Articles Posted in Dangerous Drugs

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Roche recently unveiled results from a Phase 3 trial of Tecentriq for early-stage liver cancer. The study looked at the use of  Tecentriq and Avastin.  These two drugs work together to target and destroy cancer cells in the body. Tecentriq strengthens the immune system to fight cancer cells, while Avastin prevents the growth of new blood vessels that supply the tumor with nutrients to grow. The manufacturer of both drugs, Genentech, has indicated that the combination appears to reduce the risk of liver cancer recurrence.

The Tecentriq and Avastin combination reduced the risk of disease recurrence or death by 28% when compared to active surveillance after surgery. These results were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s 2023 annual meeting are wildly encouraging and wildly concerning – all at the same time.

Early Stage Liver Cancer

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Warfarin is an anticoagulant medication commonly used to prevent blood clots and stroke in individuals with certain medical conditions such as atrial fibrillation, heart valve replacement, and deep vein thrombosis. It works by blocking the production of certain clotting factors in the blood. Warfarin is one of the most widely prescribed anticoagulants and has been in use for over 60 years.

This page looks at Warfarin side effects and litigation that has surrounded this medication.

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Eliquis, also known by its generic name apixaban, is an anticoagulant medication prescribed to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, as well as to treat and prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).

This post talks about Eliquis side effects. Every drug has them.  But Eliquis has proven to be generally safe and effective.

Our law firm is not involved in any Eliquis lawsuits and attorneys do not believe there are viable causes of action with respect to the side effects of Eliquis.

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Nexium, or esomeprazole, is a drug that is used to treat heartburn and excessive amounts of acid in the stomach. Specifically, it is used to treat duodenal and gastric ulcers, esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Nexium is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach. Other drugs that are in the same class as Nexium include Prevacid and Prilosec. Approximately 15 million Americans use PPIs that are sold both as prescription and over-the-counter. Nexium sales exceed $3 billion a year.


Nexium Class Action Lawsuit Updates 

March 2023: The bellwether trial in the Nexium PPI litigation that was supposed to get started this month has now been postponed to June 5, 2023. Two additional bellwether trials will follow in July and September. No explanation for the postponement was given, but many believe that was done because the parties are close to a settlement. 

August 2022:  Defendants in the PPI MDL had moved to dismiss all failure to warn claims in the PPI class action lawsuit because they are preempted. The argument, and it is a weak one, is that because the FDA (a federal agency) approved the warning labels, state law claims cannot be brought. 

Our lawyers talked about this in the last update in June – this motion is crucial because the crux of this class action lawsuit is that you knew of this problem with kidney injuries yet you did not change their product, instructions, guidelines, or, most importantly, warn doctors of the risk. 

The Special Master in the MDL likely put this issue to bed in the Prilosec-Nexium class action lawsuit. issued a report to the MDL Judge recommending that this argument be rejected because the defendants cannot show that the FDA would have rejected proposals for stronger warnings about kidney damage. The first bellwether trial in the MDL is set for November.

June 2022: The defendants in the Nexium-Prilosec PPI class action MDL have filed motions for summary judgment in the upcoming bellwether test trials. The primary legal argument in this motion is based on a doctrine called federal preemption. The preemption doctrine holds that victims are blocked from bring tort lawsuits under state law if there is a federal law that protects the defendants from liability. The Special Master in the MDL recently allowed both parties to submit additional briefing to address how a recently decided case on the preemption issue (In re Fosamax Alendronate Prod. Liab. Lit.) could potentially impact the issues in the Nexium-Prilosec cases. Our lawyers have read the Fosamax case (which rules in favor of defendants on a preemption argument) and in our opinion it is not applicable to the issues in the PPI cases.

April 2022: There are around 13,500 lawsuits pending in the Nexium-Prilosec PPI class action MDL.  The first trial will be in October.  The hope is that a few trials will set settlement amounts for Nexium kidney lawsuits. But many class action lawsuits – at least lately – have had trials and the parties still could not agree to a settlement amount for the victims.  So the judge, in this case, wants to keep the pressure on the lawyers.  So if a global settlement is not reached, the MDL Judge has identified a group of 200 cases that the parties will be preparing for trial over the next 16 months.

