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Tom Lamb
Wilmington, NC, USA
Tom Lamb is an attorney, or lawyer, who represents patients and their families in drug injury lawsuits.
Interests: law, news, information, drugs, legal, medical, fda, pharmaceutical, medications, side-effects, drug-injury, drug-safety, regulatory
Recent Activity
Infuse Bone Graft: Medtronic-Funded Studies Essentially Ignored Serious Medical Complications And Side Effects Associated With Its Back Surgery Product
A 2009 - 2012 Series Of Investigative Reports Published By The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Exposed Various "Problems" With How Medtronic Went About Boosting Sales Of Infuse (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) In the second part of this Medtronic Infuse series of articles we want to bring to your attention some of the investigative news reports looking into the serious medical complications and side effects associated with the Infuse Bone Graft that were essentially ignored in Medtronic-funded studies. As may know, we started this series with "Medtronic Infuse Bone Graft Efficacy And Safety Study By Yale: Widely Anticipated Results Are Set To Be Released In June 2013". Reporter John Fauber, a news reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, seems to be the journalist who should be credited most for exposing the several problematic aspects of how Medtronic has marketed its Infuse Bone Graft product over the years. Here is a list of such investigative reports published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from 2009 to 2012, ranging from the Infuse clinical trials to serious conflicts of interest and more: Medical device maker paid UW surgeon $19 million Thomas Zdeblick, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, raised eyebrows three years... Continue reading
Posted May 13, 2013 at Drug Injury Watch
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Takeda Gets $6.5 Million Diabetes-Drug Verdict Thrown Out
Quoted from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-01/takeda-gets-6-5-million-diabetes-drug-verdict-thrown-out.html Takeda Gets $6.5 Million Diabetes-Drug Verdict Thrown Out By Jef Feeley - May 1, 2013 5:12 PM ET Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. (4502) persuaded a judge to throw out a $6.5 million jury verdict over its Actos diabetes drug because lawyers for a California man didn’t produce sufficient evidence to show his cancer was caused by the medication. Judge Kenneth Freeman in state court in Los Angeles ruled today Jack Cooper’s attorneys weren’t able to properly link the former telephone-company worker’s bladder cancer to his Actos use and jurors shouldn’t have had a chance to return their verdict... Continue reading
Posted May 3, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Cancer drug Avastin tied to 2 cases of flesh-eating disease in Canada
Quoted from http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/05/02/avastin-flesh-eating-disease.html Cancer drug Avastin tied to 2 cases of flesh-eating disease in Canada Health Canada issues caution to users, echoing U.S. warning CBC News Posted: May 2, 2013 11:05 AM ET The cancer-treatment drug Avastin has been linked to 52 cases of flesh-eating disease worldwide, including one that resulted in death in Canada. Health Canada issued a warning today in conjunction with the drug's manufacturer, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., echoing an earlier one from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It offered no specific details on two Canadian cases. Avastin is used either alone to treat a particular type... Continue reading
Posted May 3, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Antibiotic Azithromycin Won't Harm Healthy Hearts: Study
Quoted from http://www.philly.com/philly/health/topics/HealthDay675895_20130501_Antibiotic_Azithromycin_Won_t_Harm_Healthy_Hearts__Study.html Antibiotic Azithromycin Won't Harm Healthy Hearts: Study Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter Posted: Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 5:00 PM WEDNESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- The widely used antibiotic azithromycin (Zithromax or Zmax) -- under scrutiny recently because it may increase the risk of death for those with existing heart disease -- appears to be safe for young and middle-aged adults without heart problems, according to a large new study. Danish researchers evaluated more than a million episodes of azithromycin use, comparing it to both the use of no antibiotics and to the use of penicillin V, from... Continue reading
Posted May 2, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Medtronic Infuse Bone Graft Efficacy And Safety Study By Yale: Widely Anticipated Results Are Set To Be Released In June 2013
