Legal News Articles - Drugs/Medical

Merck Shuts Down Propecia Website

February 9, 2012. By Lucy Campbell.

New York, NY: On February 8, Merck shut down its website for Propecia (Finasteride), the company's medication for male-pattern baldness. Now, instead of the website, a page appears stating that the website is currently unavailable, which has prompted speculation that new or additional warnings may be on their way regarding the sexual side effects reported with the use of the drug.

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Emergency Room Overcharges Almost Caused a Stroke

February 9, 2012. By Jane Mundy.

Shelby, NC: Steve thought he had a pinched nerve in his neck and was getting chiropractic treatment but when one side of his face went numb, Steve figured he should go to the emergency room—just to make sure he wasn't having a "mini-stroke." He was OK, but the Emergency Room overcharges almost gave him a stroke!

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Was Yasmin Birth Control FDA Panel Vote Conflicted?

February 9, 2012. By Gordon Gibb.

Washington, DC: A recent decision by an expert panel convened under the auspices of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding Yasmin birth control continues to be mired in controversy. Now, recent revelations suggesting conflicts on the part of some panelists add further substance to arguments by some that the panel vote should be overturned, the panel recast and the debate reopened.

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CardioGen-82 Problems Result of User Error

February 8, 2012. By Jane Mundy.

Princeton, NJ: The voluntary CardioGen-82 recall by Bracco Diagnostics Inc. last July and the subsequent FDA alert to health care professionals to stop using CardioGen-82 for cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) scans prompted one Tennessee hospital to test more than 100 cardiac patients for radiation exposure. However, in January 2012, the FDA said the CardioGen-82 problems appear to be the result of user error.

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In This Zoloft Lawsuit, the Birth Defect Child Serves As Plaintiff

February 7, 2012. By Gordon Gibb.

Chicago, IL: It's one thing for a parent of a child born with a Zoloft pregnancy defect to take a drug manufacturer to task for allegedly withholding information and marketing a product fraught with risk. It's quite another for the child of a mother prescribed the antidepressant Zoloft to approach the courts for help.

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Autism Drugs among Those That Increase Health Risks for Kids

February 6, 2012. By Charles Benson.

Vancouver, BC: Researchers in British Columbia have found a genetic variation in children that puts them at up to six times greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome when they take certain drugs for mental health problems, including autism medication, according to The Vancouver Sun.

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Depakote Birth Defects That Linger Even After Repair

February 5, 2012. By Gordon Gibb.

Washington, DC: While Depakote is an important drug used to help control and treat seizures, concern remains with regard to its association with Depakote birth defects. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in fact, recently identified divalproex sodium (Depakote) as having a link to severe birth defects and Depakote side effects as evidenced by some studies.

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Number of Actos Lawsuits Growing

February 5, 2012. By Heidi Turner.

Houma, LA: It may still be early in 2012, but the number of Actos bladder cancer lawsuits is already increasing. Multiple Actos lawsuits, alleging a link between Actos and bladder cancer, have been filed by patients who say they were harmed by Actos side effects.

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New Zealand Firm Targets US Acne Market to Fill Void Left by Pulled Accutane Medication

February 5, 2012. By Charles Benson.

Auckland, New Zealand: The US represents the promised land for prescription drug companies, as Americans consume more medications than any other nation. This has motivated a New Zealand company to enter the American acne market to fill the void left by the pulled Accutane medication, according to the New Zealand Herald.

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FDA Issued Multiple Terbutaline Warnings

February 4, 2012. By Heidi Turner.

Washington, DC: It has been almost a year since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about Terbutaline side effects. It has been more than 10 years since the FDA issued an initial warning about the use of Terbutaline during pregnancy, following reports of death in women who used Terbutaline sulfate while pregnant. Since that time, however, terbutaline was still used to treat preterm labor, putting women's lives at risk.

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