Current Class Action Lawsuits

Darvocet Recall

Darvocet is a prescription painkiller which has been linked to heart problems and risk of overdose, and is now part of a voluntary Darvocet recall.  It is manufactured by Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc, who is recalling the product after the FDA stepped in with new information on the risks of taking the painkiller.   Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc also makes another version of the painkiller, Darvon.  Darvon is also a version of the painkiller propoxyphene.  Darvocet has acetaminophen added, which is the main difference between the two products.   Both are being recalled voluntarily.  The exact names of products recalled and their active ingredients are:

1. Darvon (propoxyphene hydrochloride) capsules
2. Darvon-N (propoxyphene napsylate) tablets
3. Darvocet-N (propoxyphene napsylate and acetaminophen) tablets

The recall comes after new data surfaced, and was reviewed by the FDA.  The FDA then recommended in November 2010 that Darvocet and Daravon, the brand names of propoxyphene, be recalled.  They also informed the makers of the generic versions of the painkillers of Xanodyne’s cooperation in recalling the drugs.  The risks outweighed the benefits, according to new empirical data.  Therefore, Xanodyne is voluntarily removing Darvon and Darvocet from the market.  Generic makers are expected to follow suit.

The problem with the drugs and the reason for the Darvocet recall is propoxyphene.  This opioid has been prescribed for mild to moderate pain for decades.  It was first approved by the FDA in 1957.  There have been requests over the years to the FDA to remove drugs containing propoxyphene from the market.  Starting in 1978, requests were denied because the FDA deemed the benefits of propoxyphene to outweigh the risks.  Now, with new data, a Darvocet recall has finally taken place in the market.

Warnings of fatal overdose were placed on boxes starting a couple of years ago, and Xanodyne was required to perform more studies on the drug.  The studies were to find out more about the effects that propoxyphene may have on the heart.  The studies revealed that the drug caused major changes in electrical activity of the heart, leading FDA officials to advise the Darvocet recall.

Painkiller Recall Lawsuit

A painkiller recall lawsuit is in the making for Darvocet and Darvon.  Makers of the painkiller, Xanodyne, have voluntarily recalled the opioid due to possible connections to heart problems in patients taking the drug.  The drugs contain propoxyphene, which is the ingredient that produces abnormal heart activity, or irregular rhythms in the heart.   This painkiller has been on the market for decades, having been first approved by the FDA in the late 1950s.

Another painkiller recall lawsuit may also be forming over Tylenol products, which have had several recalls this year.  Johnson & Johnson, makers of Tylenol, have recalled painkillers because of odors in the bottles of pills that have supposedly make people sick.  The smell is reported to have moldy tint.  Regular and Extra Strength Childrens’ Tylenol are included in the latest round of painkiller recalls put forth by the drug maker giant.

Some are forming a painkiller recall lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, and they are angry.  According to some Federal regulators, Johnson & Johnson knew about the moldy odors back in 2008 but failed to properly address the situation, performing only a limited investigation.  The company is actually McNeil Consumer Healthcare Products, which belongs to Johnson & Johnson.  They have fifteen days to respond to FDA’s questions as to why they did not act earlier on reported moldy smells in their products, or inform the public.  Roughly 70 people were affected by the odors, which have come from several types of over the counter medications made by Johnson & Johnson.

The smell has been traced to a plant in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, where a chemical used to treat wooden pallets is responsible for the painkiller smells.  Johnson & Johnson is a Brunswick, NJ company which has had several negative headlines recently.  They’ve also received flack for kickbacks to nursing homes in exchange for prescribing their schizophrenia drug, Risperdal.

Zyprexa Class Action Denied

The class action status of a Zyprexa class action lawsuit has been denied in federal appeals court.  The Zyprexa lawsuit had been granted previously, in a lawsuit involving unions, insurers and pension funds against Eli Lilly & Company.

