North Carolina updates tagged with 'Defective Products'

Doctors are being urged to cut their prescriptions of the popular cholesterol-lowering drugs Vytorin and Zetia in patients. A recent clinical study showed that Vytorin and Zetia were far more expensive yet far less effective than statin drugs. The study did not raise significant safety issues among patients treated with Vytorin, but did suggest that patients need not pay the higher cost for...

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A study released this week in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that patients receiving the Bayer antibleeding drug, Trasylol, were at a 64% greater risk of death than patients who did not received another medication or no medication at all.The study, based upon research conducted at Duke University Medical Center. looked at approximately 10,000 patients who had undergone bypass...

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Despite its unsafe reputation, the Yamaha Rhino ATV is still being sold. With several fatalities, accidents, and serious injuries, the Rhino is considered among the most dangerous all-terrain vehicles available. From severed limbs and head injuries to broken bones and numerous deaths, the list of those who have experienced a traumatic event as a result of the Yamaha Rhino continues to...

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On Monday, manufacturer Actavis announced a nationwide recall of its painkiller patches containing fentanyl due to a product defect that could result in drug overdose among patients and caregivers. The recall includes patches with an Abrika or Actavis label delivering 25, 50, 75 and 100 micrograms per hour with expiration dates of May through August 2009. This recall comes a week after a...

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Duragesic pain patches containing the prescription painkiller fentanyl were recalled Tuesday, because of a defect that could cause the patches to leak leading to a fatal overdose of the drug inside. Some of the patches may have a cut in the lining of the internal reservoir where the drug is stored in gel form. If the fentanyl gel leaks, it could cause a patient or caregiver to come into direct...

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The FDA on Monday advised doctors to refrain from using Heparin made by Baxter Healthcare after receiving 350 reports this year of vomiting, nausea and breathing difficulty. Heparin is a blood thinner used in surgery and dialysis. Officials first noticed problems after four children who were injected with heparin suffered serious allergic reactions. Government inspectors are examining Baxter's...

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A lawsuit filed in New Jersey state court claims that Fosamax caused multiple stress fractures and suppressed bone regeneration in the legs of a woman who took Fosamax for 10 years. More than 400 people already have sued manufacturer Merck alleging that Fosamax causes a bone-decaying condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw. Osteonecrosis of the jaw is a serious condition in which bone...

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Baxter Healthcare Corporation has announced the voluntary recall of multiple lots of its blood thinner Heparin. Heparin is used to prevent blood clots in people who have certain medical conditions or who are undergoing certain medical procedures that increase the chance that clots will form. The doses subject to the recall are primarily used for hemodialysis and cardiac invasive procedures....

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The judge hearing the cases in the Kugel Mesh Patch Litigation MDL has recently expanded the scope of the MDL to include more hernia mesh patches than what had been recalled. The judge opened up the MDL to include additional Davol and Bard mesh patches, including some that did not contain an internal ring, but were made of a special bi-layered material similar to the Kugel Mesh patches.What...

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Many patients who had experienced abdominal pain, constipation, bowel obstructions and bowel adhesions after hernia repair surgery contacted a lawyer to determine their legal rights only to be told that they did not have a case because the specific mesh patch used in their surgery was not subject to a recall. We at Shipman & Wright, LLP knew that the defect in the patches had to go beyond any...

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Yesterday the FDA approved changes to the Ortho Evra label that includes the results of a new epidemiology study that found that users of the Ortho Evra birth control patch were at higher risk of developing serious blood clots as compared to women who take birth control pills. This latest study, conducted on behalf of Ortho Evra manufacturer Johnson & Johnson, reiterates findings of two studies...

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A study conducted on behalf of manufacturer Johnson & Johnnson revealed that women using the Ortho Evra Contraceptive Patch are at a higher risk of developing serious blood clots than those who use birth control pills. These recent findings reiterate those from an earlier study finding that women, ages 15 - 44, who use the Ortho Evra skin patch have a greater risk for developing a condition...

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The makers of Vytorin and Zetia have announced that they are pulling TV ads for the drugs. The companies waited a whole week to take this action after it was reported that a study found that Zetia was not effective at reducing cholesterol and that Vytorin was no more effective than the much cheaper Zocor (Vytorin is a combination of Zetia and Zocor), and might actually be worse. The study...

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Zetia and Vytorin are not effective, and worse, may actually do more harm than good. Study results that were delayed in being publicized the reports show that while Zetia and Vytorin may slightly reduce cholesterol, they do not reduce plaque build-up in the arteries, and in some cases actually increase the production of plaque. This is not good news for the millions of people who are paying as...

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Yesterday it was announced that, once again, new highly-touted medications are not effective, and worse, may actually do more harm than good. Results from a study regarding Zetia and Vytorin were finally released after much delay and speculation. Much to the public's chagrin, the reports are that Zetia and Vytorin may slightly reduce cholesterol, but they do not reduce plaque build-up in the...

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