known as bisphosphonates.
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Guest commentary: Bone-building drugs pose risks
-Sacbee.com
09/25/2008- Every year, 23 million women take Fosamax or other bone-building drugs for osteoporosis and osteopenia – brittle bones and bone-thinning. While these medications do protect the bones, they carry hidden risks that few women know about.
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Gadolinium Litigation Involves 391 Lawsuits in State and Federal Court
-AboutLawsuits.com
09/24/2008- According to documents filed in federal court, the makers of gadolinium-based contrast agents currently face 391 lawsuits filed by individuals who allege that they developed a rare condition known as NSF, or nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, after an enhanced MRI. READ MORE::

First MDL Levaquin Tendon Rupture Lawsuits Could be “Trial-Ready” by Jan 2010
-AboutLawsuits.com
09/23/2008- A status conference was held earlier this month before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim, who is overseeing the federal Levaquin litigation consolidated in Minnesota. At that time, lawyers for Johnson & Johnson and lawyers for plaintiffs who have filed Levaquin lawsuits alleging tendon damage caused by the popular antibiotic, indicated that they expect the first MDL cases to be “trial-ready” by January 2010.
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Bisphosphonates for Osteoporosis Treatment Linked to Jawbone Damage
-InjuryBoard.com
09/23/2008- Osteoporosis drugs are not without possible adverse effects, including a condition in which jawbone tissue dies. “Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw is a mouthful, pun intended,” says Dr. Thomas B. Dodson, an expert on oral and maxillofacial surgery a Massachusetts General Hospital.
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Anti-Smoking Drug Banned for Airline Pilots After Link to Auto Accidents
-NaturalNews
09/22/2008- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned the use of the popular anti-smoking drug Chantix by pilots and air traffic controllers, due to a study's conclusions that it could cause seizures and loss of consciousness that may have contributed to car accidents. READ MORE::

Consumers v. Huge Corporations: The Medical Device Debate
-InjuryBoard.com
09/21/2008- Last February in Riegel v. Medtronic, the Supreme Court ruled that a severely injured person was barred or pre-empted from filing a lawsuit against Medtronic Corporation because the medcial device manufactured by Medtronic had been previously approved by a federal regulatory agency, namely the FDA, even though the medical device caused severe injuries to the patient.
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Report: VA failed to safeguard veterans
-The Washington Times
09/20/2008- The Veterans Affairs Department is responsible for numerous "unacceptable failures" in ensuring safeguards for soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder who were enrolled in a medical experiment to help them stop smoking, an internal review found Friday. READ MORE::

Gadolinium is linked to a New Man Made Disease with No Known Treatment
-InjuryBoard.com
09/18/2008- The relatively new medical device is gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA or gadolinium) used during certain MRI or similar procedures. The new kidney related disease that is little more than a decade old is called Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF).
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Avandia –Two Weeks to Near Death
-LawyersandSettlements
09/18/2008- Canfield, OH: Dennis is just 40 years old. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and was put on Avandia. But after only two weeks on the drug, Dennis experienced shortness of breath and chest pains. He had a heart attack and he thinks Avandia could have been the cause.
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FDA steps up Cipro warnings
-courier-journal.com
09/18/2008- After the anthrax attacks of 2001 Cipro became a household word when it was identified as a drug that could fight that deadly bacteria. Recently, Cipro was in the spotlight again as federal regulators imposed their most urgent safety warning on Cipro and similar antibiotics because of increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture.
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"Avandia Changed My Life Forever"
-LawyersandSettlements
09/17/2008- Pacific Junction, Iowa: Donita has type 2 diabetes, and was on Avandia for over seven years. One heart attack and a triple bypass later, her life has changed forever.
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Fewer deaths with drug stents than bare metal: study
-Reuters
09/16/2008- Drug-coated stents implanted into clogged heart arteries are associated with a significantly lower risk of death than bare-metal versions, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic said on Monday.
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What’s the Story with FOSAMAX
-InjuryBoard.com
09/16/2008- That is a complex question for which there is no easy answer. However, it might help for us to gain a basic understanding of Fosamax’s composition; the specialized way that it works; and how the body eliminates Fosamax. It would also be interesting to address any specialized concerns about how Fosamax reacts with the specialized bone that makes up the jaw.
