ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
Vioxx and Bextra Lawsuits Could Tie Up Courts for Years
In September, 2004, pharmaceutical giant Merck voluntarily withdrew its painkilling medication Vioxx from the market. Studies show that Vioxx increases the risk of heart attack and stroke among patients who have used the drug for longer than 18 months. Vioxx, a drug from a family of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors, is one of only a few drugs specifically designed to minimize inflammation while avoiding the stomach disorders long associated with other anti-inflammatory medications. Since its introduction in 1999, Vioxx has been a huge success, and sales of the drug worldwide topped $2.5 billion in 2003. That is certainly a great deal of money, but it pales when compared to the amount that Merck stands to lose through product liability lawsuits, which will soon come to court. As of this writing, several thousand lawsuits have been filed nationally, but attorneys estimate that the total number of lawsuits filed could reach a staggering 100,000. One hundred thousand lawsuits is certainly a formidable number, but that figure could represent only half of the number of lawsuits related to COX-2 inhibitors. Earlier this year, Pfizer voluntarily withdrew its similar medication Bextra from the market, as studies linked the use of Bextra to increased heart attack risk and to a rare skin disorder known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Bextra, another drug in the family of COX-2 inhibitors, works very similarly to Vioxx, and many patients who formerly took Vioxx switched to Bextra after the former was removed from the market last fall. Given that sales of Bextra rose to near Vioxx levels before it was removed from the market, it seems likely that the number of lawsuits filed by patients who claim to have been harmed by their use of Bextra could eventually equal the number of Vioxx lawsuits. Unless the courts consolidate them into just a few class-action suits, the 200,000 potential lawsuits stemming from problems with Bextra and Vioxx could cripple our courts for the next decade. Patients who believe that they may have been harmed through the use of either Bextra or Vioxx would be well advised to contact an attorney who specializes in pharmaceutical lawsuits as soon as possible. The wait for a resolution in court, particularly for Vioxx lawsuits, could be a very long one. Those who file quickly may get the fastest results. ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including Bextra-Info.net, a site devoted to the withdrawn drug Bextra and StructuredSettlementHelp.com, a site devoted to structured settlements.
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Ingrown Toe Nails Medical Treatment Medical Care: How You Can Erase Low Back Pain Using the Latest Medical Techniques! "If you're one the nine out of ten adults in the United States who suffers from low back pain, I have good news for you!" states Dr. Nathan Wei, a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. The Check Doctor Credentials Theory In 2003, there where more than 890 million doctor visits in the U.S. according to the (CDC) Center for Diseases Control and Prevention. "More now than ever consumers are not only researching their doctor, but are also demanding the highest quality of health care" says Hugo Gallegos, President of MDNationwide.org. Lunesta Dependence Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a revolutionary sleep aid, Lunesta is the only medication approved by the FDA for long term treatment of insomnia symptoms. Although Lunesta is a quality medicine that has already helped many people cure their insomnia symptoms and get a better night's sleep, there is something you should know before your buy Lunesta. Clinton on South Beach Diet Clinton's recent quadruple bypass surgery has been largely debated. Being on the South Beach Diet made everybody wonder how the former president's illness advanced so much as to need to be surgically corrected. Some even blame it on the diet. Some wonder why the diet didn't help avoiding surgery. Phenylpropanolamine (PPH) Lawyer: Decongestant Causes Stroke Phenylpropanolamine, or PPH, used to be an active ingredient in many over the counter nasal decongestants and weight control drug products. The FDA pulled phenylpropanolamine off the market in May of 2000 when a Yale University School of Medicine study found that patients using PPH were at a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding of the brain. By then it had been in popular use for many years, but because strokes are such serious and unpredictable afflictions and safer alternative drugs readily available, the FDA alerted customers to the danger and issued a recall on phenylpropanolamine. Food for Thought Depression is a disorder marked by sadness, low energy, impaired concentration, and feelings of dejection. Some people believe that depression is normal. Hectic daily activities and the conflict between family and career cause constant stress. Yet depression and anxiety as a response to stress are not normal. They can be signs of illness, which may worsen and result in physical symptoms or an inability to function. Curing Lou Gehrigs Disease ALS is the disease that took the life of the famed baseball player. The disease benched Lou Gehrig from the game that he loved and later took his life. Now, ALS is referred to as the Lou Gehrig's disease. Today more than fifty years later there still is no cure for ALS. ALS is a motor neuron disease. ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The disease attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It attacks a persons muscles one at a time. Not unlike being tortured. Sadly there is no cure and no viable treatment. Every Pharmaceutical Drug LEECHES Nutrients From Your Body Are you currently on one or more pharmaceutical drugs? Perhaps you are not aware, but every pharmaceutical drug depletes the body of various nutrients, depriving your cells of the essential raw materials which drive normal, natural cell function. The data on our industrialized food supply already suggestes that each of us is not getting enough nutrition from diet alone. If you're taking one or more pharmaceutical drugs, your situtation is likely to be even worse. Buy Lunesta Cheap By Comparing Prescription Prices Online We all know that there's no such thing as cheap Lunesta. But when compared with the other prescription sleep aids, Lunesta is the best buy if you're looking for a way to just finally get a good night's sleep without waking up drowsy and dysfunctional. When you begin taking Lunesta, you'll enjoy another huge benefit: Unlike other sleep aids, Lunesta is the only one approved for long term use. That means you can enjoy months to years of better sleep, rather than just a few days. Cut Your Prescription Drug Costs Without Having to Buy Foreign Drugs Save Up to 93% by Asking for a Generic - Use generics whenever they are available. Both brand name and generic drugs contain the same active ingredients, are the same in strength and dosage and meet the same government quality control standards. Hypothermia - The Cold Facts If you ever go to cold countries, you should undoubtedly have heard of Hypothermia. If you haven't, you should learn something about it. Your very own life may depend on knowing the information below: How To Locate An Alcohol Rehabilitation Center In California Alcohol rehab in California refers to the centers that help people in California to get rid of the menace of alcoholism. Are Drug Companies Destroying The U.S. Health Care System? The U.S. government's annual bill for healthcare spending ? $3,925 per person ? significantly exceeds that of all other nations. Despite this, our current health care system is increasingly failing both patients and medical practitioners. Of 13 nations, the U.S. is last for neonatal and infant mortality, last for years of potential life lost, 10th for age-adjusted mortality, 11th and 12th for female and male life expectancy respectively. Chronic degenerative diseases ? heart disease, cancer, arthritis, obesity, etc. ? are at epidemic levels and create the ideal long-term customers to grow the medical industry. ?Ooohhh? my aching knee!!!? Insider Secrets on How You Can Get Relief Quickly and Easily! When your knee hurts, getting relief is all that's on your mind. Getting the right relief, though, depends on knowing what's wrong. The correct diagnosis will lead to the correct treatment. Zoloft Side Effects: Akathisia and Violent Behavior Zoloft is an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor); a prescription drug that combats depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as other various problems. SSRIs work by allowing more serotonin to be released through the brain. Seratonin is a brain chemical associated with happiness. Between nerve endings in the brain, there are synapses. All signals in the brain are transmitted through chemicals being produced then absorbed by one nerve and another. When these chemicals are released they are either taken in by the next nerve or the nerve that released them will re-absorb them and the signal doesn't pass. Some antidepressants work by blocking the reuptake of Seratonin by the releasing nerve. That means that more Seratonin stays in the synapse in the hope that it will be absorbed by the new nerve which, in the case of Seratonin, would continue the signal of happiness. Treatment for High Blood Pressure The treatment of high blood pressure is one of the most important areas of modern medicine. Good quality care and blood pressure treatment can reduce the risk of death, the risk of stroke and the risk of heart attack or coronary disease. The British Hypertension Society produced guidelines in 2004. This is what they recommend. Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (AChEIs)for the Treatment of Moderate and Checklist of Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease ADHD - Are there Treatment Options? As an ADD coach I am often asked about the treatment options available for Attention Deficit Disorder. Generally when someone says "ADD" the first thing that will come to the layperson's mind is 'Ritalin' or an image of a hyperactive "Dennis-the-Menace" type. Fortunately, there is a lot more to Attention Deficit Disorder than drugs and hyperactivity. Each individual is unique and therefore different people will respond well to different treatment options. Death by Fluoride A wee bit of fluoride makes teeth and dentists happy, we're told. Dr. Happy Tooth's smiley face turns into a frown when his favorite decay buster is busted as a killer. Anything in large doses kills, bristles Drill & Fill, DDS, even Dihydrogen Monoxide, they often tease. Ha, ha, get it ? water ? H2O. Stop picking on fluoride, they say, you make us look bad.
|
|
|
|
|
