- Scott Kappes | February 29, 2008 10:18 AM |
Category:
FDA & Prescription DrugsThis week federal health officials updated the prescribing information of Tysabri to warn of a possible link to severe and potentially fatal liver damage. Tysabri, used to treat multiple sclerosis, was recently approved to treat Crohn's disease, but now officials say that a patient can begin to experience liver damage within six days of the first dose of the drug. Tysabri was pulled from the...
- Scott Kappes | February 27, 2008 4:29 PM |
Category:
FDA & Prescription DrugsA couple of weeks ago the popular news program "60 Minutes" aired a story on Bayer's Trasylol. The broadcast told the tragic story of Joseph Randone and his experiences following heart surgery where Trasylol was used to reduce bleeding during the surgery. Physicians told the Randone family that the risk associated with the surgery was around five percent and that Joe would likely be able to...
- Scott Kappes | February 26, 2008 2:03 PM |
Category:
FDA & Prescription DrugsA recent study found that patients that received Bayer's Trasylol during heart surgery were significantly more likely to die within the next decade. Another study of 78,000 patients, originally withheld by Bayer, found a 78 percent increased risk of death within a week following the surgery. In November Bayer suspended sales of Trasylol after a Canadian trial linked the drug to higher death...
- Scott Kappes | February 25, 2008 5:13 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousOn February 14, 2008, Valentine's Day, Steven Kazmierczak opened fire on the campus of Northern Illinois University. Kazmeirczak managed to kill five and injure 17 others before turning the gun on himself. There is speculation as to what drove the 27-year old to commit such a heinous act, but some believe the violent episode could have been triggered by withdrawal symptoms from the popular...
- Scott Kappes | February 22, 2008 5:10 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousToday an arbitration judge issued an award of $9 million to a breast cancer patient whose policy was cancelled by Health Net Inc. The decision prompted Health Net to announce that they are scrapping its present and future cancellation plans that have been under fire recently by California state regulators and the Los Angeles city attorney, and have now cost them a whopping $9 million. Arbitrator...
- Scott Kappes | February 21, 2008 2:00 PM |
Category:
FDA & Prescription DrugsYesterday the United States Supreme Court delivered a catastrophic blow to plaintiffs seeking to recover damages associated with FDA approved medical devices. The 8-1 decision bars attorneys from filing lawsuits against medical device makers in cases where the device received FDA approval before being introduced into the market. Most of the more complex and more risky devices such as heart...
- Scott Kappes | February 20, 2008 12:36 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousOver the past year millions of people have purchased radio-controlled toy helicopters. I am sure you have seen numerous commercials advertising the small helicopters that can be flown anywhere. It has now been discovered that some of these popular toys may pose a significant fire risk. Soft Air USA Inc. of Grapevine, Texas along with the US Consumer Products Safety Commission have issued a...
- Scott Kappes | February 19, 2008 11:41 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousAfter Hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coast over two years ago, thousands of evacuees were provided government purchased trailers. Today thousands of evacuees still call these trailers home. Recent concerns over toxic levels of formaldehyde have drawn the interest of plaintiffs' lawyers throughout the nation. Several lawsuits have been filed on behalf of the residents of the toxic trailers....
- Scott Kappes | February 18, 2008 2:15 PM |
Category:
FDA & Prescription DrugsDrug giant Roche has been ordered to pay a $7 million verdict to man who had to have his colon removed after taking the popular acne medication Accutane. Allegedly the medication caused inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease. This is the second loss for Roche in as many trials for Accutane. Roche still faces over 400 lawsuits alleging that Accutane caused Crohn's disease. An order handed...
- Scott Kappes | February 15, 2008 12:50 PM |
Category:
FDA & Prescription DrugsA probe into the cause behind 350 bad reactions to the blood-thinner Heparin discovered that most of the active ingredient used in Heparin is produced at a Chinese facility. This information casts new doubt on the safety of the growing percentage of Chinese-based pharmaceutical plants. About 40 percent of the bad reactions were classified as serious, including four possible deaths. The cause of...
- Scott Kappes | February 13, 2008 4:50 PM |
Category:
FDA & Prescription DrugsThis week Chattem Inc., the makers of Icy Hot, announced a voluntary recall of its Icy Hot Heat Therapy patches after over 200 complaints of burns and skin irritations were reported in conjunction with the use of the patches. Some consumers experienced first, second, and third degree burns from the product. It is not yet clear whether injuries resulted from the improper or proper use of the...
- Scott Kappes | February 12, 2008 2:47 PM |
Category:
FDA & Prescription DrugsFriday, in conjunction with the FDA, Chattem Inc. announced a voluntary recall of all sizes and lots of Icy Hot Air Activated Heat Therapy. The recall was prompted by reports of first, second, and third degree burns and skin irritation associated with the use or misuse of the product. More than 200 people claim to have been injured to varying degrees. Catherine Baker, a spokeswoman for Chattem,...
- Scott Kappes | February 11, 2008 3:11 PM |
Category:
FDA & Prescription DrugsLast week pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline, announced that sales for 2007 slipped two percent from 2006. Much of the loss can be attributed to plummeting sales of the once blockbuster diabetes medication Avandia. In May a New England Journal of Medicine article linked the drug to a 42 percent increased risk of heart attack causing worldwide concern and in turn an almost instant plunge in...
- Scott Kappes | February 08, 2008 12:14 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA recent report has parents throughout the country concerned about the well being of their infants. The study found that the chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), commonly found in all types of plastic containers, including baby bottles, could be potentially harmful. Researchers say that BPA can be linked to obesity, diabetes, and developmental problems in laboratory tests on animals. BPA is used in over...
- Scott Kappes | February 07, 2008 11:40 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousThis week a personal injury lawsuit was filed against the popular home decor store Kirkland's. The suit alleges that the store was negligent in allowing a rug to remain in lying in a walkway, which ultimately caused Waneta Clark to trip and injure herself. The lawsuit claims that Clark suffered serious injuries resulting from the fall and that she is still undergoing medical treatment almost two...
- Scott Kappes | February 06, 2008 2:55 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA new study suggests that a chemical commonly found in baby shampoo and baby powder may be tied to reproductive problems. The chemicals, known as phthalates, also often found in perfumes and plastic have been shown to cause reproductive problems in animals. Environmental researchers suspect that phthalates may cause similar problems in humans. Environmental researcher Rick Stahlhut, M.D, M.P.H....
- Scott Kappes | February 05, 2008 1:18 PM |
Category:
Wrongful Death"Don't swallow magnets," is the advice that four year-old Braden Eberle is giving to other children. Braden recently spent six days in the hospital recovering from surgery to remove magnets from his intestines. Last April Braden swallowed a piece from a Magnetix toy set. Braden somehow had gotten one of the magnets loose from one of the rods and swallowed it. His mother, Jill, was not that...
- Scott Kappes | February 01, 2008 4:20 PM |
Category:
FDA & Prescription DrugsToday the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory for Pfizer's stop smoking drug Chantix to inform health care providers and consumers about concerns surrounding the drug. Last November the agency issued an Early Communication on Chantix in response to an abundance of adverse events reported to the agency following the tragic shooting death of Dallas musician Carter Albrecht. Reports of behavioral...