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FDA Issues Warning Letters to Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., and an Import Alert for Drugs from Two Ranbaxy Plants in India: Actions affect over 30 different generic drugs; cites serious manufacturing deficiencies
-FDA
09/16/2008- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued two Warning Letters to Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., of the Republic of India, and an Import Alert for generic drugs produced by Ranbaxy's Dewas and Paonta Sahib plants in India.
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TV Ads for Smoking Drug Chantix Resume Despite Suicide Side Effects
-AboutLawsuits.com
09/15/2008- After pulling all advertisements for Chantix earlier this year amid concerns about increased suicide risks, Pfizer has re-launched a national TV campaign for their stop smoking drug.
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11 more lawsuits for Medtronic on Sprint Fidelis leads
-Finance and Commerce
09/14/2008- Lawsuits involving the recalled implantable Sprint Fidelis leads are piling up for Fridley-based Medtronic. Just in the last five days, 11 separate lawsuits have been filed in district courts in Texas and Tennessee, pushing the total number of similar lawsuits against Medtronic beyond 300 since the company recalled the leads in October 2007.
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Double Dose Digitek Caused A-Fib
-LawyersandSettlements
09/14/2008- New York, NY:In 1990, attorney and former marathon runner Michael Rikon developed a heart problem and he started taking Digitek. He had a cardiac arrest in 1998 and had a defibrillator implanted; it didn't fire for nine years until this January and Rikon believes it happened because he took the double-dose Digitek.
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Feds Re-Issue Massive Recall Over Ford, Lincoln, Mercury Engine Fires
-U.S.News
09/12/2008- The federal government ordered one of the largest recalls in history earlier this year, recalling up to 12 million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury SUVs, pickup trucks, cars and vans due to a defective cruise control switch that could cause an engine fire at any time -- even when a vehicle had been parked and turned off for hours.    Today, the government is taking the rare step of reissuing the recall.
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Putting sales over safety
-NJ.com
09/12/2008- In the early days of its wonder drug, Vioxx, Merck scored a trifecta, getting research reports reviewed and accepted by three of the most important scientific journals in the country -- the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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CONSUMER ADVISORY: Five Million Unrepaired Fords, Lincolns and Mercurys Could Pose Serious Fire Hazard to Vehicles and Dwellings
-NHTSA
09/12/2008- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is urging owners of certain Ford, Lincoln and Mercury SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and passenger cars to take their vehicles to a local dealership for a corrective repair.
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Ford vehicles recalled for fire risk
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns that a defective cruise control switch can cause fire in some Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks.
-CNN
09/12/2008- WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has put out another recall warning the owners of some Ford (F, Fortune 500), Lincoln and Mercury SUV's, pickup trucks, vans and cars that their vehicles have a defect that could cause them to catch fire at any time.
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Discovered Avandia Problems Just in Time
-LawyersandSettlements
09/11/2008- Donita has type 2 diabetes, and was on Avandia for over seven years. One heart attack and a triple bypass later, her life has changed forever, but she's grateful she discovered potential problems with the drug, and got off it before it was too late.
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Feds warn Ford drivers on cruise control recall
-Bloomberg News
09/10/2008- Ford vehicle owners should return about 5 million autos to dealers to fix a faulty cruise- control switch that may cause a fire "at any time," a U.S. regulatory agency said. READ MORE::

Mama took a quinolone and her what popped off?
-MinnPost.com
09/09/2008- Remember the lyric you sang as a kid while you decapitated yet another dandelion? "Mama had a baby and her HEAD popped off!"
Well, mama took a quinolone and her Achilles tendon popped off.
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FDA lists 20 drugs for their potential risks
-foodconsumer.org
09/08/2008- The FDA on Sep. 5, 2008 announced that it will publish quarterly a list of drugs that are being evaluated by the agency for its potential risks that have not been known earlier. READ MORE::

Kugel Mesh Patch: "Painful, Painful, Painful"
-LawyersandSettlements
09/08/2008- Isaac S. had a hernia repair 2003, during which Kugel Mesh was used. Since that time, he has had two more surgeries to repair problems caused by the mesh. He says he does not want anyone else to go through what he has been through.
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Medtronic Whistleblower Case Could Change Back Surgeries
-InjuryBoard.com
09/08/2008- A federal whistleblowers case and a couple of legislative investigations are looking at the connection between Medtronic and the surgeons that uses their products for back surgeries. The question at the heart of each action is : Are surgeons being paid to use and recommend these products? Initial payment information suggests that this could be happening.
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Vioxx role in heart attack
-Corsavoo.com
09/08/2008- Vioxx is a medicine that may be associated to other serious side effects such as stomach problems, allergic reactions, serious kidney problems or liver problems.
