A recent opinion of the Supreme Court of South Carolina strongly censured the actions of one of America’s biggest pharmaceutical companies, even as it reduced the civil penalties that had been imposed against the drug-maker by the trial court. Under the appellate court’s scrutiny was…
Good News For Diabetics?
As we wrote not too long ago, South Carolina is in the Diabetes Belt, with about 450,000 of our residents suffering from diabetes. (Read more here https://www.louthianlaw.com/blog/2013/10/lipitor-link-diabetes/) In the news this week is an announcement by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) that prescription drug Avandia…
The Lipitor Link to Diabetes
South Carolina is in the Bible Belt and the Cotton Belt. Columbia is in the Mustard Belt (think barbeque). Now our state has the dubious distinction of being in the Diabetes Belt. In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control identified a cluster of 644 counties…
Stryker Hip Implant Recall
Stryker Orthopedics recently announced a recall for two of its hip replacement products, sold under the names Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II. Both Stryker’s Rejuvenate and ABG II models used so-called ‘modular neck’ technology, and the company says that the products are being recalled because…
Makers of Paxil, Wellbutrin, Avandia Pay Record Amount for Fraud
Drug company giant GlaxoSmithKline made U.S. history recently in an agreement with U.S. authorities requiring the company to pay a $3 billion healthcare fraud settlement. The GlaxoSmithKline deal with the U.S. Department of Justice also has the drug maker pleading guilty to three misdemeanor criminal…
Actos, Other Diabetes Drugs May Increase Bladder Cancer Risk
After a five-year study, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that patients who took certain medications for diabetes may now have a much greater risk of bladder cancer. According to the FDA safety announcement, those who took the prescription drug pioglitazone, sold…
Former Football Player Files Pain Pump Lawsuit
A former University of Utah football player has filed a product liability lawsuit against the makers of the Stryker pain pump after claiming use of the pump after shoulder surgery resulted in permanent shoulder damage. The man developed chondrolysis, severe loss of cartilage in the…
Study Reveals Dangers of Chantix Include Cardiovascular Problems
A Canadian study has revealed that the popular smoking cessation drug, Chantix, increases the risk of heart problems in smokers who take the medication. In the study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers concluded that the drug’s long list of dangerous side effects…
Health Canada Issues Strong Warnings Over Chantix/Champix
Side effects of Pfizer’s stop-smoking drug, Champix (known as Chantix in the United States) has caused Health Canada to issue strong warnings, reports NewsInferno. The warning was issued following concerns of mood changes, hostility, suicidal behavior, and sometimes fatal skin reactions in some patients taking…
$60 Million Paid By GlaxoSmithKline To Settle Lawsuits Over Drug Avandia
Bloomberg Business Week reports the largest drug maker in the U.K., GlaxoSmithKline (Glaxo), has agreed to pay $60 million in the first settlements of lawsuits over their drug, Avandia. This diabetes drug has been cited as causing heart attacks and strokes in some of the…
