Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

Natazia (estradiol valerate and estradiol valerate/dienogest), a fourth generation oral contraceptive made by pharmaceutical giant Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc, was FDA-approved on March 15, 2012, for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding.

In February 2012, the FDA gave Natazia a Black Box Warning regarding “Thromboembolic Disorders and Other Vascular Problems.” The warning states:

“Data from a large, prospective cohort safety study of various COCs (combined oral contraceptives) suggest that this increased risk, as compared to that in non-COC users, is greatest during the first 6 months of COC use. Data from this safety study indicate that the greatest risk of VTE is present after initially starting a COC or restarting (following a 4 week or greater pill-free interval) the same or a different COC.”

According to a medical study, patients who received metal-on-metal hip replacements are at no greater risk of developing cancer after a seven-year period than the general population.

The research is published in the British Medical Journal, and recommends that longer-term review is needed of the effect of metal particles released from the implants, because some tumors take many years to develop.

The BMJ and the British Broadcasting Corp. said Feb. 28 that a joint investigation showed patients with the metal-on-metal implants may have been exposed to toxic metals that can cause long-term disability.

The blood thinner Pradaxa, (subject of 6 wrongful death US lawsuits), according to a new FDA report, may have been responsible for another 117 deaths during the second quarter of 2011.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) published their quarterly report (PDF) earlier this week on adverse event reports between April and June 2011.

Pradaxa (dabigatran) is associated with more adverse reported cases than any other regularly monitored drug, the anticoagulant had been on the market for less than a year at the time.

A New Jersey State court will begin the first bellwether trial for NuvaRing lawsuits in February of 2013. These bellwether trials will reach a jury, out of hundreds of cases brought by women who allege the birth control ring increases the risk of blood clot (venous thromboembolism) injuries.

A group of nine cases are being prepared for trial dates in New Jersey state court, where the NuvaRing litigation has been consolidated for “mass tort” treatment before Judge Brian Martinotti in Bergen County.

According to a case management order, the first trial date is scheduled for February 4, 2013.

There is a new warning from the U.K. health officials, that states patients who received combination DePuy MITCH and Stryker Accolade metal-on-metal hip replacement components are experiencing a high failure rate.

The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a medical device alert (pdf) on April 2, stating that there is an increased rate of revision surgery among patients who had a DePuy MITCH acetabular cup/modular head used in combination with uncemented Stryker Accolade femoral stems.

The MHRA is advising orthopedic surgeons not to use the components together and to follow up on all patients implanted with the combination of DePuy and Stryker components as part of a metal-on-metal total hip replacement.

In December of 2011, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety announcement, that it was “evaluating post-marketing reports of serious bleeding events in patients taking Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate).

Pradaxa is a blood thinning (anticoagulant) medication used to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of heart rhythm abnormality.”

Pradaxa Side Effects

Federal drug regulators are expanding the warnings over the potential heart risks of Celexa, with new dosing instructions for the elderly and people with liver problems.

The FDA issued a new Celexa drug safety communication on March 28, limiting the maximum dose as 20 mg for patients over the age of 60. The limit is also recommended for patients with liver problems, who are taking the anti-ulcer medication Tagamet, or who are poor CYP2C19 metabolizers or are taking a CYP2C19 inhibitor.

Celexa (citalopram hydrobromide) belongs to a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and is approved for the treatment of major depression. Celexa is often used off-label to treat other psychological disorders. Celexa is available in brand name form or as a generic in 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg tablets, as well as a 10 mg/5 mL oral solution.

According to federal drug regulators, Merck failed to conduct requested testing on their popular diabetes drugs Januvia and Janumet, which was designed to assess the risk of pancreatis from Januvia and Janumet.

The FDA issued a warning letter to Merck on February 17, and the FDA indicated that Merck failed to comply with proper testing for Januvia and Janumet, and therefore the drugs are now considered misbranded.

Merck promised to conduct the three-month pancreatic safety study when the FDA expanded approvals for Januvia and Janumet.

According to new medical research, Byetta and Januvia may cause increased risk of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

A medical study in 2011 found that users of Januvia and Byetta may be six times more likely to be diagnosed with pancreatitis and three times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

Byetta (exenatide) is used to control blood sugar levels and is part of a class of medications known as incretin mimetics, which imitate natural hormones that lower blood glucose levels. In recent years, FDA adverse event reports have raised concerns about a link between Byetta and pancreatitis, including severe cases of necrotizing pancreatitis and hemorrhagic pancreatitis, which have resulted in several deaths.

An initial conference has been set for April in the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) involving all lawsuits over Wright Medical metal-on-metal hip replacements.

In February, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized the Wright Medical hip replacement lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

According to a Pretrial Order issued March 19, the Court is expected to review issues surrounding the organization of the MDL, a deadline for discovery and pretrial motions, as well as a target date for the conclusion of the MDL.