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"Digitek is Killing Me," said Mother
-LawyersandSettlements.com
09/08/2008- "It blows my mind that the FDA knew about Actavis Totowa, the maker of Digitek and its quality control problems back in 2006," says Carol M. "Why wasn't it shut down two years ago?
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Regular ibuprofen for arthritis linked to heart attacks
-OnMedica
09/06/2008- Ibuprofen may increase the risk of heart attacks and subsequent fatal events when elderly people take it daily for arthritis, US researchers have warned. They found the over-the-counter pain reliever was the only drug in its class, which includes aspirin and other analgesics to raise the risk of serious heart disease, along with the now withdrawn COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx.
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FDA to List Drugs Being Investigated
-WashingtonPost.com
09/06/2008- The Food and Drug Administration will begin posting every three months a list of drugs whose safety is under investigation because of complaints brought to the agency's attention by drug companies, physicians and patients.
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Son Blames Digitek on Dad's Deteriorating Health
-LawyersandSettlements
09/06/2008- Mike's Dad turned 87 this month and was in pretty good shape until last November; Mike says his health deteriorated rapidly and he can't help but wonder if Digitek is to blame.
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FDA Inspection Prompts Recall of 55 Products
-FDA News
09/05/2008- Actavis Totowa, a U.S. subsidiary of Icelandic generic drug firm Actavis, recalled all drug products manufactured at its plant in Little Falls, N.J., after an FDA inspection revealed the products were not made according to GMP standards.
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Defibrillator Shocks Signal Increased Death Risk, Study Finds
-Bloomberg
09/04/2008- Heart failure patients who get a lifesaving shock from implanted cardiac defibrillators are five times as likely to die in the coming months and years, typically from progression of the disease, researchers said.
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Effectiveness of Heart Bypass Surpasses Drug Stents: Study
-TheMedGuru
09/04/2008- While, an open heart surgery or a heart bypass (as it is commonly called) is an invasive procedure that reroutes blood vessels to detour around blockages, angioplasty, a relatively new, non-invasive technique of mechanically widening the blocked arteries involves a tightly folded balloon being pushed into the blocked blood vessels.
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Pain Patch Recall
-InjuryBoard.com
09/03/2008- There has been a voluntary recall of one lot of Fentanyl Transdermal System patches. The Fentanyl Transdermal patch transmits a continuous opiod dose for an extended time, and it is used to treat persistent chronic pain.
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Swiss Drug Manufacturer Ordered to Pay Damages for Accutane Claim
-NewYork Injury News.com
09/03/2008- Swiss drug manufacturer, Roche Holding AG, was recently ordered to pay damages in the amount of $2.5 million to 36-year old Andrew McCarrell, who was injured as a result of taking the drug Accutane.
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Avandia Manufacturers Under Scrutiny From the African American Community
-NewYork Injury News.com
09/03/2008- Avandia has been the subject of widespread speculation that has brought drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline under fire for product liability claims. The drug, used to treat Type 2 diabetes, has been linked to cardiovascular deaths and serious health conditions. READ MORE::

Chantix Makers Use “Unbranded” Ads to Reduce Side-Effect Talk
-InjuryBoard.com
09/03/2008- As many may have heard over the past several months Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug Chantix has been linked to serious side effects including suicidal thought and suicidal behavior. When evidence of links began to grow stronger Pfizer began to move away from its multi-billion dollar direct to consumer advertising campaign and began to move toward more subtle “unbranded” advertisements.
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Levaquin—"The Big Gun"—Shoots the User
-LawyersandSettlements
09/02/2008- Fairview, KS: For the past five years Alice has suffered from bronchitis and breathing problems; she was prescribed numerous antibiotics but nothing worked until her doctor gave her Levaquin, that he referred to as "the big gun."
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Are Antiangiogenic And Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Safe?
-EmaxHealth
09/02/2008- Since Rofecoxib (Vioxx ) was withdrawn from the worldwide market based on the safety findings of the Adenomatous Polyp Prevention on Vioxx (APPROVe) study, the uncertainty around the cardiovascular safety of NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors remains and leaves practitioners with difficult management decisions for the hundreds of millions of patients worldwide who continue to require pain-relieving therapy to maintain an acceptable quality of life.
