It is very sad how you may invest such a large portion of your hard earned income for insurance coverage, and when you need it, you get dropped. It must have been very scary for a California hairdresser to be diagnosed with cancer. As if that wasn’t bad enough, imagine starting cancer treatment, then having your health insurance policy canceled. According to a recent story on ABC news, (http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3846673&page=1) the insurance carrier “set goals for its employees to cancel policies, and the carrier paid more than $20,000 in bonuses to its senior cancellation specialist. “  The article further indicates court documents show that over six years the carrier canceled 1,600 policies, avoiding at least $35.5 million in medical expenses. It is terrifying to think that insurance companies would  drop people when they need the coverage the most, and worse yet, give major bonuses to employees for canceling policies, especially at a time when treatment is critical and a life depends on it. This demonstrates that insurance companies care more about your money than taking care of you. 

Following a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding Tussionex cough syrup on March 11^{th, information regarding the safe administration of the prescription drug has been released.The FDA recommends that no child under the age of 6 should be prescribed Tussionex under any circumstance.}

The cough syrup should only be taken in 12 hour increments. Overdose may result from taking Tussionex in increments more frequent than the recommended doses.

Symptoms of a Tussionex overdose include:

o Trouble breathing, including slow or shallow breathing

o Slow heart rate

o Sleepiness

o Cold, clammy skin

o Trouble walking or talking

o Feeling faint, dizzy or confused

Serious illness and death have been reported in connection with Tussionex. Defective drug attorneys are currently working on cases involving the mislabeling of prescription drug products.

On March 11^{th, 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a warning regarding the prescription cough syrup, Tussionex Pennkinetic Extended-Release Suspension.According to the FDA, Tussionex has been linked to death and serious adverse reactions. A report released by the FDA states that Tussionex was improperly prescribed to children under the age of 6 years old and administered more frequently than recommended.}

Tussionex should only be administered in 12 hour increments. Serious side effects have been reported by those who are given the cough syrup at increments of 6 to 8 hours. Frequent administration of Tussionex can result in overdose, leading to death.

Reports of the serious side effects of Tussionex have also been reported in adults and adolescents.

The FDA is recommending the manufacturer provide clear information and labeling of Tussionex.

Defective drug attorneys are currently working on cases involving the mislabeling of prescription drugs.

In a ruling by a federal district court, it was decided that the Texas Supreme Court’s heightened standard of proof in asbestos cases may not apply to some pharmaceuticals, in this case the dietary supplement drug ephedra. This refers to the case Borg-Warner v. Flores in which the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a plaintiff must present proof showing the amount of particles that the plaintiff was exposed to from each asbestos producer since sickness caused by asbestos exposure can occur several decades after the fact. However, ephedra’s effect occurs within hours and is very short lived. In this case, the court found that there was enough evidence given the nature of this drug (even without going by Borg-Warner) to say that ephedra had caused the plaintiff’s stroke.

This is a good sign for future cases against drug companies. Now that the courts have denied a drug company’s ability to hide behind the unusually high proof standard, the doors have opened back up for the victims of defective drugs. Trial lawyers like those at the law office of Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP are dedicated to helping victims of corporate negligence get the justice they deserve.  If you or a loved one has suffered side effects of a dangerous drug, call the attorneys at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP today, at 1-800-460-0606.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on March 14^{th that it is taking action to stop the import of Heparin into the United States. The active ingredient of Heparin is manufactured by Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC., which has headquarters in both Wisconsin and China.}

A major recall of Heparin was announced in January, 2008. Since then, hundreds of allergic reactions and at least 19 deaths have been reported in association with Heparin use.

A spokesperson for the FDA has announced that since the end of February, no new deaths have been reported due to adverse reactions to Heparin.

The Heparin that is being stopped at the borders is manufactured by Baxter International, Inc. of Wisconsin. Baxter reports that they have not isolated the contamination, so it cannot determine if the contaminated Heparin was manufactured in their Chinese facility.

Defective drug attorneys are currently at work to help those who have faced devastating consequences due to contaminated Heparin.

With the current high cost of pharmaceuticals and continued cost increases for medicines, why is the production of medical drugs being outsourced to foreign nations?  As indicated in a recent article on Fox News entitled “FDA Finds Heparin Contaminant That Killed 19”, the blood thinner was created in China.  Is the United States economy so bad that vital medicines must be made outside the U.S.?  When is the public health placed with such a cheap price tag?  The article also indicated a less expensive compound was used and that caused the 19 deaths.  The public needs to start questioning pharmaceutical companies and hold them accountable for your health.  If you or a loved one has been harmed by a dangerous drug or product, call an attorney with Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP today, at 1-800-460-0606.  The full Fox news story can be seen at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,339448,00.html

The blood thinner, Heparin, was recalled in January due reports of allergic reactions. The active ingredient of Heparin, API, was manufactured in China where it is extracted from pigs.

