Posts for the 'News & Alerts' Category
Following Digitek recall, Actavis issues recall for 65 other drugs made at same plant
On Monday, Actavis Totowa, LLC, the maker of Digitek, recalled over 65 different generic drugs made at their New Jersey manufacturing plant. Following an FDA inspection earlier this year, a number of violations of good manufacturing practices were identified. In April 2008, Actavis issued a Digitek recall for all lots of their generic digoxin which were made at the same plant, after they discovered that tablets had been commercially sold which were twice as thick as they were supposed to be.
>>PRIOR POST (5/4/2008): Digitek Recall Due to Risk of Digoxin Overdose
Zyprexa diabetes warning still needs to be updated
Although Eli Lilly has already paid more than $1.2 billion to settle over 30,000 Zyprexa lawsuits filed by users who claimed that the drug maker failed to provide adequate warnings about the risk of weight gain and diabetes, the FDA still believes that the warning label may not be strong enough.
Avoidable surgery mistakes cost nearly $1.5 billion annually
New government estimates from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) indicate that avoidable surgery mistakes cost employers nearly $1.5 billion each year. According to the data, about 10% of all deaths that occur within 90 days of surgery are caused by preventable surgical errors.
>>INFORMATION: Medical Malpractice
Manor Care lawsuit as a result of West Virginia nursing home death
A West Virginia nursing home trial began last week as a result of the death of a resident at the Heartland of Charleston, which is owned by Manor Care, one of the largest operators of nursing homes in the United States.
>>INFORMATION: Nursing Home Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Zimmer Durom Cup problems could have been discovered sooner
An article in today’s edition of the New York Times highlights the lack of tracking system in place in the United States, which may have alerted doctors sooner to the Zimmer Durom Cup problems which eventually led the manufacturer to suspend sales last week. The decision to stop selling the product in the U.S. came months after doctors first started complaining that patients were experiencing loosening of their Zimmer Durom Cup artificial hip and required revisions of their hip replacements at an alarming rate.
>>INFORMATION: Zimmer Durom Cup Lawsuits
Nursing home sex offenders are not identified in many states
Last week, the House Small Business Investigations subcommittee in Washington, D.C. held a hearing on nursing home sex offenders and other registered violent criminals living at long-term care facilities. In many states there are no requirements that law enforcement officials notify nursing home residents when convicted sex offenders move into a home and many facilities do not take any steps to warn residents or separate sex offenders from the general population when they are made aware of a resident’s violent criminal past.
>>INFORMATION: Signs of Nursing Home Sexual Assault
Pennsylvania motorcycle accident injuries and deaths soared after repeal of helmet law
New research demonstrates the importance of helmet laws in reducing the risk of injury and death in a motorcycle accident. In 2003, the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Helmet law was repealed, allowing motorcyclists to ride with no protective headgear. However, a study published in the current issue of the American Journal of Public Health documents the immediate increase in Pennsylvania motorcycle injuries following the repeal.
>>INFORMATION: Accident Injuries
Zimmer Durom Cup Lawsuits: Hip Replacement Part Sales Suspended
Sales have been suspended in the United States for the Zimmer Durom Cup hip replacement component, since many doctors have reported a substantially higher need for revisions and further hip surgery. The product liability lawyers at Saiontz, Kirk & Miles, P.A. are reviewing potential Zimmer hip replacement lawsuits for individuals who received the Durom Cup and have experienced problems more than three months after surgery or required additional surgeries or revisions.
Topamax birth defects: Cleft Palate, Cleft Lip, Genital Defects
The use of Topamax during pregnancy has been linked to an increased risk of birth defects, such as cleft palates, cleft lips, genital defects. Topamax lawsuits are being reviewed by the lawyers at Saiontz, Kirk & Miles, P.A. for babies born with a malformation or defect after the drug was taken during pregnancy.
Cerebral Palsy Botox Lawsuit filed by Maryland family
A lawsuit has been filed against the manufacturer of Botox by the parents of a four-year-old Maryland boy, whose death in 2007 was attributed to off-label injections of the anti-wrinkle cream which were prescribed to help improve his symptoms of cerebral palsy.
>>PRIOR POST (2/9/2008): Use of Botox to Treat Cerebral Palsy
Linked to Serious Reactions
