posted by on Aug 31
Denture Cream Class Action
High levels of zinc in denture cream adhesives are to blame for zinc poisoning, neuropathy, and other neurological problems, according to a denture cream class action filed in 2009. With 35 million denture adhesive users in the United States, this denture cream class action may turn out to be a major class action. Makers of Super Poligrip and Fixodent are both named in denture cream class actions which hinge on a 2008 study published in the jounal Neurology.
The study showed subjects who had developed neurological problems associated with zinc poisoning. The subjects had all used large amounts of denture cream adhesive like Fixodent and Poligrip. Poligrip is made by GlaxoSmithKline and Fixodent is made by Proctor and Gamble. The plaintiffs in the Poligrip class action are Michael Lowe and Marlon J. Bond. Plaintiffs in the Fixodent denture cream class action are Sandra Williams, Diane M. Bates and Retha Jones.
When denture wearers use denture adhesive cream, they may ingest zinc or absorb it through the gums and mouth. Increased zinc levels in the body will lower copper levels, leading to neurological problems, and possibly to the user becoming disabled. Sometimes zinc poisoning leads to a state where the user has to remain in a wheelchair for life.
Symptoms of zinc poisoning include:
- unexplained pain
- numbness
- paralysis
- tingling in the hands or feet
- dizziness
- loss of sensation
- muscle weakness
- lethargy
Since the first denture cream class action was filed in 2009 in the State of Tennessee, the makers of Super Poligrip have produced a zinc-free denture adhesive. Plaintiffs are asking GlaxoSmithKline to pay for medical testing, medical monitoring, and treatment for zinc poisoning. They claim that makers of denture cream failed to warn them of risks of high zinc levels in their product. Both Poligrip and Fixodent are among the most widely used denture cream adhesives.
posted by on Aug 29
Fen-phen Progression Claim
Diet drug Fen-Phen, or fenfluramine, was banned in the United States in 1997. A Fen-Phen class action lawsuit was filed and won by plaintiffs, and now the Fen-Phen progression claim is entering its final phase. For those who are unfamiliar with the term “progression claim”, it’s for:
- people who registered for the claim in a timely manner
- those who used Fen-Phen
- people whose conditions have progressed to a point where they may need extra compensation
To become part of the Fen-Phen progression claim, it’s extremely important to pay attention to deadlines, since they tend to be very strict for these types of claims.
Fen-Phen was popular in the 1990s, and approved by the FDA in 1996, even though the chief medical officer refused to sign the approval. Another FDA officer approved the drug, just a year before studies showed that women taking the drug developed . Dr. Heidi Connelly of the Mayo Clinic, reporting in The New England Journal of Medicine in August 1997, linked her patients taking Fen-Phen with pulmonary hypertension and heart-valve abnormalities. Fen-Phen was banned: Pondimin and Redux, brand names for Fen-Phen, produced by American Home Products were recalled from the shelves.
Fen-Phen cost American Home Products $3.75 Billion in the end, and Fen-Phen progression claims continue to this day.
posted by on Aug 7
Reglan Use is Said to Cause Tardive Dyskinesia
Reglan tardive dyskinesia lawsuits are being consolidated into class action suits in New Jersey and other states. Reglan and its generic version, metoclopramide, are drugs maufactured and prescribed for relief of gastrointestinal problems. Reglan aids in contractions of the upper digestive tract, helping to move food through the system more quickly. Reglan was approved by the FDA for use over short periods of time, up to twelve weeks. However, because of recurring nature of the gastrointestinal difficulties suffered by patients on Reglan, doctors often prescribe Reglan or metoclopramide for longer periods of time.
Disorders for which Reglan is taken include gastroesophageal reflux, gastroparesis, and delayed gastric emptying among others. These disorders can return time and time again.
Reglan has serious health side effects about which plaintiffs allege they were not warned. Reglan class action lawsuits are brought by patients who took Reglan and consequently suffered from Reglan tardive dyskinesia symptoms. Tardive dyskinesia is a condition in which involuntary movements of the head, arms or legs, or ticks, become regular in the person suffering the symptoms. The reglan side effects can last way beyond the period of time during which Reglan was taken, even much longer after Reglan use has ceased.
