Tag: medicines

Defective Product Sales Cost GlaxoSmithKline $750 Million

new jersey philadelphia defective products attorneys glaxosmithkline medicines tagamet avandia cortegAn article published by the New York Times speaks of the $750 million settlement the British drug company GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay to end a number of civil and criminal complaints regarding knowingly defective medicines they put on store shelves for years. Such defective products include contaminated diaper cream, and an inaffective antidepressant. Twenty other medicines were sold with “questionable safety,” including the diabetes drug Avandia, the heart drug Corteg, and the acid reflux drug Tagamet.

The article goes on to say:

“[New lawsuits] have asserted that drug makers misled patients and defrauded federal and state governments that, through Medicare and Medicaid, pay for much of health care. Using claims from industry insiders, federal prosecutors are not only demanding record fines but are hinting at more severe actions”

Fortunately, no patients were known to be sickened by the defective medicines, however, that does not mean that none were. The cases would be very difficult to trace. Glaxo’s offenses were exposed when former quality assurance manager Cheryl Eckerd came forward with knowledge of the company’s wrongdoings. Thanks to laws that encourage this “whistleblowing,” Eckerd could receive as much as $96 million dollars from the federal portion of the settlement.

NJ and PA Defective Products Attorneys

Glaxo wronged millions upon millions of consumers by knowingly putting defective and potentially dangerous products on the market. Unfortunately, they are not the only company to indulge in this kind of business practice.
If you or a loved one have been affected by a defective product of any kind, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Our New Jersey and Pennsylvania defective product attorneys are prepared to work for you and get you the compensation you are owed.

Bayer Warned by FDA for YAZ Testing Problems

The birth control Yasmin or Yaz has caused much controversy and concerns since it was first brought on the market back in March. Many people are concerned about the serious side effects of the pill and how Bayer seemed to have made these side effects not seem as serious as they are. Another thing that Bayer was warned about by the Food and Drug Administration or the FDA that they did not think was a serious problem was the testing of the quality of the pills. It measured the quality of its ingredients based on an average of several samples instead of reporting the individual test results of each sample like they should. Bayer then continued to ship eight batches of pills tested using this unapproved method to the U.S. The drug patches were reviewed after the FDA’s warning to Bayer, but Bayer says the batches shipped between 2007-2009 were not affected by this unapproved testing method. Since this warning, the FDA now requires that Bayer provide a full list of the shipments to the U.S. that may have used this average testing method and to require Bayer to come up with a plan to prevent the problem from happening again.  Bayer has produced many important medications that many people use and depend on daily. Maybe this method has not caused any real problems, but when it comes to the medicines we give ourselves as well as those we love, double checking does not hurt. It seems like this time Bayer may have gotten overwhelmed by the money they were making that they overlooked some safety measures. Safety however always needs to and should come first each and every time.

For more information on the Bayer testing methods for Yasmin, you may visit: http://www.app.com/article/20090915/NEWS/90915067/FDA+warns+Yaz++Yasmin+manufacturer+over+testing+problems or www.fda.gov

 

If you or a loved one has suffered possibility due to the side effects of Yaz or Yasmin, please contact a personal injury attorney right away. They will help get your case heard and help you get the care you need and deserve.