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Oral Diabetes Drugs May Make Heart Failure Worse
-About.com:Drugs
09/02/2008- According to researchers at Wake Forest University, a class of oral drugs (the thiazolidinediones), which includes Avandia (rosiglitazone) and Actos (pioglitazone) may make heart failure worse in people with type 2 diabetes.
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Controversial Ads for Chantix, Ambien Indirectly Name the Drugs
-eFluxMedia
09/01/2008- The controversial ad campaign initiated by Pfizer Inc., the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, continues despite criticism. Alarm signals were pulled as regard to its antismoking drug Chantix, after studies have showed its potential dangerous side-effects such as heart irregularities, seizures and more than 100 accidents linked to its use.
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Zimmer Hip Replacement: "Too Young to Feel So Old"
-LawyersandSettlements
08/31/2008- Ozark, AR: Patients who have had Zimmer Durom hip implants can be forgiven if they believe their pain is related to their hip replacement surgery. After all, it is a major surgery and one that has an extended recovery time. Unfortunately, not everyone is fully recovering from their surgery, possibly due to problems with the Zimmer Durom cup.
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Journal calls for Avandia restrictions
-FiercePharma
08/30/2008- In the hardest-hitting assessment of diabetes meds this year, two Wake Forest University researchers say regulators should restrict use of the glitazone class of drugs--which includes the long-suffering Avandia.
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Avandia Class Action Lawsuit Filed in Canada
-AboutLawsuits.com
08/30/2008- A class action lawsuit filed this week against the makers of Avandia and the Canadian government alleges that the popular diabetes drug increases the risk of heart failure, heart attack and death for older users.
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Avandia – A Fast Track to Death
-LawyersandSettlements
08/30/2008- Marina Del Ray, CA: Marla's mother, Vivian, died of heart failure less than a month after starting on Avandia. While Vivian was diabetic, Marla had no indication that her mother could suddenly die of heart failure. But now she wonders if Avandia played a role in her mother's death.
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Double Strength Federal Digitek Suits Consolidated to West Virginia
-Huntingtonnews.net
08/29/2008- The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has ordered that all federal lawsuits related to defective, double strength Digitek (commonly known as Digitalis or Digoxin ) be moved to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Medtronic’s Sprint to the marketplace
-InjuryBoard.com
08/29/2008- Medtronic’s rapid move into the market place with the Sprint Fidelis defibrillator lead contrasts with the dead slow recall of a medical device that defies a physical recall. READ MORE::

Durom Cup Problems Prompt Calls For Tracking System
-InjuryBoard.com
08/28/2008- In July the world’s largest manufacturer of hip replacement products, Zimmer, announced that they were suspending sales of the Durom Cup artificial hip replacement after concerns were raised about possible design flaws.
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Medical certification of truckers using Chantix not likely
-LandLine Magazine
08/28/2008- Truckers taking Chantix to help them quit smoking won’t be sailing through the medical certification process. Growing concern on the part of the Food and Drug Administration prompted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to caution physicians against certifying the medical fitness of any trucker taking the prescription medication.
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The Agony of Levaquin
-LawyersandSettlements
08/28/2008- Elkhart, IN: In April 2001 Lilly's doctor prescribed Levaquin for a bone infection and said she would have to stay on it for the rest of her life. Fortunately, Lilly saw a specialist who told her to stop taking it, immediately. Lilly believes that if she had stayed on Levaquin she would be in a wheelchair today.
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MEDICATIONS YOUR OWN DOCTOR WON'T TAKE
-InjuryBoard.com
08/27/2008- I found an interesting article from MSN Health & Fitness regarding Eight Drugs Doctors Would Never Take. Most interesting to me was that two of the drugs listed were drugs I've taken in the past and never had any idea I shouldn't have taken them. More importantly -- they are still on the market and you may also be taking them.
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Something Doesn’t Mesh
-InjuryBoard.com
08/27/2008- We live in an age of medical miracles where chemistry, physics, engineering, hi-tech manufacturing, and medicine blend together, allowing manufacturers to create cutting edge medical devices. Recently, physicians have been using various new devices that use space age mesh to strengthen certain areas of the body. But there has been a multitude of problems using mesh based devices.