Adverse reactions of Heparin include stomach pain, nausea, low blood pressure, chest pain, shortness of breath, burning sensations and swelling of the throat. Reactions to Heparin are serious and can result in illness or death.

Producers of Heparin in Germany have since been asked to check if the API is also manufactured in China. Japan has also issued recalls and examinations of Heparin products due to possible contamination.

The Chinese facility where the API was manufactured has been identified as Changzhou SPL.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has stated that the recalled Heparin can be linked to at least 800 adverse reactions and 19 fatalities. Baxter disputes these numbers and claims that the number of fatalities associated with Heparin is four.

The Heparin contaminant has not been discovered, despite the ongoing investigation by the Food and Drug Administration.

Defective drug attorneys are currently working on Heparin cases involving the serious injury or death of those who have suffered adverse reactions to Heparin.

          A recent study by researchers in Britain has concluded that antidepressants are usually no better than placebos. These researchers looked at data from almost 50 different studies on the effectiveness of four antidepressants:
Prozac (fluoxetine)
Paxil (Seroxat or paroxetine)
Effexor (venlafaxine or Novo-Venlafaxine)
Serzone (nefazodone)
          They found that when the studies actually did yield results showing the drugs were effective, even those positive results were over exaggerated. For example, the company might claim the drug worked when actually it was the placebos (sugar pills with no medication) that under performed, rather than the antidepressant that worked better. In fact, the only time the antidepressants were shown to work significantly better than placebos was when they were prescribed to a very severely depressed patient. 
          These findings are good news for patients. Non-chemical therapy methods for treating depression have fewer side effects and can be good for you no matter how serious your ailment. Non-chemical means include exercise, better diet, a relaxed schedule, and spending stress-free time with friends and family. Unlike antidepressants, these are unlikely to worsen your condition or cost you a lot of money.

On March 1, 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a third major recall of Fentanyl Pain Patches.

Actavis South Atlantic LLC, which sells generic versions of Duragesic fentanyl pain patches, voluntarily recalled all lots of fentanyl transdermal system CII pain patches on the market with expiration dates between May 2009 and December 2009.

This third recall of Fentanyl pain patches is an expansion of an initial recall of Actavis Fentanyl pain patches that occurred on February 17th. The original recall only affected fourteen lots.

Actavis states that this third recall is a voluntary measure to prevent any exposure to Fentanyl gel that may result from damaged pain patches that were not already recalled. The Fentanyl pain patches in question have a fold-over defect, which could potentially cause Fentanyl gel to leak.

The only Fentanyl patches that are not affected by this recall are those sold by Actavis in Europe.

Exposure to Fentanyl gel is very dangerous and can result in serious adverse and fatal effects, such as respiratory depression and overdose. Fentanyl is a potent opioid and should only be prescribed to those suffering from chronic pain and who are in need of around the clock narcotic medication.

Do not use damaged Fentanyl pain patches under any circumstance. If exposure to Fentanyl gel does occur, do not use soap, but thoroughly rise the site with water.

Actavis South Atlantic LLC was previously known as Abrika Pharmaceuticals Inc. Some of the recalled patches may still be labeled Abrika Pharmaceuticals Inc., although the outer carton does have the Actavis logo.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious or fatal illness due to damaged Duragesic or Fentanyl pain patches, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Duragesic attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced Fentanyl attorney will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.

Two major studies of Bayer’s Trasylol prove that the anti-bleeding drug leaves patients more susceptible to serious side effects and possible death. After the deaths took place during a Canadian drug study, Bayer stopped selling Trasylol. Prior to Bayer’s withdrawal of Trasylol, the product had been available for 14 years.

Trasylol is administered in the surgery room to prevent bleeding during heart surgery, particularly bi-pass surgery.

During two studies, it was discovered that Trasylol increases the risk of death when given to patients undergoing heart surgery.

The first study focused on 10,000 patients undergoing heart surgery between 1996 and 2005. Within 30 days of the surgery, 6.4 percent of the patients who received Trasylol died. Within one year of surgery, 16 percent of patients who received Trasylol died.

When compared to the patients who were given different prescriptions, they found that the risk of death is 2.5 percent higher in patients who received Trasylol.

Bayer funded a second study. About 78,000 patients were studied from 2003 to 2006. The study found that the risk of death from Trasylol was actually 64 percent higher.

Both studies have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

During a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the effects of Trasylol, the investigating panel discovered that at least 2,000 patients a year die from taking Trasylol.

Bayer did not disclose the results of the study they funded to the FDA panel, claiming that the results were preliminary.

Due to the direct evidence that indicates Trasylol raises the risk of death. It is estimated that Trasylol is responsible for thousands of deaths every month it was in use.

If you or a loved one suffered serious side effects after taking Bayer’s Trasylol during heart surgery, contact a Bayer attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced Trasylol lawyer will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.