Tysabri (natalizumab), a drug used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) or Crohn's disease, was found to increase the risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in some patients. PML is "a rare but serious brain infection," according to FDA MedWatch.
Last Updated (Monday, 30 January 2012 14:59)
An ongoing FDA epidemiological study supported the connection between the diabetes drug Actos (used to treat Type II diabetes) and the development of bladder cancer, particularly for patients taking Actos for a year or longer. The FDA warning against Actos came after two European countries banned the drug due to its possible risks.
Multaq (dronedarone) was found to increase the risk of death or serious adverse cardiovascular events if used by patients in permanent atrial fibrillation (AF).
The reproductive and drug safety advisory panels just voted on the safety of Bayer's drospirenone oral contraceptives. The verdict: 15-11 voted that the pill's risks outweighed any possible benefits and 21-5 voted that the pill's information label needs to be amended to include a possible increased risk of blood clots.
Last Updated (Monday, 19 December 2011 12:02)
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), which are found in most antidepressants (including Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax, Luvox, Luvox CR, Paxil, Paxil CR, Pexeva, Zoloft, and Viibryd), were added to the FDA's MedWatch after they were found to increase the risk of PPHN (Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the newborn).
Last Updated (Wednesday, 14 December 2011 14:32)
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The AP (12/5, Perrone) reported, "Birth control drugs that were heavily promoted as having fewer side effects and the ability to clear up acne and other hormonal bothers are under new scrutiny from safety regulators." Recently, studies have suggested "that newer birth control formulations are more likely to cause blood clots." According to one report, the FDA scheduled meetings for later this week "to consider new safety measures" for oral contraceptives. Last Updated (Saturday, 10 December 2011 17:16)
Merck & Co., the pharmaceutical company charged with illegally promoting its painkiller Vioxx for unapproved uses, settled for $950 million in court last Tuesday. The drug manufacturer faced criminal and civil charges for its false advertisements after some patients suffered severe adverse side effects from the mismarketing. Merck & Co. is not the only pharmaceutical company to face court charges after ignoring patient health for profit. Some other companies that have recently undergone huge settlements for illegal marketing include GlaxoSmithKline ($2.3 billion), Abbott Laboratories ($1.4 billion), and Eli Lilly & Co (1.42 billion). Last Updated (Thursday, 24 November 2011 21:16) Abbott Laboratories ($ABT) set aside $1.5 billion for a potential off-label marketing settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. If the settlement closes at $1.5 billion, it would rank as the second-largest off-label settlement in history, outranked only by Pfizer's $2.3 billion deal. The potential legal settlement would resolve a longstanding investigation into Abbott's Depakote promotions. Whistleblower lawsuits allege that Abbott pushed the epilepsy drug, which is also approved for bipolar mania and migraine prevention, for a variety of unapproved uses. The company boasted that Depakote could treat autism, sexual compulsions, agitated and aggressive dementia patients, along with other conditions. The unapproved uses were promoted in a variety of U.S. healthcare settings, including long-term care and assisted-living facilities. Last Updated (Thursday, 20 October 2011 18:53)
A Los Angeles Superior Court jury in California awarded $48 million to a man who allegedly contracted a severe skin disorder and mouth blisters after taking the popular pain reliever Motrin. The man filed a negligence lawsuit against the drug manufacturer, claiming that his side effects were not adequately listed on the medication label. The man said that after using Motrin to get rid of aches and alleviate a fever, he noticed skin lesions and mouth blisters. The manufacturer has claimed that the side effects and conditions could be connected to aspirin and Tylenol.
In the age of prescription drugs and antidepressants, where drugs are administered over-the-counter without any major restrictions, more people are dying each year from medications than from traffic accidents. A recent L.A. Times article looked at the impact prescription drugs have upon American society, and their dangers if used in certain combinations. In 2009, prescription drugs factored in the deaths of over 37,000 people. Less people died in motor vehicle accidents that year, which was a new phenomenon, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While most other causes of "preventable" deaths are declining, prescription drug-related deaths are increasing. According to The Times, the death toll due to prescriptions has doubled in the last decade, claiming a life approximately every 14 minutes. For concerned doctors, parents, and consumers, these deaths indicate a growing epidemic.
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In the largest settlement to date between a drug company and the federal government, GlaxoSmithKline will pay $3 billion to settle civil and criminal claims related to its illegal marketing practices for several drugs. Avandia, one of the pharmaceutical company's most widely distributed drugs, was found to increase the risk of heart attacks in some patients. Rather than modifying the drug label to include an increased warning for heart attacks, or voluntarily recalling the drug, GlaxoSmithKline attempted to suppress an article that linked Avandia to the increased risk of heart attacks. Last Updated (Friday, 02 December 2011 09:29)
A safety announcement posted today by the FDA revealed an increased concern for drospirenone-containing birth control pills. Two drospirenone birth control pills on the market today, Yaz and Yasmin, have been under heavy scrutiny the past few years. Drospirenone has been known to increase potassium levels, which can lead to dangerous side effects such as heart attacks, heart arrhythmias, deep vein thrombosis, blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks.
