Articles Posted in Pharmaceuticals

Recently, a rash of cases has sprung up involving fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics. Marketed under a variety of names like Cipro, Levaquin, or Avelox, these drugs are used to treat a wide variety of infections. Some sources estimate that roughly 26 million Americans are prescribed FQ antibiotics each year for a wide range of ailments, including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and more.

According to a Consumer Report, the drugs may cause some serious side effects like aortic aneurysms, nerve damage, or dissections. As the largest blood vessel in the human body, damage to the aorta can cause serious implications for a patient’s health, such as strokes or heart attacks and even death in some serious cases. A dissection happens when the aortic walls deteriorate, which permits blood to seep into the outer layers of tissue. An aneurysm, on the other hand, is a bulging or enlarged part of the aorta. In many situations, these aneurysms have no symptoms and are incredibly difficult to identify. It is often not until the aneurysm bursts that the victim can tell something is wrong. Once it bursts, the victim has a 50 percent chance of surviving the event. For either an aneurysm or an aortic dissection, surgery is often required as well as a lifetime of additional medical treatment and observation.

Continue reading →

The first batch of cases in the Xarelto multi-district litigation are set to go forward in early 2017. Situated in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the multi-district litigation includes numerous cases from plaintiffs alleging that they suffered serious injuries as a result of taking Xarelto, an anti-coagulant drug manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. A multi-district litigation, or MDL, is similar to a class action in that multiple claims are grouped together when there are sufficient similarities. Unlike in a class action, however, the plaintiffs in an MDL maintain their status as separate cases, and each plaintiff must still prove his or her individual case. Damages are not awarded to the class in general but are awarded to each plaintiff depending on the strength and merit of each individual case.

In early 2017, about four so-called bellwether cases will be tried. A bellwether case is a term used in MDL actions to describe the initial test cases that are litigated in the action. These cases typically represent common factual scenarios and damages suffered by the broader group of cases in the MDL. The outcome of these bellwether cases will serve as guidance for the parties as they negotiate a global settlement of the claims. The first two cases will be tried in Lousiana, with the third trial taking place in Mississippi and the final bellwether trial for 2017 taking place in Texas during late spring 2017. These dates are tentative and could be revised or canceled during the coming months as the parties perform discovery and prepare for the trials.

The drug was intended to serve as an alternative to Warfarin and was initially prescribed in cases involving patients who received knee surgeries or hip replacements. It was also prescribed as a way to fend off deep vein thrombosis and to prevent strokes in patients experiencing atrial fibrillation. A number of reports quickly arose indicating that patients suffered serious complications after taking Xarelto. As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued multiple black box warnings for the drug.

Continue reading →

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made an announcement regarding the safety of using a number of mental health drugs. According to the statement, Zyprexa, Zyprexa Zydis, Zyprexa Replrevv, and Symbyax may cause patients to develop serious complications, such as facial swelling, swelling in the lymph glands, and fevers accompanied with a rash. These symptoms are referred to as Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms, or DRESS.

A patient experiencing DRESS may first identify a rash on his or her body that begins to spread. Swelling in the face or lymph glands occurs due to a higher-than-average reaction of infection-fighting white blood cells to the situation. This is called eosinophils.

So far, there have been 23 known reports of patients who have experienced DRESS while taking these drugs, which are olanzapine-based. The first product containing olanzapine was approved by the FDA in 1996. The drug has been prescribed to treat mental health conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. While Zyprexa, Zyprexa Zydis, Zyprexa Relprevv, and Symbyax are the common names under which olanzapine is sold, there are also generic brands for the drug.

Continue reading →

A new study released last month concluded that the class of medications referred to as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can lead to cognitive decline disorders like dementia. The study involved patients who took PPIs like Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid between 2004 and 2011. The full range of pharmaceuticals covered in the study includes raberprazole, esomeprazole, pantoprazole, omeprazole, and lansoprazole.

Roughly 73,600 patients were involved in the study. The patients were over the age of 75 years and did not show signs or a history of dementia at the time the study commenced. At the conclusion of the study, the researchers determined that patients who regularly took PPI medications “had a significantly increased risk of incident dementia compared with patients not receiving PPI medication.”

Until recently, lawsuits filed against AstraZeneca, the maker of Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid, have involved allegations that the patients who took the prescription drugs suffered from kidney diseases and heart attacks. This new research provides another potential basis for obtaining recovery from AstraZeneca. If you or a loved one took one of the prescription drugs covered in the study and developed dementia, you may be entitled to compensation.

Continue reading →

A recent study has provided further evidence demonstrating a link between the diabetes drug Actos and bladder cancer. The findings were published in The BMJ and involve a study of roughly 146,000 patients treated for diabetes and bladder cancer between 2000 and 2013. According to the Canadian researchers who performed the study, consuming Actos increases the risk of developing bladder cancer by 63 percent.

The study also reported that the risk of developing bladder cancer increases if the patient takes Actos for two years or more, or if the patient consumes a minimum of 28,000 milligrams throughout their life. The researchers have also found a link between patients who have taken Avandia (rosiglitazone), another prescription drug used to treat diabetes that is within the same class of medicines as Actos.

Continue reading →

Medications have enabled many of us who suffer from illnesses and chronic conditions to feel better and go about our daily lives. In most instances, these medications have little to no side effects. In other cases, however, the side effects turn out to be incredibly dangerous and even fatal. Recently, a number of reports have indicated that Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid and other drugs of the same class, may pose serious risks of injury to patients who take them. These medications are classified as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) and are frequently used to treat chronic heartburn, acid reflux disorders, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Roughly 20 percent of Americans reportedly suffer from GERD.