This Controversial Medtronic Spine Treatment Was Put In The Spotlight By June 2011 Medical Journal Articles About Serious Risks And Problems With Infuse (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) The Medtronic Infuse Bone Graft product was under some scrutiny even before the June 2011 edition of The Spine Journal, which was a special issue containing articles that challenged earlier published research backing the widespread use of Infuse. Among the various problems revealed in those articles was that several clinical studies of the Infuse failed to report serious complications that arose in the device clinical trials. Further compounding this situation was the somewhat veiled fact that those Infuse clinical trials were conducted by surgeons with strong economic ties to Medtronic. In response to this special "Infuse issue" of The Spine Journal, Medtronic gave a $2.5 million grant in August 2011 to Yale University to conduct an independent review of all clinical study data that examined the effectiveness and safety of the Infuse Bone Graft product. The plan for this Yale study review was developed by Harlan Krumholz, M.D., a prominent cardiologist who has been outspoken about the need for full disclosure by drug and medical device companies about their products so... Continue reading
Posted Apr 29, 2013 at Drug Injury Watch
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Takeda loses cancer suit over Actos
Quoted from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/04/29/national/takeda-loses-cancer-suit-over-actos-2/ Takeda loses cancer suit over Actos Drugmaker told to pay dying U.S. man $6.5 million for slack risk warnings Bloomberg Apr 29, 2013 LOS ANGELES – Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. owes $6.5 million in damages to a California man who said Asia’s largest drugmaker failed to warn consumers its Actos diabetes drug could cause cancer, a jury said in the first of more than 3,000 lawsuits over the medication to go to trial. Jurors in state court in Los Angeles deliberated for more than five days before finding Osaka-based Takeda didn’t provide adequate bladder-cancer warnings to Jack Cooper... Continue reading
Posted Apr 29, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Mirena IUD Migrations And Perforations Requiring Surgical Removals Result In Growing Number Of Lawsuits Against Bayer
First Mirena Case Trial, Baugh v. Bayer, Scheduled To Start May 6, 2013 In South Carolina Federal District Court (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) ______________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE: "Plaintiffs granted consolidation in Bayer IUD lawsuits" (Reuters, 4/24/13) Over opposition from Bayer AG, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has consolidated more than 40 personal injury lawsuits stemming from the drugmaker's Mirena intrauterine contraceptive. The judicial panel in Washington on April 8 ruled that overarching commonalities in the cases, which had been filed in federal courts across the country, supported granting consolidation.... (4/25/13) ______________________________________________________________________________ The Mirena lawsuit Kelli Baugh v. Bayer Corporation (USDC, District of South Carolina, 4:11-cv-00525) is scheduled for a May 6, 2013 trial date. If this Mirena trial goes forward as currently set, it will be the first Mirena trial in the U.S. for this relatively new and still growing drug / device injury litigation. In simple terms, the Baugh lawsuit alleges that the design of the Mirena intrauterine device (IUD) allows for the migration of the device through the uterine lining because the way that the Mirena works, essentially, is by thinning the uterine lining. As a result of this "side effect" happening to Kelli Baugh in... Continue reading
Posted Apr 22, 2013 at Drug Injury Watch
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Takeda Denies Actos Bladder-Cancer Link at First Trial
Quoted from http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-04-16/takeda-denies-actos-bladder-cancer-link-at-first-trial Takeda Denies Actos Bladder-Cancer Link at First Trial By Valerie Reitman and Jef Feeley on April 16, 2013 Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Asia’s biggest drugmaker, denied its Actos drug caused a California man’s bladder cancer in the first of more than 3,000 lawsuits over the diabetes medication to go to trial. Plaintiff Jack Cooper developed bladder cancer, the fifth- most common form of cancer, as a result of factors other taking Actos, Sara Gourley, a Takeda lawyer, told a state court jury in Los Angeles today. Cooper, 79, is diabetic and a former smoker, she said. “The evidence... Continue reading
Posted Apr 17, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Takeda’s Actos Diabetes Drug Tied to Cancer, Jury Is Told
Quoted from http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-04-15/takedas-actos-diabetes-drug-tied-to-cancer-jury-is-told Takeda’s Actos Diabetes Drug Tied to Cancer, Jury Is Told By Valerie Reitman, Phil Milford and Jef Feeley on April 16, 2013 Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. (4502), Asia’s biggest drugmaker, hid the cancer risks of its Actos drug to protect billions in sales, a jury was told in the first of more than 3,000 lawsuits over the diabetes medication to go to trial. While Takeda’s internal Actos studies uncovered links to bladder cancer as early as 2004, the company didn’t alert U.S. regulators until seven years later, Michael Miller, a lawyer for plaintiff Jack Cooper, told a state... Continue reading