Reglan tardive dyskinesia lawsuits are consolidating in multiple states, including New Jersey, the latest to consolidate the cases. Consolidation means that only one court will have to familiarize itself with the complex medical and legal aspects of the reglan tardive dyskinesia lawsuit. A judge familiar with pharmaceutical lawsuits was chosen for the reglan class action.
posted by on Jul 31
Avandia Settlement Reaches $460 Million
GlaxoSmithKline PLC will pay $460 million in an Avandia settlement following the Avandia lawsuits filed this year. Around 13,000 suits claimed the drug company failed to warn its customers that Avandia posed risks for heart attacks in people taking the drug. Avandia is a diabetes drug, which allegedly causes heart attacks. GlaxoSmithKline is the UK’s biggest drug maker, and will settle about 10,000 of the 13,000 cases against it.
Avandia is a drug manufactured to treat Type 2 Diabetes, but the FDA had recommended it be removed from the shelves due to risk of heart attacks and heart failure. There is a safer alternative, called Actos. It is believed that Avandia was responsible for 300 deaths in the last three months of 2009.
Avandia class action lawsuits allege that GlaxoSmithKline hid the fact that Avandia posed a heart attack risk. The average Avandia settlement is $46,000.
The first round of Avandia settlements occurred in May, when they paid $60 million to settle about 700 cases. Drugmakers often settle to save time and money. Plaintiffs claim they suffered needlessly, after taking Avandia. A growing body of reports causes skepticism over the drug’s safety.
$3.5 billion has been set aside by GlaxoSmithKline for Avandia settlement and litigation costs. They will continue to settle many cases out of court, but not all of them. The first Avandia case will go to trial this Fall in Philadelphia. All suits claim GlaxoSmithKline suppressed information about the health risks posed by their drug to people taking it to treat their diabetes.
posted by on Feb 21
Avandia Class Action Over Side Effects
An Avandia class action is brewing since release this week of a Senate investigation into the popular Diabetes drug. Confidential federal reports link Avandia to heart attacks and heart failures, and over three hundred deaths in the last three months of 2009.
Avandia is a drug made by GlaxoSmithKline for treatment of Diabetes Type 2. The drug has been controversial for years, as some reports held by the Feds link Avandia side effects to heart failure and heart attacks. But only this week has the idea of an Avandia class action hit the news, because of the Senate investigation.
Results of the investigation are that GlaxoSmithKline should have warned patients who take Avandia about the serious side effects. Scientists from the FDA even advocate removing Avandia from the market. There is an alternative, called Actos, which has not been associated with such serious side effects.
Avandia has been linked to 500 heart attacks and 300 heart failures each month. Reports as far back as 2007 from studies conducted on patients taking Avandia show links to heart problems from the drug. In 2006, sales of Avandia produced for GlaxoSmithKline $3.2 billion. After the 2007 study, profits decreased for Avandia, which had once been one of the biggest-selling drugs in the world.
The main point of the Avandia class action is that GlaxoSmithKline failed to put warnings on the label about the serious side effects.
posted by on Jan 15
Side effects from the birth control Ocella can be signs of potentially life-threatening problems. If you have had any adverse side effects while taking oral contraceptive Ocella, you may be eligible to join an Ocella lawsuit. Cases are being reviewed nationwide.
Ocella is the generic form of Yasmin birth control, produced by Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Yasmin and Ocella were approved by the FDA as oral contrceptives and to treat symptoms of Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Neither drug was approved to treat acne or PreMenstrual Syndrome (PMS).
Ocella has been marketed throughout the country in a misleading way, and women have suffered needlessly, claims the potential class action Ocella lawsuit. Television commercials feature women apparently suffering from PMS symptoms such as bloating and breakouts, neither of which are symptoms of PMDD. The ads show happy women with very clear skin, supposedly because they had taken Ocella, and this is misleading.
In addition to making misleading claims for the drug, the Ocella lawsuit states that dangerous side effects are downplayed or not even mentioned, giving a false impression of the drug. Ocella side effects such as blood clots and gall bladder disease are not sufficiently addressed in the TV commercials.
Blood clots are serious health risks, and can lead to stroke, heart attack, and even death. Gall bladder disease and gallstones may lead to gall bladder removal surgery. Participants in the Ocella lawsuit seek compensation for their pain and suffering, as well as medical expenses.
posted by on Jan 10
Back in 2006, Yaz was approved by the FDA as treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). It was the first birth control pill to gain such approval and sufferers of severe PMS rejoiced as they looked forward to relief from symptoms that affected their interpersonal relationships, their work productivity, and overall enjoyment of life. This fourth generation birth control pill is considered a miracle pill for a multitude of symptoms. Little did they know they were putting themselves at risk for Yaz gallbladder disease.
