Product Liability

August 11, 2009

Merck Faces Product Liablity Claim That Fosamax Attacks Jawbone

Merck & Co., the drugmaker facing 900 lawsuits over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes the death of jawbone tissue, goes to trial tomorrow in a case that may affect all the others.

The trial in New York of the first case of the group, filed by Shirley Boles, 71, will be one of three so-called bellwether cases that may point the way to out-of-court settlements.

“In mass litigation, all eyes are on the first trial, not only because it shows the strategy of each side, but also because it’s the first information about how jurors respond to the evidence,” said Howard Erichson, a law professor at Fordham University in New York and an expert on civil procedure.

August 10, 2009

Prescription Drugs and Defective Drug Side Effects

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The side effects known to be caused by such prescription drugs as Accutane, Byetta, Chantix, Digitek, Fentanyl patches, Heparin, Nuvaring, Paxil, Levaquin Yaz/Yasmin and Ortho Evra just to name a few, were repeatedly covered up instead of having FDA approval.

If you or someone you know is taking or has taken prescription drugs in the past, and have experienced serious side effects from them, you should report a side effect to the FDA, CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

August 10, 2009

Levaquin Lawsuits and Side Effects

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The various Levaquin antibiotic lawsuits that have been filed in the state of New Jersey due to Levaquin side effects may be consolidated before a single judge. The alleged tendon rupture problems associated with Levaquin medicine and the resulting adverse affects are prompting many plaintiffs towards legal action.

As is the usual feature for class action lawsuits and consolidations, plaintiffs all appear to have similar complaints and allegations with regard to Levaquin (levofloxacin) and the potential for adverse effects involving tendons.

August 10, 2009

Yaz Yasmin and Drospirenone Side Effects

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Yaz and Yasmin are different from other combination birth control pills because they both contain a new type of progestin hormone known as drsp or drospirenone.

However, drospirenone has diuretic activity that can cause an increase in the user’s potassium levels, which can lead to dangerous health problems and is especially dangerous to users who have pre-existing kidney, liver and adrenal disease.

August 9, 2009

Yaz Side Effects and Pulmonary Embolism

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Yaz birth control increases the risk of pulmonary embolism, a condition in which an artery in the lung (part of the body’s pulmonary system) is blocked by a blood clot so the blood cannot get through to the lung.

All combined-hormone contraceptives (including Yaz birth control pills) increase a woman’s likelihood of suffering a pulmonary embolism, especially if she uses the contraceptive and:

* smokes
* is over 35
* has a family or personal history of pulmonary embolism

August 9, 2009

Yasmin Generic Lawsuit Knocks out Bayer’s Patent over Birth Control Pill

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A federal appeals court has invalidated Bayer’s patent for the birth control pill Yasmin, allowing Teva Pharmaceuticals to produce the generic version, Ocella, without licensing the drug.

The U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s finding that the use of the progestin drospirenone that led to Yasmin were too obvious a pharmaceutical development for Bayer to patent.

Yasmin is an oral contraceptive that combines drospirenone with the estrogen component ethinyl estriadol to prohibit ovulation. While many birth control pills use ethinyl estriadol in combination with progestins, Yasmin was the first to use drospirenone.

August 9, 2009

Yasmin/Yaz Side Effects Caused Several Deaths: Lawsuits filed

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Federal lawsuits have been filed in Ohio and Wisconsin alleging that since Yasmin/Yaz has been available on the market, it has been responsible for over 50 deaths and hundreds of health concerns due to complications with the medicine.

According to medical reports, patients with preexisting conditions such as diabetes, chronic high blood pressure, and several others are at a high risk of dangerous Yasmin side effects.

Yasmin and Yaz are monophasic, combined oral contraceptive pills, developed by Bayer AG. They are a combination of two main chemicals: drospirenone and ethinylestradiol. The complications seem to be a result of the drospirenone; as it is processed in the body, women can experience incresed levels of potassium in their blood over a period of time.

Complications arising from increased potassium levels in the blood include deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, blood clots and renal (kidney) complications.

Report Yaz/Yasmin side effects to the FDA.

August 8, 2009

Birth Control Pill Yaz and Cardiovascular Side Effects

by Dr. Shezad Malik

YAZ (3 mg drospirenone/20 mcg ethinyl estradiol) is an oral contraceptive (OC) which is the first pill to combine 20 mcg of ethinyl estradiol (EE) with the so-called “fourth generation” progestin drospirenone (DRSP). YAZ was approved by the FDA in March 2006.

A company press release: “FDA Approves YAZ(R), The First Oral Contraceptive To Offer Drospirenone In A 24-Day, Active-Pill Regimen”, issued at the time of FDA approval.

File a report of side effects of YAZ/YASMIN to the FDA here.

August 8, 2009

YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella Pills Cause a Higher Rate of Blood Clots

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Estrogen Combined With New Progestin Drospirenone (DRSP) Increase Risks Of Serious Side Effects Like Pulmonary Embolism, Stroke, And Heart Attack
All hormonal birth control options are associated with health risks. The oral contraceptive pills YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella are associated with a possible higher rate of blood clots. Blood clots can cause serious side effects from YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella – namely, stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis.

A blood clot which begins in one part of the body can become a thromboembolism – essentially a blood clot that moves. A clot which moves into the lungs, heart, or brain is a very serious condition which can be fatal, and result in death.

Deep vein thrombosis, DVT, is a blood clot which most commonly forms in the leg. A pulmonary embolism, PE is a dangerous condition in which a clot forms in or has moved into the lungs. When a clot reaches the heart it can cause a heart attack, and clots in the brain can lead to strokes.

There are three possible reasons, or ways, that YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella are suspected to increase a woman’s risk for thrombosis and thromboembolism: estrogen / progestin combination; DRSP’s link to hyperkalemia; and, DRSP’s diuretic effect.

August 8, 2009

Yaz/Yasmin Side Effects Leads to Mass Tort Lawsuits

by Dr. Shezad Malik

There is a mounting number of lawsuits being filed against Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, and the plaintiff’s attorneys across the United States are calling this the latest mass tort. The product liability and personal injury lawsuits against the major pharmaceutical company all allege serious injuries and in some cases death is caused by the fourth generation oral contraceptives, Yaz and Yasmin.

While the two birth control pills are not exactly the same, they are very similar. They both contain the novel progestin component, drospirenone, which is a diuretic that has the potential to significantly increase a risk of increased potassium levels which can lead to both gallbladder damage and blood clots.