Hormone Therapy

Hormone Replacement Therapy (a combination of estrogen and progestin or E+P) was designed to treat menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. In order to increase long-term use of these drugs, and thus sales, E+P manufacturers also told doctors that E+P would protect against heart disease and prevent memory loss and the development of Alzheimer’s. On July 9th, 2002, however, the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) prematurely stopped a major clinical study involving Prempro, the most popular form of E+P, because women using E+P in the study showed a significant risk of developing invasive breast cancer, blood clots, and heart attacks. A companion study found that E+P did not protect a woman’s cognitive function but actually caused clinically meaningful cognitive decline. Women who took E+P not only had an increased risk of developing breast cancer but they also did not receive any promised heart or mental benefit.

Littlepage Booth has been at the forefront of the Hormone Replacement Therapy litigation since its inception eleven years ago. In 2003, Zoe Littlepage was appointed Lead Counsel of the HRT Multi-District Litigation by Arkansas Federal Judge Billy Roy Wilson. As such, she was the designated ambassador for all injured women and their attorneys before the coordinating judge. Ms. Littlepage coordinated the nationwide work product for the litigation, personally conducted dozens of depositions of Wyeth and Pfizer’s chief executives and was instrumental in creating a trial package for all hormone therapy claimants.

Rainey Booth co-chairs the Hormone Replacement Litigation’s Science Committee, working directly with dozens of cancer experts and epidemiologists to develop innovative ways to present highly technical and complex medical issues at trial. Mr. Booth handled over a dozen complex Daubert hearings in the MDL and state courts, defeating numerous expert challenges.

The Littlepage Booth trial team took 17 hormone therapy breast cancer cases to trial all across the country. Examples of Littlepage Booth trial team’s jury verdicts are:
 

Date	Venue	Plaintiff	Verdict	Final Results
Jan. 2007	PA	Daniel	$ 1.5 million - Compensatory $ 8.6 million - Punitive	Verdict affirmed on appeal. Paid in full.
Sept. 2007	NV	Rowatt Scofield Forrester	$ 35 million - Compensatory $ 99 million - Punitive	Verdict remitted by trial judge to $22.6 Million in compensatory and $35 Million in punitive. Unanimously affirmed by Nevada Supreme Court. Paid in full.
Oct. 2009	PA	Barton	$ 3.74 million - Compensatory $ 75 million - Punitive	Remitted to $12 Million. Affirmed on appeal and paid.
Nov. 2009	PA	Kendall	$ 6.3 million - Compensatory $ 28 million - Punitive	Affirmed on appeal and paid.
Feb. 2010	PA	Singleton	$ 3.45 million - Compensatory $ 6 million - Punitive	Affirmed on appeal and paid.

 

Essure

Essure is a non-surgical permanent form of birth control that is implanted into a woman’s fallopian tubes. Over the years, patients have reported serious side effects associated with their Essure devices ranging from chronic pelvic pain to even death. In April 2018, the FDA imposed certain restrictions on the sale of the device to ensure women are being adequately warned of the risk associated with Essure. Three months later, Bayer, the maker of Essure, announced that Essure would no longer be marketed in the United States, a year after the company made similar decisions in other countries. If you or someone you love underwent the Essure birth control procedure and experienced serious side effects, please call (713) 529-8000 to speak to one of our attorneys.

 

Transvaginal mesh

Transvaginal mesh is a medical device used as a means to treat pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. There have been thousands of reports of complications associated with the use of transvaginal mesh to repair these issues. These serious and painful side effects can be debilitating and may result in additional revision surgeries and even removal to repair the damage caused by the mesh.

 

Rezulin

Rezulin was a drug used for the treatment of Type II Diabetes. Parke Davis (a division of Pfzier) fast-tracked Rezulin onto the market in 1997 and represented to doctors that the drug was extremely safe with “side effects comparable to placebo.” In reality, the drug caused severe liver toxicity in some users and was removed from the market in March of 2000.

Littlepage Booth led the state court charge against Parke Davis. The Littlepage Booth team completed over 100 days of depositions of corporate representatives and experts and proved that the drug company ignored clear signals of Rezulin’s liver toxicity, manipulated the FDA into approving this drug and deliberately misled physicians. This company put profits first and consumer safety a distant second.

In 2002, the Littlepage Booth trial team allowed an independent film crew to live with them throughout a lengthy trial in Rockville, Maryland against one of the most powerful drug companies in the world. The resulting movie, “0274: the Death of Monica George,” captures the true behind-the-scenes turmoil of this fight. Never has a David versus Goliath contest been more aptly depicted. “0274” premiered at several independent film festivals.

Risperdal

Risperdal (risperidone) is an antipsychotic drug that changes a teen’s brain chemistry. Although FDA only approved Risperdal to treat symptoms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism, the drug manufacturers encouraged doctors to widely prescribe this mediation for a broad range of mood and behavior issues in adolescent boys. Sadly, Risperdal can cause the side effect of breast tissue growth (gynecomastia) in teen boys. Thousands of young boys who took this drug developed actual breasts leading to serious emotional stress including rampant bullying at school. To now remove the breast growth, the boys must undergo disfiguring mastectomy surgeries. Although the Risperdal manufacturer (Johnson & Johnson) knew of this side effect, it failed to properly study this issue or provide adequate warnings to doctors.

Hundreds of Risperdal lawsuits are now pending across the country. If you or someone you love took this medication and developed breast growth, please call (713) 529-8000 to speak to one of our attorneys.