Posted Apr 16, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Two Conferences About Big Pharma Conduct: One Past (Selling Sickness 2013), One Future (PharmedOut's 4th Annual Conference)
At Their Respective Websites, You Can See What You Have Missed And What You Can Look Forward To In Washington, DC (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) In February I attended Selling Sickness 2013 - People Before Profits, which was a diverse conference about the pharmaceutical drug industry, with a focus on several different facets of its conduct and practices. I want to let you know that the materials used by some of the speakers at this Selling Sickness 2013 conference are now available for download at the conference website on its Presentations page. These are organized by day, session, and name. There are missing presentations that will be added as soon as materials are received from the speakers. And if you want to learn more about the intended subject of any of these presentations you can also view the Official Program for Selling Sickness 2013. For those of you interested in this past conference about Big Pharma conduct, I want to let you know about a somewhat related conference which is coming up in the relatively short-term future. PharmedOut, a Georgetown University Medical Center project that advances evidence-based prescribing and educates health care providers about industry marketing practices, is... Continue reading
Posted Apr 15, 2013 at Drug Injury Watch
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Eli Lilly and Co. settles wrongful death lawsuit
Quoted from http://www.indystar.com/article/20130409/BUSINESS/304090105/Eli-Lilly-Co-settles-wrongful-death-lawsuit Eli Lilly and Co. settles wrongful death lawsuit Apr 9, 2013 Eli Lilly and Co. has settled a long-running wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of a South Dakota boy who committed suicide on Christmas Eve 2004, four weeks after taking the antidepressant Cymbalta. The settlement comes a month before a jury trial was set to begin in a South Dakota federal court. Terms weren’t disclosed in court filings. An order filed last week by a magistrate judge said the settlement involved setting up a trust fund bearing the name of the 16-year-old boy, Peter Schilf.... Continue reading
Posted Apr 10, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Second Fosamax - Femur Fracture Lawsuit Trial Starts In New Jersey, This One In The Federal Court MDL With Judge Pisano Presiding
Still Waiting For The First Jury Verdict In A Fosamax Bellwether Trial Involving Femur Fractures, After The Su v. Merck Case Ended Suddenly In A Mistrial (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) ______________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE: "Verdict for Merck in Suit Alleging Fosamax Causes Femur Fractures" (New Jersey Law Journal, 5/1/13) Jurors answered "no" to the first question on the verdict sheet, which was, "did Bernadette Glynn prove by the preponderance of the evidence that she experienced an atypical femur fracture in April 2009?" Their answer of "no" meant they did not proceed to questions on adequacy of Merck's warning and the proper amount of compensation. The verdict was reached after 15 days of trial before U.S. District Judge Joel Pisano. (5/3/13) ______________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE: "Merck Wins First Femur-Related Fosamax Suit" (Law360, 4/29/13) Merck & Co. on Monday triumphed in a New Jersey bellwether trial over femur fractures allegedly caused by its bone drug Fosamax, after a jury ruled that the nature of the plaintiff’s injury ruled out Fosamax as a potential cause. A New Jersey federal jury found for the drugmaker, deciding plaintiff Bernadette Glynn’s femur fracture could not have been caused by Fosamax, a drug prescribed to treat diminished bone density,... Continue reading
Posted Apr 8, 2013 at Drug Injury Watch
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While searching for liver damage cause by crestor-zetia combo, I came across your article and it was both enlightening and a corroboration of my suspicion for liver problems caused by Zetia. I have been on Crestor-Zetia combo for 3 years. Before that, I was on Lipitor for the longest time (12) with no clinical adverse results. Up to 2010 all Ultrasounds and liver panel results came back normal. In 2010, based on my familial hypercholesterolemia history and persistent slightly high cholesterol levels (146), my GP decided to "up" my therapy. His decision was based on clinical studies benefiting the zetia-crestor combo.
I started this therapy on April 2010. Almost six months into the therapy I started experiencing discomfort on my upper right quadrant. My GP prescribed Hepatic profile tests and all came back "normal". I continued with the discomfort but the same normal tests results ensued. This discomfort turned into a feeling of as if something was swollen in that area, as if there was a mass "jamming up" against my diaphragm...or a feeling of extreme fullness. This came and went. It was not until six moths ago the discomfort became permanent.
