Lyrica, a widely prescribed pain medication that is heavily advertised on television may be associated with a higher risk of major birth defects. The journal Neurology reported on the study online on May 18, 2016. The study involved 164 women who took Lyrica during their first trimester of pregnancy. These women were compared to a…
A recent study published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology indicates that the multiple Sclerosis drug mitoxantrone may be associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The drug is prescribed for aggressive types of relapsing remitting or progressive MS that don’t respond to other MS…
The FDA issued a safety announcement on Thursday regarding commonly prescribed antibiotics such as Cipro and Levaquin. The announcement follows an FDA advisory panel in which 35 people testified about severe fluoroquinolone associated disability resulting from the use of Levaquin, Cipro, and Avelox. The drugs have been sold for more than 20 years and are…
While this may sound like a joke it is not. The FDA issued a warning on May 6, 2016 that Abilify, a commonly prescribed antipsychotic drug, may cause patients to have uncontrollable urges to gamble, binge eat, shop and have sex. The warning can be found at http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm498662.htm. The drug is used to treat schizophrenia…
I recently attended a National conference which included an update on the Xarelto litigation. Following is an update on the Xarelto MDL; The litigation was consolidated as MDL No. 2592 in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Honorable Eldon E. Fallon is the presiding judge. As of April there are over 4,500 pending claims in…
A second St. Louis Missouri jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $55 million in damages to a woman who developed ovarian cancer after using talc – powder products for feminine hygiene. J&J is currently facing approximately 1,200 similar lawsuits. This verdict follows a three week trial and one day of deliberations.
Approximately 15 million Americans use Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) to treat conditions such as; Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Dyspepsia, Acid Reflux, Peptic or stomach ulcers. These medications include; Prilosec, Prevacid, AcipHex, Protonix, Nexium, Zegerid, Dexilant, Vimovo. With over $14 billion in annual sales these are the commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S. and worldwide. These drugs…
Pregnant women should not use Diflucan, or fluconazole, the prescription oral medication for yeast infections. The FDA is reviewing a recent European study which showed that pregnant women face a possible increased risk of miscarriage if they take this medication. The CDC recommends that pregnant women use topical antifungal products only to treat yeast infections…
Baby powder is not just used for babies, and there are a growing number of lawsuits claiming that baby powder talc is to blame for ovarian cancer. For years, women have been using baby powder for feminine hygiene. The primary ingredient in baby powder is talc, which is a mineral made up of silicon, magnesium…
A California lawsuit claims that the maker of a widely used breast cancer drug hid harmful side effects, including permanent hair loss, and misrepresented the benefits of using the drug. The suit filed by Ami Dodson claims that Sanofi-Aventis, the maker of chemotherapy drug Taxotere (docetaxel), aggressively marketed its drug without noting harmful side effects,…