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Acne Drug 'May Cause More Abortions'
-OneIndia
08/26/2008- Using the controversial acne drug Roaccutane could lead to more abortions, according to specialists. Roaccutane is used for the treatment of severe, persistent acne, but it has made headlines in recent years for its unproven links with depression and suicide. READ MORE::

Digitek: “You Don’t Mess with Heart Meds”
-LawyersandSettlements
08/25/2008- Olympia, WA: Carl’s wife passed away in January 2008—almost one year after having taken a daily dose of Digitek. Carl is certain she died needlessly from digitalis toxicity: currently, nobody knows for how long Digitek pills were made at twice the strength; nobody knows how many defective pills were consumed by heart patients before the Digitek recall. READ MORE::

Acne drug changes could cause more abortions
-The Australian
08/25/2008- MORE babies will be aborted if authorities push ahead with a decision to make the controversial acne drug Roaccutane available through the family doctor, specialists warn. READ MORE::

Vioxx to begin Settlements
-InjuryBoard.com
08/23/2008- For those who claim Vioxx was responsible for their heart attacks, settlement packages are in the mail. Many of you may remember that Vioxx was removed from the market after it was linked to heart failure and a subsequent settlement ($4.85 billion) between Merck and Co. and plaintiffs’ lawyers was reached.
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Stroke, Heart Attack, Kidney Failure – Was Avandia to Blame?
-LawyersandSettlements
08/23/2008- Reno, NV: Lisa's father was diabetic and like many diabetics, he had difficulty regulating his blood sugar. So his doctor put him on Avandia to help. He died within 18 months of starting on the drug.
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How Long Has Digitek Double Dose been Going On?
-LawyersandSettlements
08/22/2008- On August 1, 2008 drug manufacturer Actavis Totowa LLC finally did the right thing and announced a voluntary recall of all drug products manufactured at its Little Falls, New Jersey facility. But countless people, Digitek patients and their loved ones in particular--are wondering why both the Digitek recall and now this complete recall took so long.
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Killing People for Profits....and Other Drug Company News
- US Politics Today
08/21/2008- Pharmaceutical companies at times learn about dangers caused by their drugs long before the FDA does, but have failed to disclose this information to the FDA. Thus, as exemplified by the cases of Pondimin/Redux, Vioxx, and Trasylol, the drug companies have withheld key information from the FDA and ardently negotiated against stricter label warnings ---- all the while continuing to market their unsafe drugs to an unsuspecting public.
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Warning issued on dangers of diabetes drug Avandia
-News-Medical.net
08/21/2008- Thousands of Australians who are taking the diabetes drug Avandia (rosiglitazone) have been urged by the drug's manufacturer to see their doctors following safety issues concerning the medication.
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Diabetes drug users urged to see doctor
-News.com.au
08/20/2008- MORE than 30,000 Australians taking the controversial diabetes drugs Avandia and Avandamet are being told to have their treatment reviewed after the medications were linked with heart failure and death.
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FDA Mandates New Boxed Warning for Fluoroquinolones
-AAFP
08/20/2008- The FDA announced last month it was requiring manufacturers of systemic fluoroquinolones to place a boxed warning on these products' package labels concerning the increased risk of tendonitis and tendon rupture associated with use of these drugs.
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Merck Vioxx Trial Was Strategy to Boost Drug's Sales
-Bloomberg.com
08/19/2008- A Merck & Co. study of Vioxx that the company said showed whether the painkiller was easier on the stomach than an older drug was actually a marketing tool to boost sales, according to researchers.
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Tendinitis and Tendon Rupture Lead to Black Box
-InjuryBoard.com
08/19/2008- An increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture has lead the FDA to seek a black box warning for fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drugs. The manufacturers of the drugs must also create a medication guide for patients, regarding the possible side effects.
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Cipro: Antibiotic, and Anti-Tendon
-LawyersandSettlements
08/19/2008- Los Angeles, CA: An antibiotic produced by Bayer AG is plagued with a reputation for attacking tendons, and nobody knows why. The fact remains, however, that the tendency for Cipro to evoke tendonitis and tendon ruptures has earned the drug a black box warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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Boston Scientific Stent Device Recall: Here's a Tip You Don't Want…
-LawyersandSettlements
08/18/2008- Washington, DC: Yet another recall of a medical device proves that contrary to what we would like to believe, medical devices are no more reliable than anything else in the manufactured world. Such appears to be the case with the Boston Scientific NexStent Monorail, NexStent Carotid Stent and Monorail Delivery System that has been voluntarily recalled.
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Boston Scientific Recalls NexStent Products
-Reuters
08/17/2008- Boston Scientific Corp is recalling its NexStent carotid artery products because part of the stent's delivery system can detach and cause injury, U.S. health officials said on Thursday.
