If an over-the-counter muscle and joint pain reliever is causing more pain or skin damage, including swelling or blistering, stop using it and get medical help, cautions the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency has received dozens of complaints that serious skin injuries, ranging from first- to third-degree chemical burns, were allegedly caused by…
DetailsThe bad news is that nearly 123 million medical devices, from ultrasound gels to hip implants, were recalled in the last quarter. According to ExpertRecall, a company that tracks recalls, while the number of recalled devices has dropped from the previous quarter, the number of units that were affected topped the 100 million mark for…
DetailsFor the second time this year, the Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about the dietary supplement Reumofan Plus, which has caused bleeding, strokes and death among those who have taken the pills. The FDA said while the pills are being marketed as being a “natural” remedy for arthritis and muscle pain, Reumofan…
DetailsA U.S. District Court judge in Ohio has scheduled the first bellwether trial for lawsuits filed against DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., alleging defects in the metal-on-metal ASR hip replacement system. A bellwether trial is used for multiple lawsuits with common complaints. The Ohio trial is set for May 2013. Attorneys were ordered to submit four trial…
DetailsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to medical device maker Medtronic, saying it lacks adequate complaint procedures and its response to complaints and an FDA investigation were inadequate. Medtronic manufactures implantable drug infusion systems, deep brain stimulation systems, spinal cord neurostimulation systems, nerve monitoring products and other neurological medical/surgical products. The…
DetailsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that patients with Riata or Riata ST heart defibrillator implants have X-rays or other scans to check for abnormalities in the lead insulation. The manufacturer, St. Jude Medical of Minnesota, recalled the leads in November 2011 due to premature erosion of the insulation around the electrical conductor wires.…
DetailsA California woman was awarded $5 million and her husband $500,000 after a jury found that transvaginal mesh manufacturer C.R. Bard Inc.’s negligence caused the woman’s injuries including incontinence and chronic pain. The jury ruled on July 23, 2012, that Bard was 60 percent responsible and the surgeon 40 percent responsible for negligent handling of…
DetailsNineteen West Virginia families have filed lawsuits against the drug maker Pfizer, claiming their children suffered birth defects after their mothers took the anti-depressant Zoloft. The lawsuits were filed in Wayne Circuit Court and name Pfizer Inc.; Roerig, a division of Pfizer; and Greenstone LLC. The mothers involved in the separate lawsuits allege they took…
DetailsYou’ve probably heard how taking aspirin can help prevent heart attacks, but one new study shows that daily aspirin use can slightly lower your risk of dying from cancer, especially cancer in the gastrointestinal tract. The study, which was funded by the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, showed that people who took aspirin daily for…
DetailsAmericans spend more than $62 billion each year on pills and diet plans that claim to melt the pounds away – but those promises aren’t guaranteed to work. Most diet pills haven’t even been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as safe for weight loss. Diet pill makers often claim their products have…
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