Actos Bladder Cancer Plaintiffs Win $8M from California Jury
A woman who lost her husband to bladder cancer has been awarded a total of $8 million in damages by a California jury who, after eight days of deliberation, ruled that Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the maker of Actos) failed to properly warn the public about the risk of bladder cancer when taking the diabetes drug Actos. This Actos bladder cancer …
First Actos Trial Now Beginning
Jury selection starts today in the first trial against Takeda alleging the diabetes drug Actos caused bladder cancer. There are more than 3,000 similar claims pending. The Plaintiff, Jack Cooper, is suffering with bladder cancer and alleges that Takeda’s U. S. unit didn’t adequlately warn potential patients that Actos could cause the disease. The FDA flagged the risk in a …
Yaz Update from Bayer stockholder’s newsletter
The third quarter Bayer stockholder’s newsletter provided the following update about the YAZ®, YASMIN®, Ocella™ and Gianvi® liability litigation ongoing in the U.S.: As of October 15, 2012, the number of lawsuits pending in the United States and served upon Bayer was about 12,400. In addition, about 720 asserted claims were pending that have not been filed in court. The …
Study: Required medication guides are ‘little value’ to patients
A new study has determined that the FDA-required patient medication guides meant to explain risks associated with prescribed drugs are “of little value” because “they are too complex and difficult to understand,” especially for those with limited reading skills. The researchers, who published their findings in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that only 1 of 185 medication guides …
Pradaxa is ‘promising drug with a flaw’
A New York Times article chronicles the history of the anticoagulant drug Pradaxa, issued by Boehringer Ingelheim as an alternative to warfarin (brand name: Coumadin). According to the article, “A Promising Drug With a Flaw,” “Pradaxa is an example, some critics say, of what can happen when a drug that performs well in tightly controlled trials is released into the …
Medical device makers pressured to foot bill in wake of recalls
The 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 Drug Administration has advised nearly …
FDA investigating Parkinson’s/restless leg syndrome drug Mirapex
The 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 failure, so the agency is …
Bayer settles some Yasmin lawsuits for $402 million
Bayer AG, maker of Yasmin birth control pills, has paid more than $402 million to settle nearly 1,900 lawsuits in the U.S., the company told stockholders. Bayer also reported that it has doubled its reserve to $610.5 million to settle future cases. The settled lawsuits were filed over claims that Yasmin and Yaz contraceptives caused clots that could lead to …
OTC allergy medicines risky if not used properly
Count yourself lucky if you’re NOT one of the estimated 50 million Americans who have allergies of some sort. Seasonal allergies send many people to the neighborhood pharmacy for relief in the form of an over-the-counter medication. The most common OTC medicine allergy sufferers seek is an antihistamine, which blocks the release of histamine that is triggered by exposure to …
FDA wants blood clotting data added to Yaz, Yasmin, others
Based on a recently completed safety review, the FDA has concluded that birth control pills containing drospirenone (a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone, also known as progestin) may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills. The FDA is adding information about the studies to the labels of drospirenone-containing birth control pills such …
