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August 18, 2006—A New Orleans jury awarded our Vioxx client, Mr. Gerald Barnett, $51 million in damages. The jury found that Merck, the drug's manufacturer, "acted in wanton, malicious, willful or reckless disregard" for Mr. Barnett's rights. Mr. Barnett, a retired F.B.I. agent, underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery after a heart attack at the age of 58. He took Vioxx for 31 months before his heart attack in July 2002, and continued to take it for another two years. He discontinued it just one week before Merck pulled it from the market in September 2004, following release of a study that showed an increased risk of heart attack and strokes by Vioxx users. Lead trial counsel, Mark Robinson, is working with O'Steen & Harrison to assist a number of seriously injured Vioxx users. |
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April 10, 2006—A Florida woman filed a lawsuit against Merck, the manufacturer of Fosamax, alleging the drug caused her to develop osteonecrosis. The condition caused her mouth to rot and exposed bone in her jaw. Various reports link Fosamax with the serious bone condition. In fact, the FDA believes Fosamax should be accompanied by a warning alerting physicians and patients to the risk of osteonecrosis. Because the agency lacks the power to force labeling changes, as of May 2006 Merck still had not updated the label for Fosamax. |
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March 2, 2006—The FDA announced that it is launching a safety review of Ortho Evra birth control patches, following evidence that the patch is associated with increased side effects. The agency previously warned women in November 2005 that Ortho Evra was linked with higher incidences of blood clots. Our law firm represents women throughout the United States who suffered blood clots or stroke while using Ortho Evra. |
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January 19, 2006—Zicam is a popular non-prescription zinc nasal spray. Its manufacturer markets it as a medication to shorten the duration of the common cold. Zicam has been associated with the onset of a condition known as anosmia, which leaves the user with a potentially permanent loss of smell and taste. These side effects typically are irreversible. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently is collecting and evaluating reports of severe reactions to Zicam. Matrixx Initiatives has reached a settlement with 340 persons who lost their sense of smell after using Zicam. These cases resolved for $11.9 million plus $100,000 in costs. |
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Under the guidance of the federal government, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) launched a study to determine the long term effects of Prempro, a hormone replacement therapy drug. The study, originally planned to last eight years, was abruptly halted after five years when researchers determined the side effects were so severe they could not continue to give patients the drug. The NHLBI study consisted of more than 16,000 women between the ages of 50 to 79. On May 31, 2002, the Data and Safety Monitoring Board made the decision to terminate the clinical trial. The board was alarmed at increases in heart problems and breast cancer among those women who were given Prempro. |