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FDA Starts Safety Review Of Weight Loss Drug Meridia

Greg Jones — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:25:09 GMT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has begun an expedited safety review of sibutramine based on a recent study showing that some patients have a higher rate of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events after taking the weight loss drug. Abbott Laboratories markets sibutramine as the popular weight loss drug Meridia.

Although the FDA has not made any conclusions, it is studying the initial data from a six-year study referred to a s the SCOUT study which examined the effects of the drug on overweight or obese subjects at risk of a cardiovascular event.

The SCOUT study results demonstrate the need for patients with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias or stroke to avoid using sibutramine or Meridia.

The SCOUT data looked at roughly 10,000 patients who were at least 55, overweight or obese and had a history or heart disease or type 2 diabetes as well as at least one other cardiovascular risk factor. The study did not include those who had recently suffered a heart attack or stroke. The study was designed to demonstrate that weight loss achieved through sibutramine and "standard care" lowered the number of cardiovascular events more effectively than weight loss reached through a placebo and standard care.

The FDA said it "understands the serious nature of the preliminary data" and vowed to share its conclusions with the public as soon as it finishes its expedited safety review.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

Jury tags Pfizer another $28M In Punitive Damages For Prempro

Greg Jones — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:11:11 GMT

Three days after awarding $6.3 million in compensation, a Pennsylvania jury determined Pfizer Inc. will have to pay $28 million in punitive damages to a 66-year-old Donna Kendall claiming that the menopause drugs Prempro and Provera caused her breast cancer.

Kendall took the hormone replacement drugs between 1991 and 2002. Ms. Kendall was diagnosed with breast cancer that would lead to her double mastectomy.

Pfizer said it would appeal the Kendall verdict as well as a jury verdict in the same court ordering the company to fork over $75 million in punitive damages to bellwether plaintiff Connie Barton.

Wyeth, meanwhile, is also one of several defendants named in multidistrict litigation over Prempro. Other defendants named in the MDL include Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc., Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Ortho-McNeil Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.

In that case, the plaintiffs claim that the drug company defendant, convinced doctors and the public that menopause was a chronic disease that required hormone drug treatment by an agressive and lengthy marketing campaign.

In cases like these, the jury send s a message that not only sure Pfizer and other companies not only compensate victims but should be punished by large punitive damages for ignoring the public health consequences in lieu of profits.

Members of the jury said after the trial that the evidence showed Pfizer units Wyeth and Pharmacia & Upjohn dismissed opinions that their hormone replacement drugs cause cancer, according to the Plaintiff's lawyer.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

Pfizer Popped With $6.3M Prempro Verdict

Greg Jones — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:14:33 GMT

A Pennsylvania jury has ruled that two Pfizer Inc. units areliable for at least $6.3 million in compensatory damages to an Illinois woman who developed breast cancer after she began taking the menopause drugs Prempro and Provera. The jury has yet to decide on punitive damages.

On Friday, that the jury in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas had issued the verdict after finding that the combination of Wyeth’s Prempro and Pharmacia & Upjohn’s Provera substantially contributed to 66-year-old plaintiff Donna Kendall’s breast cancer.

Kendall, whose case is one of about 1,500 Prempro lawsuits pending in Philadelphia, took the hormone-replacement drugs for 11 years.

Wyeth and Upjohn have prevailed in the "vast majority" of hormone therapy cases set for trial.

Earlier in November, a jury in the same court ordered Pfizer to fork over $75 million in punitive damages to bellwether plaintiff Connie Barton, who developed invasive breast cancer after she began taking Prempro. The same jury had previously awarded Barton $3.7 million in compensatory damages.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

The Great Insurance Lie?

Greg Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:46:29 GMT

Have a worker’s compensation case? Let me guess, the adjuster has told you there is no reason to hire a lawyer because worker’s comp benefits are limited and you’ll only end up getting the same settlement and you’ll have to give part of it to a lawyer…why not keep it all? This is the Great Lie.

It is true; worker’s comp benefits are limited. For example, many states, North Carolina included, don’t pay for pain and suffering or other types of collateral damages. What is not true is that you’ll get the same settlement in every case. There are many different ways to value a case depending on the severity of the injury and possible length of disability. I can assure you (after having worked for the insurance companies for years) that the adjuster will offer you the LOWEST value and say that is all you’re entitled to. Her tag line will be "You can either take this amount now, or you can take it later minus what you have to pay your lawyer." If that were true, why would she care if you were going to hire a lawyer? Why even bring it up? She was going to pay the same amount no matter what, right?

Not right. If someone tells you not to do something, it should spark your thought and make you say "why doesn’t she want me to contact a lawyer?" The most probable reason isn’t that she cares about you and just wants you to have all the money. It is more likely that she’s trying to low ball your settlement and hopes you’ll believe that Great Insurance Lie.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

2 NC judges nominated to fill vacancies on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Greg Jones — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:51:09 GMT

President Obama has nominated two North Carolina judges to fill vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Wednesday, Obama nominated Judges Albert Diaz and James Wynn to fill seats in the appeals court.

Diaz currently serves as a special superior court judge for complex business cases commonly reffered as "Business Court". Wynn is currently on the the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

In 2001, Diaz became the first Latino to take the bench in the North Carolina Superior Court.

Wynn chairs the ABA's Judicial Division.

According to Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., since 1801, only six North Carolinians have served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Currently, Judge Allyson Duncan is the only judge from North Carolina sitting on the court.