By combining the hormones estrogen and progestin, Yaz treats PMDD and also stops 99 percent of pregnancies. It’s prescribed as a cure-all that can solve several health care issues in one pill. About 5% of women suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which can be described as PMS times ten. Women suffer not only physical symptoms but also sufffer from depession and anxiety. Yaz birth control relieves much of this and has thus been very popular since its introduction in 2006.
But now we’re discovering something called Yaz Gallbladder disease. It’s a serious side effect of taking Yaz, one not to be ignored since women are already twice as like to suffer from gallstones as men. Yaz gallbladder disease occurs because the pills increase the cholesterol levels in the bile. It also decreases gallbladder movement and this can lead to gallstones. When a gallstone gets trapped in a bile duct, serious problems are encountered.
Yaz gallbladder disease may result in the patient needing laproscopic gallbladder surgery, which has its own set of adverse side effects that continue post-surgery. If you have taken Yaz birth control, you may want to stay informed about upcoming birth control lawsuits and stay abreast of research developments in the Yaz and Yasmin industry. Yaz Gallbladder disease is a serious issue that requires your attention as soon as you think you may be feeling symptoms.
posted by on Jan 3
Yaz, a hormonal birth control, is manufactured by Bayer Healthcare and touted as the miracle pill for sufferers of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD is a severe form of PreMenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and affects about 5% of women. Yaz is also prescribed for acne and of course as an oral contraceptive. But if you’ve been taking Yaz birth control, you may want to know about a Yaz class action lawsuit that possibly pertains to you.
Some women taking Yaz develop Yaz Gallbladder Disease as a result of taking this oral contraceptive. Cholesterol levels may become high after taking Yaz, which adversely affects your gallbladder. Women taking Yaz may develop gallstones as a side effect, and this may result in the need for gallstone surgery. There is a Yaz class action lawsuit for this, and if you think you have gallstone symptoms as a result of taking Yaz, you may want to learn more. Even the negative side effects of having your gallstones treated, including gallstone removal surgery, are covered in the Yaz Class Action Lawsuit.
How do you know if you have gallstones? Symptoms can occur after eating fatty foods and often at night and include:
- you will have a steady pain in you upper right abdomen, and it may increase suddenly, called an “attack”
- pain in your upper back
- pain beneath your right shoulder
To see if you have gallstones, your doctor will perform an ultrasound and gallstones will be visible on the ultrasound monitor if you have them. Usually the remedy for gallstones if cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal surgery. This has its own set of side effects, which are bloating, constipation, gas, and heartburn. You may need to change your diet after cholecystectomy, as well. All this possibly because you were prescribed Yaz birth control.
Stay informed about Yaz class action lawsuits and if you’re taking Yaz, talk to your doctor about gallstones and gallbladder disease.
posted by on Dec 3
The makers of Yasmin and its sister drug Yaz, are being sued in a Yasmin Lawsuit. Teva Pharmaceuticals, the makers of the generic version of the drug called Ocella, are also being sued. Yasmin is an oral contraceptive and the active ingredients are drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol.
How does Yasmin work? Drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol prevent ovulation and cause the cervical and uterine lining. These changes make it harder for sperm to reach the eggs, and harder for fertilized eggs to attach to the uterus.
Yasmin birth control is used as a contraceptive, acne treatment, and as treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), commonly known as severe PMS. It’s been on the market since 2001, and its sister drug called Yaz, was approved in 2006.
So what’s the problem with Yasmin and Yaz? People claim they cause strokes, and they are suing Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. Already more than 125 cases have come into their New Jersey Headquarters, with around six new cases every day. The Yasmin birth control lawsuit also claims that heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder disease, pulmonary embolisms and death are also caused by the contraceptive, which is very widely used, especially by women under 35.
Already, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals were warned by the FDA over their tv commercials that claimed Yasmin’s ability to relieve PMS. That had not been an FDA-approved use. FDA has also cited Bayer for quality control issues in their labs.
Other contraceptives have been linked to increased risk for blood clots (Nuvaring by Schering-Plough and the Ortho Evra patch) but only Yasmin and Yaz have been linked to gallbladder problems.
A Federal case against Yaz has been prepared for pretrial proceedings in an MDL (multidistrict litigation) in East St. Louis. The same is underway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In New Jersey, you have until December 31 2009 to offer input.
