To view this, you need to install the Flash Player 8. Please go to here and download it.

Dangerous Drugs / Defective Medical Devices

Individuals have every right to expect that the medication they take has been properly manufactured and labeled. Drug companies are required to print warnings labels on their products listing any complications that could arise from their use. However, defective drugs may put some people at extra risk for serious harm or even death. A defective drug is one whose positive health benefits are outweighed by negative side effects. Manufacturers may be unaware of the full extent of side effects, or they may issue inadequate warnings despite knowing the severity of potential outcomes. Either way, drug companies can be held accountable. If you’ve been harmed by any of the following medications/products, you may be entitled to financial compensation.

• Fentanyl Patch
• Bard® Composix® Kugel® Mesh Hernia Patch
• Paxil
• Asthma Inhalers
• Avandia
• Digitek
• Heparin
• Tequin®
• Ketek®
• Ortho Evra®

Fentanyl Pain Patch

In 2008, Activis recalled all the Fentanyl Patches in the United States after their initial warning in 2005. Fentanyl Patches are prescribed to people with chronic or debilitating pain to release a constant, powerful dose of narcotic pain medication. Activis had issued approximately 400,000 defective patches where the drug leaked excessively into the skin causing people to overdose on the narcotic which can result in fatal respiratory or cardiac arrest and other serious physical reactions.

back to top

Bard® Composix® Kugel® Mesh Hernia Patch

On January 10, 2007, the FDA issued a Class 1 recall for certain lot numbers of the following Bard® Composix® Kugel® mesh hernia patches:

-Large Oval, 5.4” x 7.0”

-Large Circle, 4.5”

An FDA Class 1 recall targets defective products that pose the greatest threats, including serious injury and death, to consumers. The recalled Bard® Composix® Kugel® patches have a defective “memory recoil ring” that can break off once the patch is implanted inside the body. Serious medical complications can ensue. Your surgeon should contact you if a recalled patch was used in your procedure. Please seek medical attention immediately if you experience abdominal pain, tenderness at the implant site, fever, or other symptoms at any point after the procedure. If a faulty Bard® Composix® Kugel® patch was used in your surgery and you have suffered as a result, please contact Blount & Blount today. We can help you obtain financial compensation for your medical bills, as well as for any physical and emotional pain you have been forced to endure.

back to top

Paxil®

The Food and Drug Administration has issued two important warnings in the past several years regarding Paxil®. A December 2005 advisory warned that taking Paxil® during the first three months of pregnancy can double the risk of birth defects. In addition, a May 2006 study found that Paxil® can increase suicidal behavior, particularly in young adults. An earlier British study in 2003 warned that children who take Paxil® are 1.5 to 3.2 times more likely to engage in suicidal thoughts or attempts than those who do not take the drug.

In 2005, the FDA cited GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Paxil®, for failing to meet product quality and safety standards. In October 2006, Paxil® pills were recalled over concerns that they were missing a key active ingredient. Individuals who take these defective pills may experience severe withdrawal symptoms including suicidal thoughts, shooting pain, and flu-like symptoms.

If you or someone you love has taken Paxil® and suffered as a result, contact us today. We can help you obtain financial compensation.

back to top

Asthma Inhalers

In 2008, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials warned about the dangers of certain long-acting beta agonist (LABA) inhalers. These inhalers are Advair, Serevent, Foradil and Symbicort and they are prescribed to help avoid inflammation of airways in the lungs and help prevent asthma attacks. Due to the long-lasting nature of these inhalers, the airways are kept open longer than usual. This could potentially cause more severe asthma attacks leading to hospitalization, intubation and even death. This risk is significantly greater in children under 12 and African–Americans. Despite the dangers, these products are still on the market and available for `doctors to prescribe them to you or someone you know.

back to top

Avandia

In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required drug makers, Glaxo Smith Kline, to add a black box warning on the label of the type II diabetes medication, Avandia (generic name rosiglitazone maleate). It was discovered that taking the medication put patients at a greater risk for many problems such as Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, liver toxicity, severe allergic reactions and stokes. Later that year, the FDA added to the already existing label about increased risk for heart attacks in patients that took Avandia.

back to top

Digitek

In April 2008, Actavis Totowa, LLC issued a voluntary Class 1 recall of Digitek, or digoxin tablets, manufactured under a Bertek or UDL label. These tablets may have contained twice the level of the active ingredient than a normal dosage and could be very dangerous if ingested. Digitek is used to treat patients who suffer from heart conditions and if given the defective dosage these patients could be at risk for digitalis toxicity. Individuals who may have received the defective dosage may experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, low blood pressure, cardiac instability, or bradycardia.

back to top

Heparin

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently identified an unknown contaminant in the blood thinner, Heparin that causes allergic or hypersensitivity-type reactions. In February 2008, the company that produces Heparin, Baxter Healthcare Corporation, issued a voluntary recall of single-dose and multi-dose vials, as well as HEP-LOCK heparin flush products. Later that month, they recalled all Heparin sodium injection products. Patients who have been injected with Heparin may have experienced symptoms such as low blood pressure, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

back to top

Tequin®

Serious concerns about the safety of Tequin® led to its discontinuation in May 2006. The drug was used to treat lung, sinus, and urinary infections as well as some sexually transmitted diseases. The FDA issued a warning about the drug in February 2006. Then a March 2006 report in the New England Journal of Medicine confirmed that alarming rates of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) were found in those individuals who used Tequin®. Compared to those who did not take the drug, Tequin® users were four times more likely to develop low blood sugar and 17 times more likely to develop high blood sugar. Symptoms vary between the two conditions, but serious complications can result including seizures and death. If you or a loved one has developed a blood sugar condition as a result of using Tequin®, contact Blount & Blount today. Our experienced attorneys can make sure you receive proper compensation for damages.

back to top

Ketek®

Ketek® is used to treat conditions such as chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. The FDA warns that Ketek® can cause severe liver damage for some individuals. Four people died from liver complications linked to the drug. If you have sustained liver damage from the use of Ketek®, contact Blount & Blount today. Our experienced dangerous drug attorneys can help you obtain compensation for your physical and emotional suffering.

back to top

Ortho Evra®

Ortho Evra® was the first birth control patch approved by the FDA. The contraceptive only needs to be applied once a week; as a result, some women prefer it over the daily birth control pill. However, a September 2006 FDA safety alert warned that taking Ortho Evra® could double a woman’s risk of developing a severe blood clot. The patch contains 60 percent more estrogen than most birth control pills, which typically contain 35 micrograms of estrogen. High estrogen levels can significantly increase the likelihood that an individual will develop a blood clot. If you take Ortho Evra® and have suffered a severe blood clot, contact Blount & Blount today. Our lawyers can help you.

back to top

* indicates a required field



Message

Blount & Blount, P.C.
1420 Suite A
East Arlington Blvd.
Greenville, NC 27858

Toll Free: 1.800.851.1818
Fax: 252.752.2174