Lilly makes Zyprexa, a drug with  $4.9 billion in sales last year, making the drug company’s top selling product.  Zyprexa is approved by the FDA to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The plaintiffs in the Zyprexa class action alleged that marketing tactics used by Eli Lilly caused them to pay more for the drug than it was actually worth.

Plaintiffs claim that the effectiveness of Zyprexa were exaggerated, and that violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.  A judge gave the case class action status in 2008, but now the Zyprexa class action status has been denied.  In the 2008 ruling, which created the Zyprexa class action lawsuit, all plaintiffs were certified to participate except individuals who bought the drug.  The individual patients were not deemed to have proper representation in the proposed class.

The decision to grant class action status to the Zyprexa lawsuit was overturned just two years later, this fall of 2010 by a federal appeals court in New York.  The 2008 ruling was by a judge in a United States District Court in Brooklyn.

Members of the now denied Zyprexa class action were United Federation of Teachers Welfare Fund, an insurance company, and an association that represents retured New York City police sergeants.

Fentanyl Lawsuit

The Fentanyl Lawsuit Involves Pain Patch Overdose

Fentanyl, an opioid given to patients requiring relief from chronic pain and who have a tolerance for other pain killers, has been named in several lawsuits and may soon be the target of a Fentanyl class action lawsuit.  The typical Fentanyl lawsuit alleges malfunctioning of the pain patch, causing death.  Many cases have been documented where the pain patch did indeed malfunction, causing larger than necessary doses of the pain killer to be dispensed to the patient.

Fentanyl is stronger than morphine, and is approved for use in patients who have developed a tolerance for weaker pain killers.  Patients whose pain is not chronic or who can find pain relief from weaker drugs are not supposed to take Fentanyl.  The Fentanyl patch is also known as the Duragesic Pain Patch, for which lawsuits are also being named currently.  It is strongly possible that the current group of lawsuits may result in a Fentanyl class action sometime in the near future.

Fentanyl is actually the generic name for the Duragesic pain patch, which is reported to be four to eight times more powerful than morphine.  Some sources say Fentanyl is one hundred times the strength of morphine.  Victims receive a Fentanyl overdose from the malfunctioning patches, and suffer serious health issues and even death from the dose.

Fentanyl lawsuits hinge on FDA warnings in 2005 and 2007, when it was warned that some patches would malfunction, causing Fentanyl overdose.  The FDA also warned at that time against patient misuse, also causing Fentanyl overdose.

Fentanyl was one of the drugs most likely to be linked to patient death in 2009, when approximately 400 deaths were attributed to Fentanyl overdose.  The potent painkiller is administered in gel form through a skin patch, which releases the drug slowly, over time.

Fentanyl is a controlled substance, and used incorrectly can cause overdose and death.

Meridia Recall

Diet Drug Meridia Was Recalled

A Meridia recall has been issued by Abbott Laboratories after the FDA told the drug company to cease manufacturing the drug.  Meridia is a weight loss drug available only by prescription, and has been recently linked to possible serious side effects.  Meridia side effects may include an increase in risk of resuscitated cardiac arrest, heart attach, stroke and death.  Following the Meridia recall, a number of Meridia lawsuits and possibly a Meridia class action lawsuit will follow.

Meridia is manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, who are facing another recent legal problem, the Similac recall lawsuit.   Similac is a baby formula in which certain types were found to have bugs in the cannisters, and were therefore pulled form the shelves of stores in the US and Puerto Rico.

The Federal Drug Administration justified the Meridia recall by referring to a year long study in which subjects taking the weight loss drug were found to have increased risk of heart attacks and stroke.  The FDA also noted that for such serious side effects, the results of the drug were minimal.  People who took the drug lost on average only five pounds.

The study, known as SCOUT, found that the increase in risk of heart attack and stroke was sixteen percent.  It was also noted that there was little difference in terms of amount of weight lost between subjects taking Meridia and those taking a placebo.