The FDA recently announced a label change for the drug Propecia - a drug designed to treat male-pattern hair loss and enlarged prostate glands - to include the warning risk of prostate cancer. Propecia, also known as the 5-alpha reductase inhibitor Finasteride, underwent multiple trials [including The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) and the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE)] and was found to increase the risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer, the most serious form of prostate cancer. Propecia is known to cause Erectile Dysfunction (ED), testicular pain or discomfort, itching, swelling, and a decreased sexual drive. These effects may surface for patients taking just 1mg of Propecia a day. Unfortunately, many patients' side effects have persisted after ceased use of Finasteride, and may be irreversible, according to some medical experts. Last Updated (Tuesday, 11 October 2011 13:12) The pharmaceutical business is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and consistently rated as the most profitable in the world. The industry was recently handed a controversial victory by the Supreme Court — a ruling that may put Americans at risk. The court ruling, Pliva v. Mensing, gives generic manufacturers less liability if their products allegedly cause harm. The average consumer may not know it, but as of 2011, generic drugs and name-brand drugs differ significantly: not in their chemical make-up, but in the legal protections consumers have if something goes wrong. Patients who choose generics — or who have them chosen by their insurance company, pharmacist, or doctor — may unknowingly give up their ability to seek reparations under state law. To illustrate: two patients walk into a pharmacy and get prescriptions filled for the same ailment. One buys a brand-name drug, the other a generic. Both medicines have identical ingredients, provide the same health benefit, and have labels that match word for word. Unfortunately, both patients suffer devastating harm because the labels fail to disclose known serious side effects. Thanks to Pliva v. Mensing, one patient can seek legal remedy to recover expensive costs. The other, the one who bought a generic pharmaceutical, cannot.
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Written by Drug Recall Writer
Anybody who watches television, surfs the Internet or flips through a magazine is very familiar with advertising for pharmaceutical drugs picturing attractive, healthy and active people. Prescription and over the counter drugs are used by millions of consumers for various ailments, diseases and medical conditions. For most, prescription drugs can provide great benefit or relief. A consequence of the development of many drugs and the marketing to millions of consumers, are serious side effects or other undesired results. In extreme cases, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) or manufacturer may recall or withdraw a drug.
Over the past few years, the safety of more than a dozen popular prescription drugs has been examined. In some cases, certain drugs have been recalled following reports of serious injury or death.
The recent recall of numerous popular drugs has resulted in heightened scrutiny of certain blockbuster drugs with hearings before Congress in which at least one FDA researcher suggests that the FDA may be incapable of protecting consumers from unsafe drugs and that several other popular drugs currently on the market may also present unacceptable patient risk. According to a survey by the Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General, about two-thirds of Food & Drug Administration scientists are less than fully confident in the agency's monitoring of the safety of prescription drugs now being sold.
DrugRecalls.com is a consumer resource from product liability lawyers engaged in assisting consumers suffering side effects from pharmaceutical drugs.
Not all drugs referenced on this website have been subject to recall or warning. Patients should never stop taking their medicine without first consulting with their physician.
Written by Drug Recall Lawyer
Lawyer of the Year Award...Through your outstanding leadership and advocacy, you have provided the voice of justice in protecting the basic human rights of your clients."
- California Governor, Gray Davis
"Legal Luminary" - The Wall Street Journal
Drug Recall lawyer Dana Taschner is one of the most respected trial lawyers in the United States. Dana has represented numerous individuals in pharmaceutical cases throughout the United States and founded Drug Recalls to provide helpful news and legal information about significant drug recalls impacting millions of consumers. Dana has provided expert legal analysis on CNN and MSNBC, and has been involved in some of the most significant and challenging legal cases in the United States over the last three decades: See Wall Street Journal article quoting Dana on nationwide consumer lawsuits on July 8, 2011 http://online.wsj.com/article/
"Great Plaintiff Lawyer" - The Huffington Post
Dana has been involved in many of the most significant and serious Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or manufacturer drug recalls in history, including: Silicone Gel Breast Implants (FDA ban in 1992), Norplant (birth control implant recall), Fen-Phen (diet drugs recalled in September 1997), Rezulin (diabetes drug recalled in March 2000), Sulzer (hip device recalled in 2000), Baycol (cholesterol drug recalled in August 2001), Zyprexa (schizophrenia drug warning of 2004), Ortho Evra (birth control patch recalled in 2004) Avandia (diabetes drug recalled in July 2007), Paxil (SSRI Black Box Warning 2004), and Depuy Recall (hip device recalled in August 2010). Dana represented thousands of consumers adversely affected by these products after serious side effects or deaths were reported in connection to these pharmaceuticals. Dana has filed the first legal claim in the Courts of the United States following FDA or manufacturer recall in certain national recall cases.
"The height of professional excellence…" - Highest national rating from lawyers and judges for skill and integrity.
For twenty consecutive years Dana has been awarded the highest national AV-rating (preeminent) for his legal ability and ethics based on reviews by judges and lawyers. Dana was awarded the American Bar Association's Sole Practitioner of the Year from a field of 400,000 lawyers, and the United States Senate honored Dana with a Senate Tribute, stating, "Taschner has achieved national recognition… Taschner truly brings honor to his profession." The Senate Majority Leader read into the Congressional Record, "Mr. Taschner's devotion to fighting oppression earned him the American Bar Association's Lawyer of the Year award."