I wanted some resolution to this issue so I went to my GP and asked if I can have an Ultrasound of the abdomen to which he also added another liver panel. The liver panel came back normal but the ultrasound indicated the "liver is diffusely hyperechoic" (a fatty liver which untreated leads to cirrhosis!
I am furious to say the least. Now I have a fatty liver because of this stupid medication which if left untreated can have devastating outcome. Can you imagine what would have happened had I not requested further testing?
Merck took down my report and hopefully my recommendations of periodic hepatic panels with either US or CAT scans can save some one else having to go through this experience. But of bourse, is now up to me to take drastic measures and change to rid my body of this condition.
[Anonymous Patient]
Commented Apr 8, 2013 on New Reports Of Vytorin And Zetia Causing Liver Failure And Liver Disease at Drug Injury Watch
New Reports Of Vytorin And Zetia Causing Liver Failure And Liver Disease
2008 Medical Journal Articles Describe Two Cases; Authors Suggest Liver Testing At Start Of Therapy And When Titrating Dosage Is Necessary (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) In December 2007 we told you about an article by New York Times (NYT) reporter Alex Berenson, "Data About Zetia R...
While searching for liver damage cause by crestor-zetia combo, I came across your article and it was both enlightening and a corroboration of my suspicion for liver problems caused by Zetia. I have been on Crestor-Zetia combo for 3 years. Before that, I was on Lipitor for the longest time (12) with no clinical adverse results. Up to 2010 all Ultrasounds and liver panel results came back normal. In 2010, based on my familial hypercholesterolemia history and persistent slightly high cholesterol levels (146), my GP decided to "up" my therapy. His decision was based on clinical studies benefiting the zetia-crestor combo.
I started this therapy on April 2010. Almost six months into the therapy I started experiencing discomfort on my upper right quadrant. My GP prescribed Hepatic profile tests and all came back "normal". I continued with the discomfort but the same normal tests results ensued. This discomfort turned into a feeling of as if something was swollen in that area, as if there was a mass "jamming up" against my diaphragm...or a feeling of extreme fullness. This came and went. It was not until six moths ago the discomfort became permanent.
I wanted some resolution to this issue so I went to my GP and asked if I can have an Ultrasound of the abdomen to which he also added another liver panel. The liver panel came back normal but the ultrasound indicated the "liver is diffusely hyperechoic" (a fatty liver which untreated leads to cirrhosis!
I am furious to say the least. Now I have a fatty liver because of this stupid medication which if left untreated can have devastating outcome. Can you imagine what would have happened had I not requested further testing?
Merck took down my report and hopefully my recommendations of periodic hepatic panels with either US or CAT scans can save some one else having to go through this experience. But of bourse, is now up to me to take drastic measures and change to rid my body of this condition.
[Anonymous Patient]
Commented Apr 8, 2013 on Cholesterol Drug Zetia May Cause Serious Liver Injury Including Hepatitis And Liver Failure at Drug Injury Watch
Cholesterol Drug Zetia May Cause Serious Liver Injury Including Hepatitis And Liver Failure
Health Canada First Raised This Zetia Safety Issue In February 2005; News Reporter Discovers In December 2007 That Information Known By Merck and Schering-Plough About These Zetia Side Effects May Have Been Withheld (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) Back on February 1, 2005 Health Can...