There’s an ironic and dangerous aside to the approval of Meridia:  it was originally tested and approved for use in obese people who had an increased risk of heart problems.  Studies showed that people taking the weight loss drug lost more weight (more than 5% more) than those who just dieted and exercised.  Later studies intended to show that people on Meridia has less of a chance of developing heart problems, but in actuality the opposite was true and Meridia side effects were quite serious and cardiovascular-related.

Byetta Lawsuits

Pancreatitis and Byetta Lawsuits

Byetta is a drug given to people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, in order to control blood glucose levels.  It works by aiding the pancreas to produce insulin more efficiently, but lately a series of reported Byetta side effects are leading researchers to believe that the drug actually harms the pancreas.  A link between Byetta and Pancreatitis is becoming more likely, as more cases of health concerns are reported by people taking Byetta.  As a result, Byetta lawsuits are forming across the US.

Byetta was first approved in 2005, and is an incretin mimetic.  This means it aids the pancreas to do its job, which is to produce insulin.  However, the link between Byetta and Pancreatitis is showing up, as evidenced by the following Byetta side effects:

• Weight loss
• Heartburn
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

By 2007, the FDA had issued a warning on Byetta, citing potential dangers that can lead to pancreatitis and kidney failure.  30 cases of pancreatitis linking  Byetta and pancreatitis were reported, as well as people whose symptoms improved after they went off Byetta.  21 of the 30 Byetta takers who developed pancreatitis were hospitalized.  Symptoms of pancreatitis got worse when the Byetta dosage was increased.

Byetta lawsuits are based on these events, and claim that makers of Byetta, Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly & Co., failed to adequately warn people of these serious Byetta side effects which can lead to serious health issues.    Byetta, which is also called exenatide, is an alternative to Avandia, another drug that’s involved in drug company lawsuits.  Avandia is now under strict control of the FDA, and is prescribed only when other drugs have failed.  Avandia was found to have heart risks.

One of the Byetta side effects that people don’t seem to mind is Byetta weight loss.  The drug, which is injected twice daily with a Byetta pen, seems to curb appetite in patients.  This does not mean, however, that Byetta should be taken for weight loss.  Organ failure and even death can result from taking Byetta incorrectly or for anything for which it was not prescribed.

Zocor Lawsuit

A Zocor Lawsuit involves High Dosages.

Zocor is a drug prescribed to lower cholesterol levels.  In March of 2010, the FDA issued a warning to people taking the drug at the 80 mg level.  Zocor taken a high dosages (80 mg) can lead to rhabdomyolysis, a potentially fatal disease.  Then, in August of 2010, Zocor was on the list of drugs watched by the FDA.  Called the List of Medications of Concern, it also contained Simvastatin, the generic version of Zocor.  Another potentially harmful cholesterol drug is Vytorin 10/80 because it contains Zocor.  Any person who has taken any of these drugs, especially at high dosages, may be interested in a Zocor lawsuit.

A Zocor lawyer can help you get information about rhabdomyolysis, Zocor side effects, and how to proceed if you think you have symptoms.  Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include muscle pain and dark urine.  Muscle tenderness is actually a normal side effect the class of drugs Zocor belongs to: statins.  But muscle pain may be Zocor side effects.

Zocor is manufactured by Merck and works by blocking the body’s ability to product cholesterol.  At high dosages (80 mg), a disease called rhabdomyolysis can develop as  Zocor side effects.  This would include muscle pain, weakness, and dark colored urine.  A Zocor attorney can help you find out more info, should you decide that a Zocor lawsuit might apply to you.

Poligrip Class Action

Poligrip class action

Poligrip is a widely known and very popular denture adhesive used by millions of people.  A main ingredient of the denture adhesive, and of another brand called Fixodent, is zinc.  Doctors are finding possibilities of links between zinc and Hypocupremia, Hyperzincemia, neuropathy and zinc poisoning.  GlaxoSmithKline, who manufactures Poligrip, removed zinc from the product in February 2010, but that hasn’t stopped a Poligrip class action from forming in the meantime.

