Pharmaceutical Claims
Nationwide actions involving prescription drugs, dietary supplements, over-the-counter medications and other defective pharmaceutical products can be complex, costly and time consuming.
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Nationwide actions involving prescription drugs, dietary supplements, over-the-counter medications and other defective pharmaceutical products can be complex, costly and time consuming. Hensley Walker, P.A., has the resources and experience to successfully litigate such cases.
Celebrex
In addition to Vioxx, the FDA is keeping a close eye on other prescription drugs with similar chemical structures, including Celebrex (celecoxib) and Bextra (valdecoxib).
Celebrex, also known as celecoxib, is a prescription medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and to reduce the number of intestinal polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).
Concerns have been raised with regard to Celebrex's impact on cardiovascular health, including an increased risk for stroke or heart attack, and even sudden death. While previously published information about Celebrex indicated it was easier on the GI tract than other non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), it was learned that Pharmacia, the manufacturer of Celebrex, failed to disclose all of its research data.
A study from the Cleveland Clinic, appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that annual heart attack rates of patients taking Celebrex was higher than expected. In those studies, .52% of patients taking an inactive placebo pill had a heart attack each year. The annual rate of heart attack was .80% for those taking celecoxib.
Bextra
Bextra is used to relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in adults and is also used to treat painful menstrual cycles.
Bextra can cause stomach ulcers that bleed and other serious problems such as liver damage. Some of the warning signs of liver damage are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite, itching, yellow coloring of skin or eyes, flu like symptoms and dark urine. If this happens, stop taking Bextra and call your doctor right away.
Bextra can cause fluid retention (holding of water in your body). Fluid retention can be a serious problem if you have high blood pressure or heart failure.
Other prescription drugs and pharmaceutical products that have recently have been added to the FDA’s watch list include:
- Levoxyl (levothyroxine sodium) - Reports of tablets stuck in throat, with choking, gagging and dysphagia.(Posted 10/04/2004)
- Pulmonetic Systems LTV Series of Ventilators - Class I recall due to a malfunction when switching to the internal battery, causing failure of the ventilator to breathe for the patient.(Posted 9/30/2004)
- Zometa (zoledronic acid) Injection - Reports of osteonecrosis of the jaw mainly in cancer patients, who have received bisphosphonates as a component of their therapy.(Posted 9/30/2004)
- Medtronic 8870 Software Application Card Version AAA 02 - Class 1 recall due to software application malfunction in programming of implantable infusion pumps resulting in death and injuries due to drug overdose.(Posted 9/24/2004)
- Protonix I.V. (pantoprazole sodium) - Reports of glass vial breakage of Protonix I.V. during attempts to connect vials to spiked I.V. system adaptors.(Posted 9/24/2004)
Prescription drugs that are the subject of current class-action lawsuits include:
- Arava
- Avandia
- Baycol
- Enbrel
- Ephedra
- Fen-Phen
- Meridia
- Mesothelioma
- Oyxcontin
- Permax
- PPA
- Prempro
- Propulsid
- Rezulin
- Serzone
- Zyprexa
(source: FDA Med Watch)
If you or someone you know has taken Vioxx, or if you have questions about any other product on the FDA’s watch list or those subject to class action lawsuits, contact us to schedule a free consultation.
To find answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding pharmaceutical lawsuits, and to learn what your case might be worth, click below to fill out our free case evaluator.
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