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.

Back in February, the United States Supreme Court dealt a hefty blow to citizen protection to seek compensation after being injured by a defective medical device. In this landmark case, our highest court ruled against Charles Riegel, the victim of a defective balloon catheter used during his angioplasty procedure. Though Riegel was seriously injured at the negligent hands of Medtronic, the court found that Federal regulations overruled state law, rather than the two working in tandem as it had been before.

The repercussions of this decision have yet to take their full effect. As Public Citizen lawyer Allison Zieve noted, “The possibility of being held liable for injuries their products cause creates an invaluable incentive for manufacturers to make their products as safe as they can, to revise labels… and to remove unsafe products from the market.”

Luckily, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen is working to remedy this gaping hole in consumer protection. With the support of Representatives Henry Waxman and Frank Palone, and Senators Ted Kennedy and Patrick Leahy, they are trying to push through the Medical Device Safety Act of 2008. This new legislation would nullify the implications of the Supreme Court ruling, and give power back to the injured.

A new electronic system is being backed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Medical Association (AMA) and many more groups and manufacturers. The new system will notify physicians electronically if a drug or medical device has been linked to new dangers.

The system is called the Health Care Notification Network (HCNN). The HCNN is expected to begin operation next month. Over 100,000 physicians have already signed up to the service.

HCNN is a free service offered to physicians that is being funded by drug and medical device manufacturers. The service will deliver the same information that is currently delivered to physicians via the postal service. The new electronic system is intended to deliver the information quickly to physicians, which can potentially help to save lives. The information will be delivered via e-mail.

Defective drug attorneys are working to help support those who have suffered from serious adverse reactions due to faulty prescription medications or medical devices.