A 2008 study published in the American Academy of Neurology stated that excessive and chronic use of denture creams containing zinc may lead to serious neurological damage.  Nearly 35 million Americans use denture cream adhesive, and Fixodent and Poligrip are the two biggest brands.  Poligrip is made by GlaxoSmithKline and Fixodent is made by Proctor and Gamble.  In 2009, a Fixodent class action lawsuit as well as a Super Poligrip class action lawsuit were filed in the State of Tennessee.  Plaintiffs in the Poligrip class action allege that the denture cream adhesive packaging had no warnings of high levels of zinc.

The human body does need some zinc, but levels consumed by denture wearers using Poligrip or Fixodent are way higher than recommended levels.  Zinc is ingested or absorbed through the mouth or gums.  Too much zinc will lower the levels of copper in the body, causing neuropathy, zinc poisoning or other neurological problems that could cause the user to become disabled.

Plaintiffs in the Poligrip class action against  GlaxoSmithKline are Michael Lowe and Marlon J. Bond.  Sandra Williams, Diane M. Bates and Retha Jones are the plaintiffs in the denture cream lawsuit against Procter & Gamble.

Fen-Phen Progression Claim

Fen-Phen Progression Claims

Pondimin and Redux, diet drugs that contained Fen-Phen, were banned in 1997 after only one year of FDA approval.  People had been taking Fen-Phen throughout the 1990s, however, as an off-market drug.  That means it’s a drug not approved by the FDA.  Demand for such drugs is often so strong that the public overlooks lack of FDA approval and asks doctors for the product despite risks.  Fen-Phen held such promises in the 1990s that as many as 85,000 prescriptions a day were being written and filled.

Fen-Phen, the main ingredient in Pondimin and Redux, was finally approved by the FDA in 1996, but not by the chief medical officer, who refused to sign off.  Another medical officer approved the drug despite signs the drug was not safe.

Then in 1997 a doctor discovered that many of her patients on Fen-Phen developed pulmonary hypertension and heart-valve problems.  The diet drug was dangerous, even to those who took the drug for only one month. pulmonary hypertension and heart-valve abnormalities could also show up ten years after taking the drug.

A huge multi million dollar drug class action lawsuit was filed, and won by plaintiffs.  American Home Products, who manufactured Pondimin and Redux, was ordered to pay $3.75 billion in claims.  Now, Fen-Phen progression claims continue to this day.  A progression claim is when someone who registered with the original settlement, who had taken Fen-Phen, and who has developed more  or worse symptoms which may require additional settlement funds.  In other words, the situation has progressed and additional claims may be in order.

People who have taken Fen-Phen and who suffer deepening injuries, should act promptly to become part of a Fen-Phen progression claim.  Strict deadlines apply.

Reglan Class Action Lawsuit

Reglan Class Action Lawsuits Allege Serious Side Effects of Taking the Drug

Lawyers are in the process of consolidating Reglan lawsuits in many states, and in New Jersey the nod was given to begin Reglan class action proceedings, after consolidation.  Consolidating the reglan lawsuits will streamline the process, because only one court will have to become familiar with the complex legal and medical aspects of the drug lawsuit.

The Reglan class action lawsuit stems from allegations that drugmakers who produced Reglan and the generic form metoclopramide failed to warn users that the drug had serious health side effects.  Reglan and metoclopramide are prescribed by doctors for treatment of gastrointestinal problems including gastroesophageal reflux,  gastroparesis, and delayed gastric emptying.

Unfortunately, side effects include a condition known as tardive dyskinesia which causes tics.  This means people who took Reglan may be suffering from involuntary movements of the head, arms and legs.  And the tics last well after patients stop taking the drug, causing significant quality of life issues.

Reglan and metoclopramide were approved by the FDA for periods of time lasting up to twelve weeks.  However, doctors may have prescribed the drug for longer periods of time due to the recurring nature of the gastrointestinal issues suffered by patients.