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Defective Drugs/ PharmaceuticalsHormone 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.
EssureEssure 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 meshTransvaginal 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. RisperdalRisperdal (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. |