FDA Takes Permax Off the Shelves
On March 29, 2007 the FDA officially withdrew the dopamine Permax (uncommonly known as pergolide) due to recent studies that indicate the increase of risk for valvular heart disease in Permax patients. In January, 2007 two new studies were released from the New England Journal of Medicine that linked Permax and a similar drug, Dostinex, directly to the increased risk of valvular heart disease. Damage to the heart valves can lead to heart failure and sudden death. The only option currently available for patients with heart valve disease is open heart surgery and valve replacement, a costly and incredibly risky procedure. According to the Texas Heart Institute, for valve replacement surgery the breastbone must be divided, the heart must be stopped, and blood must be filtered through a heart-lung machine. The dangerous drug Permax was created in order to treat those suffering from Parkinson's disease. Its related drug, Dostinex, was created for the same purpose, but is also used in hormone replacement therapy. The FDA has determined the risk of heart valve disease in HRT patients for Dostinex to be significantly less than in treatment for Parkinson's disease, because a smaller dose is needed for HRT. To learn more about dangerous drugs or talk to an injury lawyer about the dangers of Permax, click here to visit the website of Jacoby and Meyers Law Offices.
Dangerous Drug Zelnorm Removed From Market
All sales of the irritable bowel syndrome drug Zelnorm (the common name for tegaserod maleate) were suspended on March 30, 2007 by their manufacturer Novartis in accordance with an FDA request. Novartis released the results of 29 clinical studies on Zelnorm earlier this year, which lead the FDA to believe there may be a link between Zelnorm and an increase in heart attack or stroke in patients. The data revealed that 0.11% of tested Zelnorm patients (13/11,614) suffered a heart attack or stroke when compared to 0.01% (1/7,031) who suffered heart attack or stroke when given a placebo. Of the 13 affected Zelnorm patients, one person actually died from the effects. The one affected placebo patient only showed symptoms typical of the beginning of a stroke, which dissipated without complications. The removal of the dangerous product may prove to have a significant impact on the company Novartis, as estimated sales for 2011 of Zelnorm were as high as $1 billion, with a proven $488 million last year in the U.S. alone. The FDA had initially approved the drug in 2002, and now claims that it may later allow a limited reintroduction of Zelnrom "if a population of patients can be identified in whom the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks." 1 The company Novartis still claims that Zelnorm can still provide significant benefits for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. But do the benefits outweigh the costs? Public Citizen, the consumer advocacy group, advised the FDA in 2001 not to approve the drug because they believed the drug was more dangerous than it was helpful. Of the drug's approval in 2002, director of Public Citizen's health research group, Dr. Sidney Wolfe stated, "Once again, the FDA has approved a drug with marginal effectiveness in the face of serious questions about its safety - putting at risk the millions of people who have already used it." 1For more information on defective drugs like Zelnorm, click here to visit the website of dangerous drug liability attorneys Jacoby & Meyers.1CayCompass.com: Zelnorm Withdrawn
Vioxx May Have Caused Heart Attacks With Short-Term Use
Vioxx, a brand name for rofecoxib, is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat arthritis. Vioxx manufacturer Merck and Co. withdrew the drug from the market in 2004, due to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events in patients taking the dangerous drug. Although the drug is no longer for sale, lawsuits for injuries caused by the medication are still in progress. A recent study by McGill University Health Centre has revealed that very short term use of Vioxx can cause heart attacks. In fact the risk is greatest during the first few weeks of taking the drug and then begins to decrease. Merck has always claimed that the risks of heart attack and stroke do not develop until after 18 months of use. This may be the breakthrough needed for those pursuing lawsuits against Merck after being harmed by short-term use of the drug. For more information on Vioxx injury litigation, feel free to browse the websites of these dangerous drug injury attorneys.
Lawsuits Are Not On the Rise
You hear it all the time, "we live in a litigious society". Companies, especially small businesses, and individuals often live their lives in constant fear of being sued. We are told that the average American is footing the bill for frivolous lawsuits, through higher insurance premiums, higher prices, and even higher taxes. Cases that sound ridiculous, where plaintiffs are awarded millions of dollars for failing to use common sense, receive unending media attention. So, when politicians start talking about tort reform, it's easy to jump on the bandwagon. In reality the number of lawsuits and the amount of money granted in awards are both going down, not up. When it comes to the courts being overwhelmed with cases, it is criminal cases which are on the rise, not civil cases. Even though the rate of violent crime has dropped, the number of criminal trials is increasing and judges are being reassigned, taking them away from civil cases, to handle the growing caseload. This, in turn, slows down the process in civil lawsuits. For more information about tort reform, click here to visit the website of The Florida Firm of personal injury attorneys Colling, Gilbert, Wright and Carter of Orlando, Florida.
To read more about civil lawsuits, click here to visit the website of Salt Lake City personal injury lawyers Siegfried and Jensen.
Truck Safety Report
The Truck Safety Coalition (www.trucksafety.org) has issued a report card based on truck accidents that have occurred throughout the United States. While the earliest year of data available is from 2005, the report sheds light on some the worst truck accident states. After evaluating the number of truck accidents that occurred through out the country, the Truck Safety Coalition looked at the number of truck accident deaths that occurred for every 100,000 people. The results they generated ranked each state from deadliest to safest. Over 114,000 people were injured in truck accidents in 2005, and in addition to this, 5,200 people were killed in truck accidents, making the average number of truck accidents with fatalities 1.76 deaths for every 100,000 people. The 10 states with the highest average of truck accident deaths per 100,000 population were: - Wyoming (6.09)
- Arkansas (4.17)
- Oklahoma (3.41)
- New Mexico (3.27)
- Mississippi (3.12)
- West Virginia (3.03)
- Kentucky (2.97)
- Kansas (2.91)
- South Carolina (2.91)
- Missouri (2.86)
Truck accidents can be incredibly harmful events for the victims and their loved ones. Not only are truck accidents often fatal, but they can leave victims permanently disabled. If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident, you should contact an experienced truck accident lawyer near you as soon as possible. Below is a list of personal injury attorneys who specialize in automobile and truck accidents.
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