I have had the pleasure to know Judge Wynn for quite some time through the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. Recently I appeared before Judge Diaz on a very complex securites matter. Both are fine jurists and a credit to the North Carolina Judicial System.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

FDA Issues Warning Over Diabetes Drug Byetta

Greg Jones — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:03:34 GMT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about possible kidney problems associated with the use of Byetta, a diabetes drug marketed by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co. Byetta, known generically as exenatide, is used in patients with type 2 diabetes to lower blood sugar levels without the use of insulin, according to the manufacturer. The drug is supposed to imitate the effects of a human hormone and improves blood sugar levels by several mechanisms that work in concert on the stomach, liver, pancreas and brain.

The FDA received 78 reports of kidney problems in patients using Byetta from April 2005 through October 2008, in Tuesday's warning.

Byetta's most common side effects include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which may have contributed to the kidney problems reported. Kidney malfunction can lead to serious or life-threatening illness, according to the FDA.

This is not the first warning issued concerning Byetta. In August 2008, the FDA issued warnings after it received reports of two deaths and six cases of severe pancreatitis.

Byetta should be promptly discontinued if pancreatitis is suspected, the warning said.

Our law firm encourages anyone taking Byetta and experiencing any of the symptoms listed above to check with their doctor. Simple tests may be able to detect if any problems exist. We have been investigating Byetta cases for over a year and continue to review possible cases.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

Obtaining a Rental Car after an Accident

Greg Jones — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:53:47 GMT

Clients often come to our office because they are upset the insurance company for the at-fault driver will not rent a car for them after their car is damaged in an accident. They oftentimes ask if the insurance company is required to provide them with a rental car. They are often surprised at my response.

My clients are often surprised to find out the insurance company does not have a legal obligation to do anything for the accident victim. Their obligation is to the person they insure, not to the injured party. However, since the accident victim has a right to pursue a claim against the at-fault driver for the loss of use of their vehicle, the insurance carrier can usually be convinced to provide a rental car once they have completed their investigation. The adjuster handling the claim will have instructions to complete a list of tasks comprising their investigation of the claim regardless of how clear cut fault seems to be. We can assist the adjuster in completing this investigation in an effort to speed things along.

In addition, our client has the option of renting a car on their own. Oftentimes the insurance adjuster will agree to "take over" the rental once they have completed their investigation and our client will not be charged for the rental car at all. However, sometimes the insurance carrier will refuse to do anything more than reimburse the claimant for a rental car if they rent on their own. Unfortunately, insurance carriers have every right to take this position.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Better Believe! or Country Crock is full of Crock

Greg Jones — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:51:16 GMT

Several consumers filed a class action against manufacturer Unilever U.S. Inc. accusing the maker of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! and Country Crock brands of cholesterol-free margarines of marketing the butter alternatives as healthy although they contain dangerous amounts of trans fat.

The lawsuit contends that Unilever marketed the popular I Can't Believe Its Not Butter!, Country Crock and other margarine brands as being cholesterol-free and good for cardiovascular health despite the fact that each allegedly contains dangerously high levels of artificial trans fats, a toxic food additive banned in many parts of the world.

Trans fat, it says, raises the risk of chronic health disease more than any known nutritive product by raising the levels of the most dangerous form of LDL, or bad, cholesterol and lowering levels of HDL, or good, cholesterol..

Trans fat may also cause type 2 diabetes and has been linked to causing breast, prostate and colorectal cancers, according to the complaint.

Make sure you know what you are buying and become your own health advocate. Look at the labels and educate yourself and your family as to what foods, drugs and supplements you put into your body.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

Yes…you still have a case even if you’ve been fired.

Greg Jones — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:29:59 GMT

I have a number of injured worker’s who call seeking my representation but don’t believe they have a worker’s compensation case because they have been fired by their employer. My quick answer is….you absolutely still have a case and it’s worth pursuing. An employee’s termination from the injury employer can have some affect on the worker’s compensation case but that termination does NOT end the case.

Many employers will treat their worker’s adversely once an injury has occurred. Some employees will be looked down on by the other workers and harassed by the boss. Often times, the injured worker will be written up (or given points) for things they haven’t even done or never received points for before. The key for most injured worker’s in these situations is to contact a qualified attorney sooner rather than later. That attorney can help steer you in the right direction and protect your case.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

More Levaquin lawsuits filed.

Greg Jones — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:32:45 GMT

Another person has joined the nearly 150 lawsuits in multi district litigation involving Johnson & Johnson's antibiotic drug Levaquin. An elderly man alleges that Levaquin caused him to suffer a ruptured tibial tendon.

William Dowling filed a lawsuit Thursday against J&J and its units Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc. and Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development LLC.

The complaint alleges that the phamacuetical companies were negligent, failed to warn the public about issues with the drug, and breached implied and express warranties in the making, marketing and sales of Levaquin.

Levaquin, generic know as levofloxacin, is approved for the treatment of a variety of infections. The lawsuits allege Levaquin causes tendon injuries, including tendon rupture. Adults 60 and older or others on corticosteroid therapy are especially prone to injury.

A trial date is set for August 2010.

In July 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration called for a boxed warning on Levaquin. The announcement came after several requests from the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen to add warnings.

Additionally, our firm is invesigating cases that involve Levaquin and the onset of Stevens Johnson Syndrome commonly known as SJS as well as Toxic Epidemal Necrosis or TEN. If you or a loved one experiences these problems, seek medical help immediately.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones