The consumer advocate lawyers at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP are reviewing cases involving Permax and Dostinex and their possible link to valvular heart disease (VHD). Typically prescribed for Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), a recent New England Journal of Medicine study has shown a statistically significant percentage of those who used these drugs for more than one year developed the potentially serious complication of valvular heart disease (VHD).

If you or a loved one has taken Permax or Dostinex and have been harmed by taking it, contact the experienced attorneys at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP today, at 1-800-460-0606.

          It is undeniable that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been tightening its safety strings lately. Last year they approved only 19 new medicines (the lowest number in nearly a quarter century) and put out twice as many new or revised “black-box” warnings for severe side effects as in 2006.
          Whereas consumers may appreciate the FDA’s new burst of caution, drug manufacturers such as Shering-Plough Corp and Merck are pining over lost profits. Company executives are now complaining that it takes longer to get drugs approved now that the FDA is demanding more data, and that even then approval is not guaranteed.
          This crackdown on drug safety has come amid several defective drug scandals, including those of Vioxx, Avandia, Vytorin, Heparin and Chantix. Several of these drugs were approved despite evidence that they may cause serious harm, and others were approved without sufficient testing.

          The defective drug lawyers at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP are committed to helping you get compensation you deserve from negligent drug manufacturers when you have been harmed by their products. If you have been harmed by a drug you believe to be dangerous or defective, contact Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606 as soon as possible.

In the first three of more than 150 lawsuits over hormone replacement drugs, a New Jersey court has ruled in favor of pharmaceutical giants Wyeth and Pharmacia in cases of deceptive labeling and marketing. Superior Court Judge Jamie Happas heard cases brought by women who took Premarin and Prempro made by Wyeth and Provera by Pharmacia & Upjohn Co.

The women claimed that Wyeth and Pharmacia were guilty of negligence and deception by failing to conduct more studies of the drugs’ side effects before releasing them onto the market. Despite their pleadings, Judge Happas held that while Wyeth and Pharmacia may not have researched as well as they could have, they did all that could be required of them by law.

This sets a shaky precedent for other defective drug lawsuits to follow.

The plaintiffs were taking the hormone replacement pills as therapy for the heat flashes and bone loss of menopause when they developed breast cancer.

At Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP we are committed to helping you get compensation from negligent drug manufacturers. If you have been harmed by a drug you believe to be dangerous or defective, contact the dangerous drug lawyers at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP today, at 1-800-460-0606.

On July 14, 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert regarding Avastin, a drug commonly prescribed to patients in combination with chemotherapy. The prescription drug is used to help treat metastatic colon cancer.

The safety alert was issued due to reports of several cases of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia. The reports were made when Avastin was combined with sunitinib malate. The FDA has not approved the combination of Avastin and sunitinib malate. Defective drug attorneys understand that administering prescription medication that has not been approved by the FDA can cause serious adverse effects.

During a study of the use of Avastin combined with sunitinib malate, five patients of the twelve enrolled in the study developed microangiopathic hemolytic anemia.

Canadian drug makers, Health Canada, are recalling ratio-Morphine SR 15 milligram, 30 milligram and 60 milligram tablets. The tablets are being recalled due to possible overdose risks.

The recall was initiated after complaints were received by KV Pharmaceutical, a U.S. drug manufacturer.

Some morphine tablets may be oversized, containing more prescription medication than indicated on the label. This could lead to potential overdose.

According to defective drug attorneys, the symptoms of a morphine overdose are:

• Abnormal breathing
• Abnormally low blood pressure
• Abnormally low heart rate
• Dizziness

If untreated, a serious morphine overdose may also result in a cardiac arrest or fatality. If a drug overdose is suspected, defective drug lawyers agree that it is important to contact a qualified medical professional.

            The American Association for Justice (AAJ) conducted an extensive investigation to determine the worst insurance companies in America.  These include homeowners and auto insurers, health insurers, life insurers, and disability insurers. 

            According to AAJ, Allstate is placed at the top of the worst insurance provider list; this is largely due to the fact that their primary mission is to “earn a return for the shareholders.”  As a senior executive at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) said, “The bottom line is that insurance companies make money when they don’t pay claims.”  Allstate even goes so far as to distribute corporate training manuals explaining how to avoid payments, and portable refrigerators are awarded to the adjusters who deny the most claims.  Former employees have called Allstate’s approach to claims the “three D’s”: deny, delay, and defend. 

