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