Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 105 cases of patient who contracted a rare form of meningitis as of October 8, 2012. The widening outbreak has affected patients in nine different states who contracted the deadly type of meningitis after being injected in their spine with a preservative-free steroid named methylprednisolone acetate, a steroid used to treat pain and inflammation, which was contaminated by a fungus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked clinics, doctors, and consumers to stop use of any products that have come from the New England Compounding Center (NECC), which is the Massachusetts-based company that made the contaminated injections.

Facilities in Pennsylvania that were given the potentially contaminated products are Allegheny Pain Management in Altoona, PA and South Hills Pain & Rehab Association in Jefferson Hills, PA.

The NECC issued a voluntary recall of the three lots of the steroid as well as any of its other products, though presently there has been no indication that any other products have been contaminated. The company shipped 17,676 vials of the steroid to 76 facilities in 23 states from July through September, according to the Massachusetts Health Department, and thousands of patients may have been injected. A list of the effected medical facilities can be found here: www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/meningitis-facilities-map.html.

Continue reading "Tainted Steroid Injections Causing Fungal Meningitis Distributed to Pennsylvania, 22 Other States" »

Heart disease and elevated cholesterol is genetic in my family. Although I maintain an active workout regimen and try to eat healthy, I have tried many different brands of statins and have had many different side effects. However, in the last few years, I have been taking Crestor in an attempt to lower cholesterol levels. Unfortunately as an experienced product liability lawyer who has investigated and litigated many cases involving product failure or failure to warn, I have now come to learn that recent studies have linked the drug Crestor to cases of cardiomyopathy due to depletion of coenzyme CoQ10 which occurs as the medications lowers cholesterol levels. It has been alleged that AstraZeneca, the manufacturer of Crestor, was aware of the risk and failed to warn physicians and patients. AstraZeneca maintains that so long as Crestor is taken according to properly prescribed instructions, there is nothing wrong with the product. The manufacturer further states that patients should not be discouraged from following physician’s advice.

If you have been taking Crestor and have sustained any problems, it is important that you contact your physician with any questions or concerns. A press release issued by Public Citizen claims “It becomes clearer by the day that this drug is uniquely toxic without offering any unique benefit and it must be removed from the market". I have reluctantly taken statins because of such fears. However, the FDA has now identified patients who have been diagnosed with Rhabdomyolsis after using the Crestor statin.

The Pennsylvania pharmaceutical liability lawyers of Reiff & Bily are currently investigating cases where individuals have been diagnosed by a doctor as having a medical condition caused by Crestor including but not limited to Rhabdomyolsis, hemorrhage, drug induced hepatitis, acute renal failure, Stevens Johnson syndrome, and myogolobinura. Our lawyers are currently involved with teams of many other lawyers throughout the United States actively investigating Crestor cases. Recently the defective product and pharmaceutical litigation law firm of Reiff & Bily has joined forces with the Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Together our attorneys have been awarded billions of dollars since the mid-1950's. As always, we offer a free, no obligation consultation. Contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

I am 56 years old and unfortunately like many others in America have been prescribed statins as a prophylactic means of preventing heart disease and increased cholesterol. I have been prescribed at least 3 or 4 different brands of the cholesterol drugs. However, I have had to discontinue them due to what I can only describe as excruciating muscle pain.

Recently the FDA issued a warning to the medical community as well as consumers concerning risks of muscle damage and Rhabdomyolysis caused by high doses of the cholesterol drug Simvastatin. On June 8, 2011, a drug safety communication was issued noting that the FDA is recommending limited usage of 80 milligrams of Simvastin doses due to the increased risk of muscle damage. Patients taking a Simvastatin dosage of 80 milligrams daily may have an increased risk of myopathy compared to patients taking lower doses of this drug or drugs in the same class. The risk appears to be higher during the first year of treatment and is often the result of interactions with certain medicines and is frequently associated with a genetic predisposition toward Simvastatin-related myopathies.

