FDA & Prescription Drugs

• GlaxoSmithKline and Paxil Under Fire

  John Ghezzi | November 01, 2006 5:23 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  GlaxoSmithKline agreed to settle for $63.8 million dollars a class action lawsuit in which class members contended that GSK promoted the treatment of children and adolescents with its antidepressant Paxil while simultaneously withholding negative information about the drug's safety and effectiveness. This is just the latest in an avalanche of bad news for GSK and consumers regarding Paxil.The...

• Selecting Cases for NJ Vioxx Trial

  Allison Snoddy | October 17, 2006 11:03 AM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  Last week was the deadline for lawyers representing Plaintiffs in the Vioxx trials to select 10 cases that were to be submitted to Judge Carol Higbee for consideration in the upcoming trials for January. Merck has until today (October 17, 2006) to make any specific objections to plaintiffs chosen by opposing lawyers.Merck can make objections over the prospect of trying plaintiffs from different...

• Prescription Drug Cost Relief in Sight

  Tiffany Farr | October 13, 2006 5:28 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  In an effort to boost lagging prescription drug sales, discount retail chains such as Wal-Mart and Target have announced that they plan to offer generic drugs at a significant decrease to consumers. Averaging anywhere between $4 for a 30-day supply to $15 for a 90-day supply, these pharmacy chains hope to convert somewhat hesitant consumers and doctors to generic versions of drugs which...

• R & B Settles 409 Zyprexa Cases

  Dian Rosier | October 06, 2006 3:46 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  The firm of Reich & Binstock is close to wrapping up a settlement with Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of the antipsychotic drug, Zyprexa. This drug is commonly used in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Though this drug is highly effective for it's purpose, one side effect is the onset of diabetes, further complicating the lives of these fragile patients. Eli Lilly...

• Profits Over Safety: Pharmaceutical Giants Still Not Getting the Message

  John Ghezzi | October 04, 2006 3:55 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  How many people must be killed, maimed or injured by pharmaceutical drug companies before the manufacturers stop emphasizing profits over safety? Late last month, Bayer Corporation issued a statement admitting that "it mistakenly did not inform" the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the results of a contract research study that Bayer commissioned on its heart surgery drug Trasylol. The...

• Verdict Win for Merck in Vioxx Trial

  Tiffany Farr | September 29, 2006 1:50 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  On September 26, 2006, a federal jury in Louisiana produced a "Not Guilty" verdict in one of the first trials against Merck, the manufacturer of the painkiller, Vioxx. The plaintiff, Robert Garry Smith, a 56-year old man from Kentucky, alleged the Vioxx he had taken for 4 1/2 months to alleviate knee pain caused his heart attack. So far, ten Vioxx cases have been tried in federal and state...

• September 30th Deadline to file Vioxx Claims Rapidly Approaching

  Tracy Beard | September 27, 2006 4:30 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  The upcoming September 30th deadline to file lawsuits involving Vioxx claims has Texas plaintiffs' firms busy reviewing medical records and preparing for the last minute court filings. Attorneys and support staff in our office are working hard to make contacts and rush orders of pharmacy and medical records to get any viable claims filed before the deadline passes. Texas lawyers, including our...

• Ortho Evra Warning Label Updated

  Esmeralda Fuentes | September 20, 2006 3:45 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  Recently the Food & Drug Administration updated their warning label of the Ortho Evra birth control patch. Recent studies showed that women using the Ortho Evra patch had a higher risk of having blood clots form in their legs or lungs than women using birth control pills. Not only are these people suffering from blood clots but also from strokes and other blood clot linked problems. There has...

• Paxil putting the unborn at risk of heart defects?

  Christen Wiese | September 18, 2006 5:15 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  A Houston area woman has filed a lawsuit against against GlaxoSmithKline a London based company that manufactures the drug Paxil for depression. The suit contends that GlaxoSmithKline withheld pertinent information about the potential risk of the drug Paxil for pregnant women and their unborn children. The Plaintiff in this case was prescribed Paxil six months before she became pregnant for...

• Vioxx Labels: Precautions vs. Warnings

  Allison Snoddy | September 11, 2006 4:59 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  Today, another Vioxx trial has gotten under way in New Orleans. This case differs from the previous ones as the Plaintiff started taking Vioxx after April 2002, the date when Merck added information in the "Precautions" section of the label warning of increased risks for heart attacks and strokes.The major issue is whether Merck should have included this information in the "Warnings" section;...