FDA warns that antipsychotic may cause compulsive sex, eating
Posted on May 26, 2016 in Pharmaceutical Liability
A drug commonly used to treat mental illness has a frightening side effect, the Food and Drug Administration announced recently. The agency says the drug, Abilify ( aka Aripiprazole ) can cause compulsive behavior, including overeating, gambling and an uncontrollable desire for sex, TIME reports. Abilify is an anti-psychotic used as a mood stabilizer and… read more
Feds Concerned By Compounding Pharmacy Quality Controls
Posted on September 12, 2013 in Pharmaceutical Liability
Officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are concerned by the quality controls at several compounding pharmacies. The drug injury lawyers at Walkup Melodia law firm have handled a number of cases over the last ten years where injury occurred as a result of adulterated or misbranded drugs produced at so-called “compounding pharmacies”. The… read more
Sleeping aids may create unsafe morning drivers, officials say
Posted on August 30, 2013 in Pharmaceutical Liability
On an early July morning, the wife of New York governor Andrew M. Cuomo was driving on Interstate 684 when she crashed her car into a tractor-trailer. After swerving into the truck, Mrs. Kennedy kept driving and exited the highway. The New York Times reports that New Castle police officer Joel Thomas found Mrs. Kennedy… read more
FDA Issues Compounding Pharmacy Warning
Posted on June 1, 2013 in Pharmaceutical Liability
Officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning to healthcare providers concerning drugs made by NuVision Pharmacy. The FDA questions the sterility of products manufactured by this compounding pharmacy. Sterile drugs which contain microbes can seriously sicken or kill patients. This most recent FDA announcement comes amid a renewed focus on… read more
Amgen to pay $762M for marketing deadly drug to cancer patients
Posted on February 8, 2013 in Pharmaceutical Liability
Drugmaker Amgen recently agreed to a $762 million settlement of criminal penalties and whistleblower lawsuits related to its illegal marketing of Aranesp, an anemia drug. Federal prosecutors say that the drugmaker marketed its pharmaceuticals for uses that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explicitly ruled out. “Promoting drugs for unapproved purposes is beyond wrong;… read more
Report: Counterfeit medicines a growing problem in the U.S.
Posted on February 2, 2013 in Pharmaceutical Liability
The cost of pharmaceuticals is a growing problem in the United States and many doctors and patients seek to cut costs by buying online. One internet pharmaceutical company called CanadaDrugs has grown exponentially in the past few years by allowing American physicians and consumers to buy drugs from price-controlled countries such as the U.K. and… read more
Experts debate the safety of newer oral contraceptives
Posted on January 31, 2013 in Pharmaceutical Liability
Medical experts in the U.S. and around the world are beginning to review the safety of newer forms of oral contraceptive pills. The safety of these potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals has been debated due to the risk of blood clots and strokes they pose. Some studies have shown that newer, third- and fourth-generation birth control pills… read more
FDA says Pradaxa is unsafe for patients with mechanical heart valves
Posted on January 28, 2013 in Pharmaceutical Liability
Drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim has started to inform physicians that its drug Pradaxa (dabigatran) is not safe for patients with mechanical heart valves. The German pharmaceutical giant says that its oral anticoagulant should not be given to patients with mechanical heart valves because it increases their risk of strokes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)… read more
Worldwide test proves that ALS drug is ineffective
Posted on January 26, 2013 in Pharmaceutical Liability
Drugmaker Biogen Idec recently announced that one of its new pharmaceuticals has proven to be ineffective on patients who suffer from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The drugmaker’s Phase 3 EMPOWER trial found that the drug dexpramipexole failed to show efficacy in function and patient survival. This means that the pharmaceutical is defective and that the… read more
Investigation continues into deadly fungal meningitis outbreak
Posted on November 15, 2012 in Pharmaceutical Liability
A nationwide investigation continues into a fungal meningitis outbreak that has sickened at least 424 people and killed 31 in 19 states, including California. The outbreak is linked to contaminated steroid injections from Massachusetts-based New England Compounding Center. The specialty pharmacy has been on the radar of health and safety inspectors for years but always… read more