With the number of Actos bladder cancer lawsuits steadily increasing, the judge presiding over the cases has appointed 19 attorneys to take the lead. It has been reported that the number of claims against Takeda and its Co-Defendant, Eli Lily & Co., could reach nearly 10,000.

In the past, numerous people across the United States were filing lawsuits against the manufacturers of this diabetes drug for complications such as congestive heart failure and rare femur fracture. Only recently has the FDA and other concerned parties recognized a connection between Actos and bladder cancer.

The FDA’s warning came in June 2011, and since then lawsuits against Takeda have increased exponentially. The FDA reported that in those people with Type 2 Diabetes over the age of 40 who have taken Actos for over a year are at a 40% higher risk of developing bladder cancer.

The Actos litigation attorneys are currently investigating claims against Takeda and Eli Lily & Co. for an increased risk of bladder cancer. Contact us today for a free consultation if you have suffered from using this diabetes drug.

In a recent jury verdict in Miami, Florida, the manufacturer of Newport cigarettes, Lorillard Inc., was ordered to compensate the wife of a deceased smoker who developed and died of lung cancer. Dorothy Alexander, a Florida resident, was awarded $25 million in punitive damages and $16 million in compensatory damages. The jury initially awarded Ms. Alexander $20 million in compensatory damages but reduced this amount by 20% for a final award of $16 in compensatory damages. She and her husband met in high school and were married for 38 years before he died at the age of 59.

Lorillard attorneys plan to appeal the decision as they argue that since cigarettes are not illegal, the manufacturer should not be forced to pay money for punitive damages. They argued to the jury that Lorillard abides by all laws and regulations governing the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, but this defense did not prevent the $25 million award.

For more information on this or related topics, visit our website today.

This week in a study published online, Archives of General Psychiatry reports that the fetuses of women who took SSRIs such as Paxil and Prozac during pregnancy showed reduced growth of the head. Fetal head growth is "one of the best prenatal markers of brain volume," and reduced head growth has been linked to poor cognitive performance, behavioral problems, and psychiatric disorders later in life.

"Our findings further raise the question whether maternal SSRI treatment during pregnancy is better or worse for the fetus than untreated maternal depression,” said Hanan El Marroun, Ph.D., one of the authors of the study. The authors note their results add to the knowledge about the use and nonuse of SSRIs, but they are not conclusive. "Therefore, more long-term drug safety studies are needed before evidence-based recommendations can be derived," the authors conclude. 

A recent analysis by the Congressional Budget Office found that the stigma that arises when a person is out of a job for a long period of time, actually contributes to the unemployment problem in the country. It's little wonder then, that several states, including California are moving, or have already moved, to pass laws that ban discrimination against the unemployed.

Earlier this year, the California Legislature took up a bill that would make it illegal for employers to overlook unemployed candidates when they fill up a vacancy. Assembly Bill 1450 would fine employers, who discriminate against the unemployed with a penalty of $1,000 for the first violation, and $5,000 for a 2nd violation. Employers can be fined $10,000 for every violation after that.

Now, several other states are following suit, New Jersey has already passed a law banning discrimination against the unemployed.

As of January, the unemployment rate in the country was 8.3%. Out of the approximately 13 million unemployed persons in January in the United States, approximately 40% have been out of work for more than 6 months.

It's common knowledge that the longer a person has been without work, the more difficult it is for him or her to find gainful employment. This only leads to a vicious cycle where persons who have been unemployed for a long time are unable to find jobs, simply because they have been without work for as long as they have.

California employment lawyers don't find it so surprising that businesses strongly oppose any legislation that fines employers for discriminating against jobless candidates. According to industry, such legislation simply amounts to government interference in business matters. In California, the unemployment problem is higher than the rest of the country, hovering at about 11.1%. That only opens the gates for more discrimination against workers at the time of job interviews.

Mirena, a newer form of birth control implanted in a woman’s uterus, has been causing serious side effects in many women. The birth control device, which has to be implanted by a healthcare provider, can lead to both debilitating and life-threatening side effects including inflammation, erosion of adjacent areas, and abscess. The device has also been shown to move throughout the uterus, perforate the uterus, or embed itself within the uterus, requiring a doctor to locate and surgically remove the device, a process that can lead to infertility. Many women have undergone additional surgeries to remove the device, some even requiring hysterectomies. Numerous women across America are looking to file a lawsuit against the manufacturers of this device for the serious and even life-threatening complications resulting from Mirena implantation.

