Botox and Botox Cosmetics have been given a new warning label in Canada that indicates that the anti-wrinkle drug can spread to other parts of the body. This potential side effect can be fatal. The new label also states that the drug can cause muscle weakness, difficulties in swallowing, pneumonia, and speech disorders.

The muscle relaxant has been licensed in Canada to treat facial nerve disorders and cerebral palsy, but it is much more commonly used to eliminate wrinkles and other facial age lines. Last February, the FDA linked the spread of Botox in the body to both FDA-approved and non-approved applications of the drug.

The new label stems from an investigation performed by Health Canada last October. Five patients died following Botox injections, and more than eight patients experienced severe side effects. The condition was deemed “distant toxin spread” by Health Canada.

The investigation also determined that doctors downplay the risks involved with Botox injections.

Watch out for illegitimate stem cell therapies being sold over the Internet. Canadian researchers recently looked at about 20 websites found through a simple Google search that claimed to sell stem cell therapies.

Though researchers are continuing to make leaps in new applications for stem cells, the expensive stem cell therapies marketed over the Internet for everything from strokes to allergies are scams.

There are two distinct kinds of stem cells. The first, embryonic stem cells, are the most controversial and are strictly regulated in the United States. The second, adult progenitor stem cells, are taken from the patient themselves. It is unclear from the websites what kind of stem cells they were attempting to market, whether or not they were actually real, or where they had come from.

Though there has yet to be any report of someone being injured by one of these scams, patients should steer clear. For your own safety, do not attempt to undertake serious therapy of any kind without consulting your doctor.

If you have been injured by a defective product, call the Texas trial attorneys at the law office of Cappolino, Dodd & Krebs today.

Two US lawmakers have asked a group of doctors and researchers to disclose the amount financial and other support they have received from five companies that manufacture medical devices.

The manufacturers include Abbot Labs, Medtronic Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, companies that, in the past, have been the subject of defective medical product lawsuits.

The lawmakers, Senators Charles Grassle and Herbert  Kohl, have been looking into the financial ties between doctors and industry. They have sponsored legislation that would force drug companies and device makers to disclose their spending on doctors.

Despite manufacturer claims, the safety of several medical devices, especially heart stents and particularly drug coated stents - is far from established.  Several studies have linked the devices to blood clots and heart attacks.

In fact, a recent study indicated that Medtronic’s Endeavor drug-coated stent was associated with more heart attacks and deadly blood clots than another stent made by Johnson & Johnson.

Faulty medical devices can cause injuries, even death. If you or a loved one has been harmed because of a defective stent or other medical device, contact an attorney for professional insight into developing litigation. This may be the only way for you to recover some of the costs you and your family bear for these mistakes.