A lawsuit filed by an Alabama man against Pfizer Inc., maker of the anti-smoking drug Chantix, has been designated the bellwether (test case) among more than 2,600 federal lawsuits filed nationwide. The trial is set to begin Jan. 22 in Florence, Alabama, before U.S. District Court Judge Inge Johnson. Billy G. Bedsole Jr.’s lawsuit became…
DetailsA Minnesota woman has received an undisclosed settlement with Pfizer Inc., maker of the anti-smoking drug Chantix, over the suicide death of her husband, Mark Alan Whitely. Judy Ann Whitely sued Pfizer, saying the pharmaceutical company didn’t warn consumers that Chantix might increase the risk of suicide. Whitely killed himself in November 2007. While the…
DetailsThe dramatic increase in recent years of medical device recalls and resulting litigation has put a financial burden on the insurers, who are, in turn, forcing manufacturers to share the costs. Experts are looking at the 2010 recall of St. Jude Medical’s Riata defibrillators as the next battleground between insurers and manufacturers. The Food and…
DetailsA new report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates that dozens of diet and immune system supplements on shelves make illegal claims on their labels – some going as far as purporting to cure or prevent diabetes or cancer. Government investigators said these claims not only lure consumers into wasting…
DetailsAfter a British study found poor results from hip resurfacing on some men and on women in general, researchers say the technique shouldn’t be used on women and men should be evaluated carefully before having resurfacing. Researchers said resurfacing and metal-on-metal bearings should be examined closely before new implant technology is released. Hip resurfacing has…
DetailsDrug manufacturers have paid $6.6 billion so far this year – double from 2011 – to settle claims that they defrauded U.S. health programs, such as overbilling Medicare and pressuring physicians to prescribe medication in unapproved situations, according to the advocacy group Public Citizen. GlaxoSmithKline alone accounted for a record $3 billion settlement over complaints…
DetailsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating the prescription drug Mirapex (generic name: pramipexole), which is used to treat Parkinson’s disease and restless legs syndrome, after recent studies suggested patients are at greater risk of heart failure. The FDA says the studies weren’t complete enough to determine whether Mirapex was the cause of heart…
DetailsThe Arizona Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court against McKesson Corp. on September 14, 2012, accusing the nation’s largest drug wholesaler of artificially inflating prices of more than 400 brand-name prescriptions. Prescriptions affected include Allegra, Azmacort, Celebrex, Coumadin, Flonase, Lipitor, Neurontin, Nexium, Prevacid and Valium. Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne…
DetailsIf 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…
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