            The top 10 list produced by AAJ, includes the following insurance companies:

                        Profits                          Assets

Allstate             $4.6 billion                   $156.4 billion

Unum               $679 million                  $52.4 billion

AIG                 $6.2 billion                   $1.06 trillion

State Farm       $5.5 billion                   $181.4 billion

Conseco          $179.9 million               $33.5 billion

WellPoint         $3.2 billion                   $51.6 billion

Farmers            $5.6 billion                   $387.7 billion

UnitedHealth    $4.7 billion                   $53.5 billion

Torchmark       $527.5 million               $15.2 billion

Liberty Mutual  $1.5 billion                   $94.7 billion

            It seems that the insurance industry has lost sight of the policyholders, and as Allstate’s CEO said, they have “begun to think and act more like a consumer products company.”  However, pro-consumer insurance reforms are being pushed, among these are: requiring insurers to work in good faith with consumers, requiring prior approval of rate increases, and establishing an insurance consumer advocate.

            Do not assume that because you are purchasing insurance you will always be protected, and keep these names in mind the next time you purchase insurance.  For more information on AAJ’s findings, and more specific information regarding individual companies, read the full report at http://www.justice.org/docs/TenWorstInsuranceCompanies.pdf

          The defective drug lawyers at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP are looking into cases involving Chantix, a popular stop-smoking drug, which has been linked to problems such as heart disease, seizures, and diabetes. Reports released by the Institute of Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) have included 988 serious incidents linked to Chantix in the United States during the fourth quarter of 2007, more than any other medication for that period. 173 injuries, including falls and traffic accidents, have been identified, as well as 224 reports of potential heart-rhythm disturbances, 372 reports of movement disorders, and 544 reports of glyceminc problems, including diabetes. Requests have been made to Pfizer to strengthen Chantix’s label warnings and to examine emerging safety issues. Chantix went on the U.S. market in 2006, and Pfizer has revised its labeling of the drug in November 2007, January 2008, and May 2008, but the label still does not include adequate warnings of the possible side effects of the drug.

          If you or a loved one has been harmed by a dangerous drug or product, contact the dangerous product lawyers at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP today, at 1-800-460-0606.

Only July 8, 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that boxed warnings on the labels of fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drugs are necessary. Defective drug lawyers and drug manufacturers are aware that the drugs increase the risk of tendonitis and tendon rupture.

The FDA has also determined that the manufacturers of the drugs are required to supply patients with a Medication Guide to warn them about possible adverse effects.

The FDA has required a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy be provided by the manufacturers of the antimicrobial drugs. This strategy will help to determine if the benefits of the drugs outweigh the risks.

Fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drugs are prescribed to treat some types of bacterial infections. Defective drug attorneys work to ensure that patients are properly informed about their prescription medications.

          The vaccine Gardasil that is supposed to prevent cervical cancer has had thousands of complaints involving it with a variety of health problems. The drug  Gardasil has had 7,802 “adverse event” reports from the time of its approval of use by the Food and Drug Administration two years ago to today. These reports blame the vaccine for causing side effects ranging from nausea to paralysis, and even death. Out of the fifteen deaths reported to the FDA, ten were confirmed.

          Gardasil prevents the spread of the sexually transmitted virus Human Papillomavirus (or HPV). HPV is known to cause cervical cancer in a small amount of girls and women. Merck & Co, the drug’s manufacturer, says it has distributed more than 26 million Gardasil vaccines worldwide, including almost 16 million in the United States. Merck claims the illnesses could just be a coincidence after receiving the vaccine.

          The vaccine can be administered on girls as young as nine years old, and Texas Governor Rick Perry has tried to issue a mandatory vaccination of all school girls entering the sixth grade in September 2008, but the Texas legislature has overruled Perry, forbidding mandatory vaccination until 2011.

          The attorneys at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP are experienced in handling products and dangerous drug cases, and are available to help you and your family determine your rights when you or your loved one has been harmed by a dangerous drug or product.  Call a defective drug lawyer today at 1-800-460-0606 for a free consultation.

This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the nationwide recall of two sexual supplements due to the presence of undeclared ingredients. Both supplements were distributed by Jack Distribution LLC, which voluntarily recalled the products.

The lots affected by the recall include “Rize 2 The Occasion” lot numbers CG-84, GD-98, CC-06 and CG-79 and “Rose 4 Her” lot number CG-78.

The FDA stated that the unauthorized drug found in the supplements has a similar structure to a common erectile dysfunction medication, which is known to cause serious adverse reactions. The drug found in the recalled products is called thiomethisosildenafil. It could cause a disruption in nitrates, which can significantly lower blood pressure and causing life-threatening adverse effects.

Defective drug attorneys are working to help those who have become seriously ill due to faulty medications.