FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Another Contact Lens Solution Causes Injuries

  Robert Blanchard | May 29, 2007 5:31 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  As we looked at injury cases from the Bosch and Lomb Renu with MoisturLoc contact lens solution, we noticed a number of cases of Acanthamoeba infection. This is different from the fusarium fungal infection that had been most widely cited in relation to the Renu product, so predictably Bosch and Lomb denied any relationship between its product an Acanthamoeba infections. As if it it just couldn't...

• Antibiotic Ketek - How Many Must Die?

  Robert Blanchard | April 25, 2007 6:43 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  It has been over 9 months since Dr. David Graham, an FDA safety official stated in his June 16, 2006 memo that Ketek should be withdrawn. He said approval of the drug was a "mistake" and contended that "every principle concerning the review and approval of new drugs was abandoned or suspended where [Ketek] is concerned."Dr. Graham believes the benefits of Ketek are outweighed by the risk of...

• Sleep Drugs - Attorneys Slow to Take Cases

  Robert Blanchard | March 27, 2007 11:51 AM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  Despite the recent FDA warning about Sleep Aid medications like Ambien and Lunesta causing hypnotic and potentially dangerous sleep walking behavior, attorneys have been slow to take on these cases. An ongoing theme of the calls to the lawyers' offices invariably involve someone driving while in this hypnotic state. When arrested, the hapless driver is charged with driving under the influence,...

• Vaccine Makers Exempt from the Law

  Robert Blanchard | February 05, 2007 10:03 AM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  As the debate heats up over the HPV vaccination for young girls (pushed heavily by Merck), it should be mentioned that the normal tort laws for injuries from the product do not apply to vaccines. They can injure and kill and there is no liability. There is a federal compensation system, however, and the whole scheme is designed to promote vaccinations. That's ok as long as vaccinations are...

• Strokes Caused by Medications

  Robert Blanchard | January 31, 2007 11:00 AM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  The suits against the makers of Vioxx, Celebrex, PPA and Ortho Evra all include claims that the medication could cause strokes. Strokes a re complicated injuries and can be very severe. The difficulty in proving such claims arises from the variety of other factoors that can lead to a stroke. Some understanding of the different knds of strokes is helpful. Strokes that involve a bleeding in the...

• Antidepressant Suicide - Prosac Paxil Effexor

  Robert Blanchard | January 25, 2007 12:49 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  According to a new study, for suicidal patients who had taken antidepressants, fluoxetine (Prosac) was associated with the lowest risk for causing suicidal tendencies, as opposed to venlafaxine (Effexor) which had the highest risk, as published in the December issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. The aim of this study was to investigate, in a nationwide series of suicidal subjects, how...

• Johnson & Johnson Vice President Blows Whistle on Ortho Evra

  Staff Writer | December 27, 2006 11:31 AM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  The Associated Press reported a new relevation in the ongoing pharmaceutical safety scandal which Johnson and Johnson has been facing in the past year or two. Former vice president and medical doctor Joel Lippman says he tried many times to bring problems with popular drugs such as the ortho evra patch to light, and claims he was fired for bringing attention to the safety of these drug products

• Acetaminophen Recall

  Robert Blanchard | November 15, 2006 12:52 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  I doubt any serious injury cases will come out of the recent incident where metal fragment were found in generic Tylenol tablets. However it may be a good tiime to review the overall safety and effectiveness of the medication.Tylenol (acetaminophen) is the most frequently consumed medication. Acetaminophen is an analgesic (pain reliever) and anti-pyretic (controls fever) medication which is sold...

• FDA Drug Lawsuit Preemption Thrown Out

  Staff Writer | November 01, 2006 4:40 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  A judge in (somewhere) ruled today.....

• What is the FDA Doing?

  Robert Blanchard | July 25, 2006 12:41 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  When a company proposes to market a drug, the FDA will often let them go forward on the promise that they will conduct further studies on the safety of the drug. Unfortunately, it appears that the FDA never follows up to see if these promises are kept. As a result, too many people are injured before a drug gets pulled from the market.As reported,US Report Faults FDA Post-Approval Study...