A sports related injury, age or poor genes are all reasons why hundreds of thousands of Americans are receiving hip replacements. The average metal hip replacement should last 15 years without problem. Yet, since January 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received over 5,000 complaints of defective metal hip replacements. The number of [...]
Aug
26
2011
26
2011
Nov
23
2010
23
2010
FDA Loosely Regulates Medical Devices
Today the Wall Street Journal reports on the results of a clinical stent-graft study that highlights a gap in federal regulators’ oversight of medical devices. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspects medical device makers’ sites when they apply for marketing approval, the agency does not conduct inspections at the earlier clinical-trial stage. [...]
Nov
19
2010
19
2010
Pfizer Lobbying Cost Shareholders $4 million In 3Q
The AP (11/19) reports, “Pfizer, Inc., the world’s biggest drugmaker, spent just under $4.2 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies in the third quarter, focusing on a range of pharmaceutical and healthcare industry issues, according to a recent filing.” Notably, “during the third quarter, it reduced spending by 23 percent from about $5.4 million during [...]
Nov
18
2010
18
2010
Electronic Medical Records Pose Risk of Tampering
Yesterday The Baltimore Sun reported on privacy issues with digitalizing patients’ medical records. The article raises valid concerns about the risks associated with digitizing patients’ medical records. While paperless increases the efficiencies in transferring, updating and sharing a patient’s information, it also provides opportunities for insurance companies to alter records to avoid responsibility for coverage [...]
May
13
2010
13
2010
Pfizer Liabilities Continue to Grow
Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP today announced that a class action has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of shareholders of Pfizer Inc. Pfizer is a pharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of prescription medicines for humans and animals [...]
Nov
16
2009
16
2009
New Law Protects Employees From Discriminatory Genetic Testing
The Genetic Information NonDiscrimination Act (GINA) will take effect this weekend. It shields employees from genetic testing requested by employers and group health insurers. Historically, employers and their health insurers have used genetic testing as a means of “weeding out” those with “bad genes,” whether by disputing coverage or cleverly drafting policies to exclude coverage [...]
Sep
28
2009
28
2009
74 Lawsuits Allege Serious Injuries From Bayer Drug’s Yaz & Yasmin Birth Control Pills
Bayer, the U.S.’s leading manufacturer of birth control pills, sold Yaz and Yasmin to millions of women, some of whom have experienced heart attacks, blood clots and strokes. These women have filed individual lawsuits around the nation, claiming that the pills caused such harm. While blood clots are a known side-effect of oral contraceptives, the [...]
Sep
25
2009
25
2009
Sep
24
2009
24
2009
Advances in Treating Fibromyalgia
Some clients suffer from fibromyalgia, starting before they retained me to represent them on their personal injury claim (car accident, slip and fall, on-the-job injury, etc). Fibromyalgia, with its unknown origin, is prevalent among men and women later in life. Symptoms consist of varying degrees of body and joint pain and tenderness. Fibromyalgia continues to [...]
Sep
22
2009
22
2009
Food & Drug Administration Seeks Public Opinion – Online Marketing
In a release today on National Public Radio (NPR), the FDA announces that it seeks public input on how to regulate company’s marketing and online advertising of FDA approved products. A lack of regulation has led to false, deceptive and misleading ads that pose a potential harm to consumers. Earlier this year, a host of [...]