Fate Of Affymax Anemia Drug Omontys Remains Uncertain As FDA And Drug Company Continue To Study Cause Of Drug Reactions
Fresenius Dialysis Clinics Decided To Stop Using Omontys Before FDA Warning Came Out Due To Five Adverse Event Reports From One Day In February 2013 (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) The Omontys (peginesatide) injection had been used in more than 25,000 patients since it was approved by the FDA in March 2012 to treat kidney dialysis patients for anemia stemming from chronic kidney disease. Omontys was generally more convenient than other anemia drugs in that it can be infused once month, while other anemia drugs generally are given a dozen or more times a month. Less than a year after Omontys was FDA-approved, however, all lots of this apparently unsafe drug were recalled by its manufacturer, Affymax Inc., as we reported in this article, "Kidney Dialysis Anemia Drug Recall: Omontys: Hypersensitivity / Allergic Reactions And Anaphylaxis; Serious Side Effects With Some Being Fatal". Now, a new Wall Street Journal (WSJ) piece by reporter Thomas M. Burton provides some interesting background information about the Omontys safety signals that started to emerge back in August 2012 and were finally detected in February 2013. _____________________________________________________________________ Free Omontys Case Evaluation Strictly Confidential, No Obligation. ______________________________________________________________________________ From this March 29, 2012 WSJ news report,... Continue reading
Posted Apr 1, 2013 at Drug Injury Watch
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NuvaRing Update 2013: More NuvaRing Lawsuits Filed According To Merck Report; First NuvaRing Trial Dates Moved Back (Again)
March 2013 Rulings By New Jersey Judge Martinotti And NuvaRing MDL Judge Sippel On Expert Witness Testimony Issues All Go In Favor Of Plaintiffs (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) According to the Merck 2012 Annual Report / Form 10-K, at page 110, there were approximately 1,315 NuvaRing cases filed against Organon, Schering-Plough, and Merck at the start of January 2013, with about 1,105 of those NuvaRing lawsuits being part of the federal court NuvaRing MDL. As background, about a year ago we posted this article, "950 NuvaRing Lawsuits Pending As Of December 31, 2011 According To Merck Annual Report", which was an update to our earlier article, "730 NuvaRing Lawsuits Filed As Of December 31, 2010 Per Merck Annual Report". On March 5, 2013 Judge Brian Martinotti moved the first New Jersey state court NuvaRing trial date from May 6, 2013 to June 17, 2013 at the request of the defense attorneys. It is anticipated that, in turn, Judge Rodney Sippel will move back the start date for the first federal court NuvaRing MDL trial from July 2013 to August 2013. (Note: Back in April 2010 Judge Sippel had scheduled the first NuvaRing MDL to start in June 2011.)... Continue reading
Posted Mar 25, 2013 at Drug Injury Watch
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EU medicines agency to restrict use of Otsuka drug
Quoted from http://news.yahoo.com/eu-medicines-agency-restrict-otsuka-drug-105637064--sector.html EU medicines agency to restrict use of Otsuka drug Reuters–Fri, Mar 22, 2013 LONDON (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency said on Friday it was recommending restricting the use of medicines containing cilostazol, sold by Otsuka under the brand name Pletal, following concerns over side effects. A review of evidence found the drug's modest benefit was only greater than its risk of damaging the heart or causing serious bleeding in a limited number of patients. Cilostazol, also sold as Ekistol, is used for treatment of intermittent claudication, or limping, usually as a result of arterial disease. [Article... Continue reading
Posted Mar 25, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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GE Unit Loses $5 Million Verdict Over Dye Damage to Skin
Quoted from http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-03-22/ge-unit-loses-5-million-verdict-over-dye-damage-to-skin GE Unit Loses $5 Million Verdict Over Dye Damage to Skin By Jef Feeley on March 22, 2013 A General Electric Co. (GE) unit must pay $5 million to an Ohio man who developed a skin disorder tied to the company’s Omniscan contrast agent used in medical tests, a jury ruled in the first verdict over the dye. Jurors in federal court in Cleveland today found GE Healthcare Inc. liable for Paul Decker’s injuries from the Omniscan dye he received during 2005 tests on his heart, Christopher Tisi, one of Decker’s lawyers, said in a telephone interview.... Continue reading
Posted Mar 22, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Omontys recall forces Affymax to ax 75% of workforce, weigh bankruptcy
Posted Mar 19, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Emerging Drug Safety Issue: Possible Increased Risk Of Pancreatic Cancer With Byetta, Januvia, And Victoza -- Little Is Known About Long-Term Effects
As "Pancreatitis Is On The Pathway Toward Pancreatic Cancer", Medical Studies Needed To Determine If GLP-1 Diabetes Medications Linked To Cancers Or Malignancies Involving Pancreas (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) ______________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE: "European Medicines Agency investigates findings on pancreatic risks with GLP-1-based therapies for type 2 diabetes" (EMA Press Release, 3/26/13) (3/26/13) ______________________________________________________________________________ We last wrote about the relatively new and increasingly popular diabetes medications Byetta and Januvia back in November 2011: "Byetta And Januvia: More Debate About The Possible Increased Risk Of Pancreatitis, Pancreatic Cancer, And Thyroid Cancer". And our last report about Victoza was in November 2012: "The Drug-Induced Pancreatitis Safety Problem That Hangs Around Victoza Gets Another Look". Now, with a couple of developments in the first part of 2013, it seems that the pancreatic cancer risk is becoming the real drug safety issue as regards Byetta, Januvia, Victoza, and the other incretin mimetic drugs for type 2 diabetes. In the last few weeks there has been an FDA alert about these diabetes drugs as well as a new significant medical journal article about a study concerning Byetta and Januvia which both have to do, in part, with the possible association between pancreatic cancer and the... Continue reading
Posted Mar 18, 2013 at Drug Injury Watch
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Nicole:
I am sorry to hear about the loss of your mother at such an early age.
