Category: Defective Drugs
Study: opioids involved in almost half of US child poisonings
As if there weren’t enough tragedy surrounding opioid drugs, a new study in the journal Pediatrics found that over 47% of all child poisoning deaths in the U.S. involve opioids. By contrast, over-the-counter allergy, cold, and pain medications were involved in just 15% of child poisoning deaths. “There are hundreds or thousands of potentially dangerous substances for
Johnson & Johnson to pay $5 billion toward US opioid settlement
According to the Centers for Disease Control, overdoses involving prescription and illegal opioids kill 128 people every day in the United States. Since 1999, over 750,000 people in the U.S. have died from opioid overdoses. Who is responsible? With this many deaths, it’s unrealistic to blame drug users and doctors alone. Millions of people have
Bayer to settle US Essure contraceptive claims for $1.6 billion
Conceptus, Inc.’s product Essure was an implantable contraceptive device used by millions of women in the U.S. and abroad. Germany-based Bayer AG acquired Conceptus in 2013 for $1.1 billion. In 2016, the FDA required a safety warning on Essure’s label and Bayer stopped selling it in 2018. Unfortunately, thousands of women experienced adverse effects using
Enough opioid prescriptions for half of all Americans?
“We’re 5% of the world’s population, but we consume 80% of the world’s prescription opioids,” says one Stanford medical researcher of the U.S. That’s a problem, especially because opioid painkillers put people at risk for addiction and overdose. Nevertheless, according to public data analyzed by NPR, enough opioid prescriptions are written each year in the U.S. that
Common heartburn drugs pulled over cancer concerns
**NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW CASES Acid reflux and heartburn is a common condition for which many Americans take medication to relieve daily symptoms. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has become concerned that a drug called ranitidine, found in prescription drugs and the over-the-counter heartburn medicine Zantac, could cause cancer. What prompted that concern
Did Walmart obstruct the opioid investigations?
After a civil lawsuit is filed, a process goes on called “discovery.” In this process, each side gets to investigate and gather information, including from the other side. This includes asking questions to be answered under oath, asking for admissions, seeking copies of documents and generally attempting to discover the other’s involvement. For example, a
Weight loss drug Belviq pulled from market for cancer risk
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked the Japanese drug maker Eisai Inc. to pull its weight loss drug Belviq from the market due to concerns the drug can slightly increase the user’s risk of cancer. The extended release version of the drug is also being pulled. Eisai issued a statement saying it withdrew
Addicted to Purdue Pharma opioids? June 30 deadline for claims
People injured by their opioids can file personal injury claims directly against Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the painkillers OxyContin, MS Contin and Ryzolt. Purdue is in bankruptcy, and part of that process involves divvying up the company’s assets among creditors and claimants. As part of its bankruptcy filing, Purdue settled with several states and
California may declare acetaminophen a known human carcinogen
Acetaminophen is one of the most common over-the-counter drugs in the world. It is known by the brand names Tylenol and Excedrin, and it is found in many OTC remedies for pain, flu and fever. It has been available without a prescription in the U.S. since 1955. Now, the State of California is considering labeling
Warning: Gabapentin with opioids can cause breathing problems
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ordered manufacturers to include warnings on the product labels for gabapentinoids, certain drugs that depress the central nervous system, and opioids. The warning will indicate that taking gabapentinoids with opioids can cause serious breathing problems. These problems were also found in people taking gabapentin who had underlying respiratory