A former Pfizer employee has sued the company over its marketing of Lipitor. The suit claims that Pfizer mislead doctors in its educational programs. According to the suit, the drug was prescribed unnecessarily and could have proved harmful to those patients who didn’t need the drug. The suit was sealed in order for the government to intervene. However, it has chosen not to take action which may mean the government thinks the case has no merit. However, the government has intervened in situations where pharmaceutical companies have marketed their products for off label use or advertised their drugs for uses which were not approved by the FDA. This is a case worth watching. We’ll wait and see what happens.
Drug Class Action Lawsuit And Recall Information

Zyprexa, the schizophrenia and bipolar drug manufactured by Eli Lilly, is now being considered in an injectable form every two to three weeks. The injection would be administered in a doctor’s office. In spite of the drug’s association with diabetes, the main concern with the longer acting form of the drug is a severe form of sleepiness.

At least three federal agencies are asking for information from Sprint Fidelis’ manufacturer, Medtronic, including information about possible illegal payments to foreign doctors. The probes come at a time when Medtronic had to inform doctors about potential lead fractures in the Sprint Fidelis causing irregular electrical impulses to the heart.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into the payments to doctors and the Justice Department wants to be copied on any material given to the SEC. The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is inquiring about gifts or payments to doctors relating to Medtronic’s stents.
My Defibrillator Leads Recall Lawyer Website

In a St. Pete Times article in which I’m quoted extensively, Eli Lilly is on the verge of receiving FDA approval for Zyprexa with children. The drug is marketed to treat adults with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder but carries with it the dangerous side effect of diabetes. The risk of diabetes is even greater in children. Yet the underfunded FDA is about to approve its use in children. As I stated in the St. Pete Times article, “Why did it take 10 years to warn people about something they knew from their clinical trials? The reason is clear: They were making billions and billions of dollars selling it.”
Zyprexa Recall Lawyer Main Page

With the recent spate of bad news about Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads, patients who’ve had the pacemaker inserted in their chests are now left wondering what to do about their fragile lead wires. There’s definate evidence that the Sprint Fidelis lead wires are prone to fracture but is that evidence enough to have the leads removed and risk the chance of another surgical procedure? That’s the quandary patients find themselves regarding the Sprint Fidelis lead defribrillator wire.

Merck has recalled a widely used childhood vaccine because it was contaminated with bacteria. The vaccine had been used to ward off meningitis, pneumonia, and other childhood illnesses. The director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that there was no immediate threat to children regarding the vaccine known as Hib. The recall involved those vaccines shipped since April 2007.

The FDA has strengthened its warnings on the epilepsy drugs Carbatrol by Shire PLC, Tegretol by Novartis AG, and Equetro by Validus Pharmaceuticals Inc. Carbamazepine is the other name for the drug which is used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and nerve pain. The drug can cause a rare but potentially life threatening skin disease. The disease manifests itself in toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome, characterized by multiple skin lesions, blisters, fever, and itching. In its statement, the FDA pointed out that those of Asian ancestry should be tested before starting any treatment regimen with carbamazepine since their risk of contracting the skin disease is 10 times higher than in the general population.

A recent Mayo Clinic study has shown a potential link between an increased risk in leukemia and the anemia drugs Aranesp, Epogen, and Procrit. According to Dr. Ayalew Tefferi, Mayo Clinic hematologist, “While we cannot take these findings as an absolute, at the same time, they cannot be ignored, treatment decisions regarding the use of anemia drugs in patients with primary myelofibrosis should carefully be evaluated.”

Butyl benzyl phthalate or BBP is a man-made chemical that is used in millions of products from lipstick and nail polish to plastics. Consumers come into contact with the chemical on a regular basis. Yet, BBP has been linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Previously, BBP has been associated with birth defects, kidney problems, and infertility. The chemical mimicks the female hormone estrogen. Health advocates have called on the cosmetics industry to ban the chemical which is used to make products glossy. The plastics industry uses the chemical to make plastic softer. However, the health risks associated with BBP far outweigh any consumer advantage.

Medtronic is under federal investigation for payments to physicians concerning its Sprint Fidelis defibrillator. The Justice Department has asked Medtronic to provide it with information about any payments it may have made to foreign doctors in violation of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
A Senate panel is investigating the FDA’s monitoring of medical device components including defibrillators. Medtronic has had difficulty with its Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads after complaints surfaced that the leads were fracturing causing abnormal or malfunctioning of the electrical impulse sent to the heart to restore a normal rhythm.