  • These drugs have had a troubled history.  Zantac, which was long considered a great and safe drug, has now been associated with cancer.

Problems with Nexium

Nexium is a controversial drug.  At one point, bone fracture lawsuits were all the rage because there was data suggesting Nexium, particularly the long-term use of Nexium, would cause bone fractures and breaks.  Our lawyers believed many of these lawsuits were meritorious.  But the litigation did not get very far.

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This post looks at the scientific evidence of as to whether acetaminophen/Tylenol can cause asthma in light of a new study.
Does acetaminophen cause asthma?  It is one of those “everyone uses this at some point” products. Tylenol, known by its generic name acetaminophen, is a popular pain reliever and fever reducer. It is estimated that 23% of Americans use acetaminophen in any given week. Concerns regarding liver injury have been raised. Other side effects, such as asthma and eczema and autism and ADHD have also recently been gaining notice from scientists and lawyers. The potential risk for asthma when administered to children and used during pregnancy is a concern that was first raised over 10 years ago.
Several studies have suggested that acetaminophen use in pregnancy, infancy, later childhood, and adulthood may be associated with an increased prevalence of asthma. Two extensive observational studies have demonstrated that increased use of acetaminophen in children has occurred due to concerns of Reye’s Syndrome and allergy/asthma to aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
How would Tylenol cause autism?  No one knows.  One theory is that acetaminophen may cause an imbalance in the body’s immune system, leading to an increased risk of asthma. Another theory is that acetaminophen may reduce the levels of a natural antioxidant in the body called glutathione, which could increase the risk of asthma.  But there are more questions than answers.

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A federal class-action lawsuit on Elmiron was filed in October 2020. Its plaintiffs allege that it causes pigmentary maculopathy. This comes after recent studies have reported on Elmiron’s association with retinal damage.

These Elmiron eye damage lawsuits are expected to explode as people are learning that their eye injuries may be associated with Elmiron.  This could be an extremely large mass tort and it has earned the interest of drug injury lawyers everywhere.

Elmiron

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On July 13, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled Valsartan because they contain the contaminant N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). The FDA noted that Valsartan products pose an unnecessary risk to patients.

Before we get to the 8 things you need to know, let’s get the latest Valsartan lawsuit update for February 2023.

February 2023 Valsartan Lawsuit Update

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Zometa is a brand name for the medication zoledronic acid, which is used to treat various conditions, including osteoporosis and certain types of cancer. Zometa was targeted for a small but signfiicant number of lawsuits alleging that it causes osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ).

What Is ONJ?

ONJ is a condition where the jawbone begins to die due to a lack of blood supply. The biggest symptoms of OJN are pain and difficult eating or even speaking.  ONJ is linked to the use of bisphosphonates, a class of drugs that includes Zometa. The first reports of ONJ in patients taking bisphosphonates appeared in the early 2000s.  Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against Novartis, the manufacturer of Zometa, claiming Zometa caused their ONJ.

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According to the findings of a recent study, taking benzodiazepines such as Xanax or Valium during pregnancy could significantly raise a woman’s risk of having an ectopic pregnancy. In this study, published by Stanford University in the journal Human Reproduction, scholars found that pregnant women taking these drugs to reduce anxiety or induce sleep have a 50% increased chance of developing life-threatening complications.

Normal Pregnancies vs. Ectopic Pregnancies

In a normal pregnancy, a fertilized egg will attach itself to the lining of the uterus in order to begin the growing process. However, an ectopic pregnancy will occur if the fertilized egg implants and grows outside of the main cavity of the uterus.

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Depakote, a brand name of the anticonvulsant medication valproate, is commonly used to treat various medical conditions, including seizures, migraine headaches, and bipolar disorder. However, there is growing concern about the use of Depakote during pregnancy and the risk of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

Recent studies suggest associations between the anti-epileptic drug Depakote and adverse health effects. One study found that it increased the death risk in post-stroke epilepsy patients. Another found an association between Depakote use during pregnancy and the Autism and ADHD risk in children. In addition, individuals have filed lawsuits in France against Sanofi, the European manufacturer of Depakote.

About Depakote