We have been investigating pancreatitis cases involving Victoza, Januvia, and Byetta.
If you are interested in a possible legal compensation case against the drug company, feel free to contact me.
I wish you and your family the best in all aspects going forward.
Tom Lamb
Commented Mar 18, 2013 on Acute Pancreatitis Case Associated With Victoza Use, Similar To Byetta And Januvia Case Reports at Drug Injury Watch
Acute Pancreatitis Case Associated With Victoza Use, Similar To Byetta And Januvia Case Reports
Drug Safety Issue Controversy Continues: True Serious Side Effect, Or Attributable To Type 2 Diabetes Condition (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) ______________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE: Victoza (liraglutide [rDNA origin]) Injection: REMS ...
FDA Conducting Safety Review Of Certain Diabetes Drugs
Quoted from http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130314-709260.html FDA Conducting Safety Review Of Certain Diabetes Drugs By Jennifer Corbett Dooren March 14, 2013, 11:46 a.m. ET WASHINGTON--The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Thursday said it is reviewing information about a class of diabetes drugs that suggests they might cause pre-cancerous changes in the pancreas. Such drugs involve newer types of Type 2 diabetes medicines that include Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s (BMY) Byetta, Bydureon and Onglyza; Novo Nordisk A/S's (NVO) Victoza; Merck & Co.'s (MRK) Januvia; and Eli Lilly & Co.'s (LLY) Tradjenta. The pancreas is a gland that produces several hormones and enzymes, including insulin. The... Continue reading
Posted Mar 14, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Federal judge in Alabama orders mediation for Chantix lawsuits not yet settled
Quoted from http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/03/federal_judge_in_alabama_order.html Federal judge in Alabama orders mediation for Chantix lawsuits not yet settled By Kent Faulk | kfaulk@al.com The Birmingham News on March 13, 2013 at 8:00 AM BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - A federal judge in Alabama, who presides over an estimated 2,700 federal lawsuits filed against Pfizer Inc.'s smoking cessation drug Chantix, has ordered plaintiffs who haven't yet reached settlements in their cases to go into mediation to reach agreements. The judge has assigned a mediator for the case. Pfizer on Feb. 28 told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission it had reached settlements in about 80 percent... Continue reading
Posted Mar 14, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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FDA warns about Zithromax and risk of fatal heart problems
Quoted from http://www.boston.com/dailydose/2013/03/12/fda-warns-about-zithromax-and-risk-fatal-heart-problems/gwH9zWy3ZBBmMfRPpgx1wI/story.html FDA warns about Zithromax and risk of fatal heart problems The US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning today about the popular and powerful antibiotic azithromycin (Zithromax or Zmax), saying that it could lead to a potentially fatal irregular heart rhythm in patients who are at higher risk for heart problems. These include people with low blood levels of potassium or magnesium or a slower than normal heart rate, or who use certain drugs to treat abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias. Patients who have existing QT interval prolongation -- a disorder of the heart’s electrical system... Continue reading
Posted Mar 13, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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Merck Hid Fosamax’s Bone-Weakening Risks, Lawyer Contends
Quoted from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-12/merck-hid-fosamax-s-bone-weakening-risks-lawyer-contends.html Merck Hid Fosamax’s Bone-Weakening Risks, Lawyer Contends By Jef Feeley - Mar 12, 2013 1:24 PM ET Merck & Co. (MRK) officials hid the risks that its Fosamax osteoporosis drug could weaken bones and lead to femur fractures, a lawyer told a New Jersey jury in the first case raising such claims to come to trial. Merck researchers ignored signs that extended use of drugs known as bisphosphonates, such as Fosamax, caused femurs to deteriorate in patients such as Christina Su, said Karen Menzies, one of Su’s lawyers, today in opening statements of the trial of the... Continue reading
Posted Mar 12, 2013 at Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation Updates
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