Myopathy is a muscle disease which often results in muscle pain, tenderness, weakness, or an elevation of muscle enzymes in the blood (creatine kinase or CK). The most serious form of myopathy Zocor can lead to is Rhabdomyolysis which can cause serious and potentially life threatening kidney damage or kidney failure.

The pharmaceutical drug team at Reiff & Bily in conjunction with the Beasley Firm have joined forces to work as the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Our skilled pharmaceutical and Zocor lawyers are now reviewing individual cases. If you are taking the highest approved dose of Zocor, we recommend that you immediately contact your doctor and carefully weigh the risks versus benefits of continued use. Zocor was first approved for use in the United States in 1991 but the patent for the drug expired on June 23, 2006 opening up the markets to generic brands as well. Since then in 2008, the FDA has issued its first warning pertaining to Rhabdomyolysis being linked to Zocor use. In March 2010, the FDA issued two more warnings. In the first warning, it asked healthcare professionals to avoid prescribing Zocor dosages higher than 40mg. where patients were taking other medications and stressed that taking the drug in 80 mg. dosages may also increase the likelihood of patients developing that same disease. Despite those warnings, many doctors and health professionals continue to prescribe the high dose of cholesterol fighting drugs to patients.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Drug Defect Lawyers Reviewing Zocor Claims For Rhabdomyolysis Muscle Damage" »

On February 17, 2011, The FDA issued a warning that the drug Terbutaline, also known as brethine, Bricanyl, Brethaire, or Terbulin, that are given to mothers in preterm labor, can cause heart problems or even death.

Dr. Scott Monroe, M.D., who is the Director of the FDA’s Division of Reproductive and Urologic Products released a statement indicating that “Women should be aware that serious and sometimes fatal side effects have been reported after prolonged use of terbutaline in pregnant women."

Terbutaline is a medication that is FDA-approved to help relax the breathing airways in patients with asthma, bronchitis, COPD, or emphysema. Terbutaline is also used to help stop premature labor or an over active uterus sometimes referred to as uterus hyperstimulation. However, there is no solid evidence that the use of Terbutaline during pregnancy improves the baby’s outcome.

According to the literature, there has been 16 maternal deaths associated with the use of Terbutaline, In addition, there has also been 12 documented cases of pregnant women who developed a myocardial infarction or heart attack, pulmonary edema, fast heart rates or tachycardia and cardiac arrhythmias or irregular heart beats after being given Terbutaline. These are just the documented cases of heart problems after a mother was given Terbutaline for premature or preterm labor. There could be many more cases that we just do not know about yet.

The Pennsylvania pharmaceutical lawyers and Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers of Reiff & Bily together with the legendary Beasley Philadelphia product liability and wrongful death law firm has successfully represented the rights of injured consumers against some of the world’s largest drug companies and together have recovered awards on behalf of injured clients in excess of $2 billion dollars.

If you or a loved one developed heart problems as a result of a the drug Terbutaline, please contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.

Darvon, a well known drug that has been on the market for 25 years and is used to relieve mild to moderate pain is being withdrawn from U.S. markets by the pharmaceutical company Xanodyne that manufacturers it due to serious safety concerns. The branded or generic version of the drug is also affected. According to the FDA, new clinical data indicates Darvon and Darvocet “puts patients at risk of potential serious or even fatal heart rhythms" and the risks are now outweighing the benefits.

Since 2007, over 20 million prescriptions have been written for the two drugs. Darvon and Darvocet are the brand name versions of propoxyphene and the FDA also requested generic makers of the pain medication voluntarily remove their products as well. The FDA has further recommended that physicians stop prescribing the drugs. Those who are currently taking Darvon and Darvocet should contact their healthcare professional. If you or a loved one has suffered or has sustained a catastrophic injury or wrongful death as a result of taking Darvon or Darvocet, please contact one of our Pennsylvania defective product lawyers for a free, no obligation consultation.