Apparently the divide in the FDA panel came down to doctors who would benefit from prescribing Bextra and “…drug safety experts and cardiologists…” who recommended against Bextra. This interesting article points out the often-overlooked financial considerations that may factor into the drug approval process. Analysts and doctors agreed that since Bextra is being pulled Merck’s…
Monthly Archives: April 2005
Pfizer is Feeling the Pain Now
Looks like Bextra will, indeed, follow in the footsteps of Vioxx. Attorneys in Chicago officially filed a lawsuit against Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, makers of Bextra: HealthWatch For April 11, 2005 POSTED: 2:55 pm CDT April 11, 2005 UPDATED: 4:27 pm CDT April 11, 2005 CHICAGO — Chicago attorneys on Monday filed what could become a multibillion-dollar…
FDA stance confuses patients
Observers blame politics for the newfound conservatism. By Marie McCullough Inquirer Staff Writer Federal regulators let the arthritis drug Vioxx stay on the market for more than four years despite clinical trials linking it to heart attacks and strokes. This week, they asked the makers of Advil, Aleve, Mobic, and other popular painkillers to add…
Jumping on the Vioxx Wagon
If you catch your Metro East trial lawyer son rustling through your medicine cabinet this week don’t fret. He’s only looking for Bextra. No, he’s not hurting– the Pfizer drug is a heavy-duty pain reliever– but rather, hunting for plaintiffs in what’s sure to be the new “new thing” on the tort front. Late last…
German lawyer preparing class action vs Pfizer
(http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=8134301&type=businessNews) FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German lawyer Michael Witti and U.S. firm Nagel Rice & Mazie are preparing a class action suit against drugs giant Pfizer over claims relating to its arthritis drug Bextra, Witti said on Sunday. Pfizer on Thursday agreed to suspend sales of Bextra after U.S. and European regulators said the risk of…
Vioxx Down Under
Merck may face lawsuits from Down Under. As many as 300 Australians are believed to have died as a result of Vioxx: Australian Vioxx users moot legal action A Melbourne law firm says it has been approached by about 300 Australian arthritis sufferers who have taken the pain reliever, Vioxx. Vioxx was withdrawn worldwide last…
Vioxx Steering Panel Selected
On April 8th, U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon selected a group of lawyers to serve as the Vioxx steering panel. These lawyers will essentially develop the plantiffs’ strategy against Merck, and will be responsible for interviewing witnesses and expert witnesses, as well as collecting evidence. To find out who was chosen for the panel,…
U.S. Chamber of Commerce thinks many asbestos lawsuit claims are fraudulent
Apparently the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (completely representing businesses, including ones that are being sued for exposing people to asbestos) is on the offensive — asking the Justice Department to investigate claims that they feel are fraudulent. If fraudulent claims are being filed then that would definitely be something worth investigating. The question to ask,…
‘From Crisis to Cure’ for Deadly Asbestos-Related Cancer
‘From Crisis to Cure’ for Deadly Asbestos-Related Cancer ‘From Crisis to Cure’ for Deadly Asbestos-Related Cancer Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Initiates Over $1M in New Research SANTA BARBARA, Calif., March 31 /PRNewswire/ — The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation has awarded its largest series of research grants ever, creating new hope for those who suffer from…
USG hopeful for resolution to asbestos claims
More news about the giant asbestos lawsuit fund: Chicago-based wallboard maker USG Corp. held out hope Tuesday that it can resolve its asbestos dilemma despite a crimp in plans to create an asbestos trust fund. USG is fighting what it considers bogus asbestos claims in court, though CEO William Foote has said the company intends…