A number of lawsuits have been filed against AstraZeneca, the manufacturer of these medications. Patients who took the drugs for a minimum period of time have experienced a number of painful and debilitating conditions like renal failure, interstitial nephritis, kidney failure, dementia, heart attacks and more. In many cases, these conditions caused permanent injuries that forever altered their quality of life.

Continue reading →

Pharmaceutical companies have made some incredible breakthroughs when it comes to developing drugs that can help people cope with a variety of conditions. In some cases, these drugs can provide a life-changing solution for people who suffer from painful and debilitating conditions. For all their benefits, however, pharmaceuticals can pose serious and life-threatening dangers to patients. Two of the most recent drugs to come under scrutiny for posing an unreasonable risk to patients are Prilosec and Nexium. Both drugs are manufactured by AstraZeneca and fall within the pharmaceutical category of proton pump inhibitors. This type of medication is commonly prescribed to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and peptic ulcer disease (PUD). First approved in 1988 under the brand name Losec, Prilosec is a first-generation proton pump inhibitor. Nexium is a second-generation version of the drug that was marketed as an improved version of Prilosec.

According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), proton pump inhibitors are associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease. The risk of developing this condition increases when the patient takes the drug over a prolonged period of time. Cases involving kidney-related conditions have already surfaced in patients who have taken Nexium and Prilosec. A man in Tennessee, for example, has been diagnosed as having interstitial nephritis, renal failure, and a heart attack after taking Prilosec and Nexium pursuant to a physician’s prescription.

Continue reading →

Moll Law Group and Bayer have entered into a settlement agreement under which Moll Law Group agreed to dismiss with prejudice the pending litigation on behalf of its client in The United States District Court of and for the Southern District of Illinois. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement, Bayer agrees to pay the Plaintiff $1.5M and holds no admission of liability or wrongdoing of any position whatsoever in connection with any matters relating to Plaintiff’s alleged use of Ocella or otherwise.

The case involves a young woman who consumed the birth control pill, Ocella, manufactured by Bayer. In 2011, the young woman was 23-years and was a first time birth control user. Within weeks of her Ocella use, Plaintiff began experiencing problems that led to surgeries and partial loss of vision. The complaint, filed in 2013, states that the Plaintiff was prescribed Ocella and suffered injury including, but not limited to, loss of vision, blood clotting and various brain traumas that required continuous surgery.

Ocella is an oral birth control medication with a combination of 2 hormones: an estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and a progestin (drospirenone). The complaint cites studies that suggest drospirenone is a diuretic that can cause an increase in potassium levels in the blood. This can lead to a condition known as hyperkalemia (elevated blood potassium levels). Hyperkalemia can cause heart rhythm disturbances, such as extra systolies, pauses or bradycardia. If left untreated, hyperkalemia can be fatal. If hyperkalemia disrupts the normal heart rhythms, the flow of blood through the heart can be slowed to the point that it permits blood clots to form. Blood clots in the heart can lead to heart attacks, or the clots can break off and travel to the lungs where they can cause pulmonary embolism, or can travel to the legs where it can cause deep vein thrombosis, or it can travel to the brain causing a stroke.

CHICAGO, April 18, 2016: A Chicago law firm stated today that it is investigating the filing of lawsuits nationwide against AstraZeneca, the makers of Prilosec and Nexium. Moll Law Group has been contacted and is currently investigating claims of chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, acute interstitial nephritis, renal failure, kidney failure, and heart attack. Nexium and Prilosec are Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) that are used to decrease the amount of acid produced in the stomach.

Proton Pump Inhibitors are commonly used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and peptic ulcer disease (PUD). Prilosec, originally approved as Losec in 1988, was the first member of the Proton Pump Inhibitor class of medications. Nexium is a second generation Proton Pump Inhibitor said to be an improvement on Prilosec. Both are manufactured by AstraZeneca.

A February, 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), published the results of a new study which showed a higher risk of chronic kidney disease in patients using Proton Pump Inhibitors like Nexium (esomeprazole), Prilosec (omeprazole), and similar prescription and over-the-counter medications. The results showed the risk of chronic kidney disease was higher with prolonged use. Continue reading →

Cancer is one of the worst medical conditions that a person can suffer. No matter what kind of cancer you have or the stage at which you are diagnosed, the treatment can be painful, lengthy, and difficult for the patient and his or her family. Modern medicine has developed a considerable number of drugs, therapies, and treatments designed to combat cancer and to help soften the blow of symptoms associated with intensive therapies like chemotherapy.

Recently, a well-known cancer drug called Taxotere, primarily used to treat breast cancer, has been linked to permanent hair loss in patients who take the drug as a cancer treatment. A number of lawsuits have already been filed against the drug’s manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis, alleging that the company failed to provide an adequate warning about the potential for suffering permanent hair loss as a result of taking Taxotere.

When it was first released into the market, Taxotere’s label stated that patients’ “hair generally grows back” following completion of the treatment cycle. According to the manufacturer’s own studies, however, roughly three percent of all patients reported experiencing recurring or permanent hair loss. Since it was first approved, the drug has been approved for use in other types of cancer treatment, including gastric cancer, head and neck cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and prostate cancer.

Continue reading →