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Dr. Gott: Osteoporosis drugs put into question
-Northwest Herald
08/17/2008- Dear Dr. Gott: I just read in The New York Times that long-term use of bisphosphonates for osteoporosis can lead to weaker bones in some people. Since I suffer from the disease, I am very concerned. I question whether I should discontinue my medication.
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"We Lost our Mother because of Heparin"
-LawyersandSettlements
08/17/2008- Santa Barbara, CA: "My mum was hospitalized on several occasions and I know she was given Heparin every time," says Antoinette. "According to her physician, Heparin was also given to her so she wouldn't get blood clots during dialysis."
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Horizon Remains Cloudy for Hip Device
-InjuryBoard.com
08/16/2008- In July, Zimmer Holdings, the nation's largest producer of orthopedic devices, halted sales of its Durom cup hip socket.
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Behind the FDA's 'black box' warnings
-LA TImes
08/16/2008- TWO GROUPS of drugs were under the Food and Drug Administration spotlight last month. Both have been associated with rare but serious side effects, and both were candidates for a "black box" warning, the strongest the FDA issues short of taking a drug off the market.
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Study finds 140,000 bad reactions to antibiotics
-Reuters
08/14/2008- Bad reactions to antibiotics, mostly allergic ones, send people to U.S. emergency rooms more than 140,000 times each year, government researchers reported on Wednesday.
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Antibiotic Reactions Send Thousands to Emergency Rooms
-MedPageToday
08/14/2008- Adverse effects from antibiotics led to more than 140,000 emergency room visits in the U.S. annually from 2004 through 2006, accounting for one-fifth of all such drug-related events, researchers here said.
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GE, others sued over MRI contrast dyes
-Madison County Record
08/14/2008- Makers of MRI contrast dyes are being sued by claimants who say they developed a skin hardening condition from exposure to a metal that is highly toxic in its free state.
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Medics warned over effects of drug
-PharmacyEurope
08/13/2008- Prescribers have been told to stay alert to the side-effects of an osteoporosis drug after it was found to weaken bones in the jaws of patients.
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"Digitek Maker Ruined People's Lives"
-LawyersandSettlements
08/13/2008- Winnifred was prescribed Digitek in December 2003 for congestive heart failure and A-fib. She was doing fine, no problems with her health until early 2007.
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Report: Millions of Fire-Prone Fords Still on the Roads
-consumeraffairs.com
08/12/2008- More than 6 million Ford car and truck owners could be driving vehicles still equipped with a faulty cruise control switch that can start a fire under the hood even when the vehicle is parked and the ignition is turned off.
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Chantix Out at One U.S. Military Base
-NewsInferno.com
08/12/2008- In the US, Chantix has been linked to at least 40 suicides and 400 attempted suicides. In November 2007, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued an “Early Communication” that stated its preliminary assessment revealed many of the cases reflected new-onset of depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and changes in emotion and behavior within days to weeks of initiating Chantix treatment.
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Artificial joints, genuine concerns
-Contra Costa Times
08/11/2008- Millions of people have hobbled into operating rooms hoping to walk out with shiny new artificial knees or hips that would carry them into futures free of pain or disability. In this country alone, orthopedic surgeons place about 1 million artificial hips and knees into American bodies every year.
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Avandia: I Nearly Died at 45.
-LawyersandSettlements
08/11/2008- Pierrefonds, PQ: Grant has been a diabetic most of his life. Like most diabetics, he's tried several diabetes medications, and eventually Avandia. While the drug did control his blood sugar, it may also have contributed to a diagnosis of congestive heart failure, a ruptured aorta, and atrial fibrillation.
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Vets, or Lab Rats?
-The Texas Observer
08/09/2008-But no one told Elliott about one detail: A side effect of Chantix is that it can make you suicidal. Sure enough, weeks into the test, Elliot suffered a mental breakdown, got a gun, and ended up tasered and arrested.
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Digitek Maker should worry about Consumer, not Shareholders
-LawyersandSettlements
08/09/2008- Willits, CA: Linda's partner passed away in April 2008, just a few days before receiving notice of the Digitek recall. "Jackie went downhill about two weeks before she passed away and from the digitalis toxicity symptoms I was told about, she had them all," says Linda.
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Bone Meds Could Have Side Effects With Bite
-Medical News Today  
08/09/2008- Doctors often prescribe bisphosphonates for both osteoporosis as well as certain cancers. And usage has been increasing due to large-scale marketing and advertising to consumers.
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