Mirena was approved by the FDA in 2000 for use as a contraceptive. However, the manufacturer of Mirena, Bayer, Inc., has come under scrutiny recently for these adverse side effects. Some are stating that Bayer exaggerated the benefits while downplaying the serious complications or risks associated with the medical device. The FDA issued a warning to Bayer in 2009 discussing the serious complications women have been experiencing following Mirena implantation.

The medical device attorneys at Arias, Ozzello & Gignac are currently investigating claims against the manufacturers of Mirena. If you or someone you know has experienced any serious or life-threatening conditions from Mirena use, contact us today. We offer free legal consultations to help you discuss your options.

Last week Glenmark Generics Inc. announced a nationwide recall of seven (7) lots of its generic birth control pill packets (generic norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol tablets USP, 0.18 mg/0.035 mg, 0.215 mg/0.035 mg, 0.25 mg/0.035 mg) due to possibility of out of sequence tablets. This is the second major birth control recall in 2012, since Pfizer's recall last month. 

Glenmark Generics explained that the recall is being implemented because of a packaging error, where select blisters were rotated 180 degrees within the card, reversing the weekly tablet orientation and making the lot number and expiry date visible only on the outer pouch. Birth control pills are intentionally packaged in a specific order to provide protection from pregnancy. In these specific recalled pills, 21 tablets contain hormonal compounds to prevent pregnancy, while the last seven tablets don't contain any active ingredients. If a woman takes the pills out of order or takes inactive pills thinking they are active, she may be at risk of pregnancy. 

The company noted that there are no other health risks associated with the recall. People who find that one of their birth control packs is affected by the recall should tell their doctor and return the birth control to the pharmacy. For more information on which lots of the birth control were recalled, visit the FDA’s recall safety page here.

GlaxoSmithKline, the U.K.’s largest drug manufacturer, has recalled 394,230 bottles of its DynaCirc CR hypertension drug from the U.S. market after the manufacturer, Novartis, reported inconsistent packaging practices. The generic drug is manufactured at a Novartis plant in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Glaxo said in a statement that it has received no reports of adverse events, nor any complaints of contamination or tablet mix-ups in batches of the drug, but decided on the recall as a precautionary measure. The London-based company said it does not know when the Novartis facility will resume operations. Novartis said last month it had temporarily closed the plant to accelerate improvements at the site. Glaxo spokesman Kevin Colgan said alternative treatments are available to patients currently being treated with DynaCirc.

GlaxoSmithKline, the United Kingdom’s largest drugmaker, agreed last month to settle 20,000 Avandia lawsuits for adverse side effects, namely heart attack and stroke. This pharmaceutical giant has already dedicated $700 million to settle over 15,000 claims that patients’ heart attacks or strokes were related to Avandia. GlaxoSmithKline has also agreed to pay $3 million to resolve the United States government claims that it illegally marketed drugs, including, but not limited to, Avandia.

These lawsuits have had a huge impact on GlaxoSmithKline. Avandia used to be the world’s best-selling diabetes drug and generated nearly $3 billion in annual sales.  However, in the months following the large amount of lawsuits and settlements, Avandia sales have dropped 43%. Avandia sales are likely going to continue to decrease with the rising publicity of the adverse side effects.

The employment law attorneys at Arias, Ozzello & Gignac recently filed a lawsuit against Panther on behalf of owner-operator truck drivers who were systematically underpaid for mileage, fuel surcharges, layover charges, and detention pay.  The lawsuit alleges Panther concealed these fraudulent practices from owner-operators, and kept the additional money.  The firm is currently looking for current and past owner-operators and other witnesses who can provide additional information.  If you or someone you know has information about these practices, we ask you to please contact our law firm today.

Investigation has found that J2 Global Communications, Inc., recently stopped offering voicemail retrieval services to its JConnect Premier customers without any notification, even though the JConnect Premier service includes voicemail retrieval services.  The voicemail retrieval services allow retrieval of voicemail through email and retrieval of emails by calling toll-free numbers.  J2 Global Communications continues to charge its JConnect Premier customers the yearly $165 fee.  If you or anyone you know is a JConnect Premier customer, please contact us to discuss your legal options.