- Staff Writer | April 30, 2006 10:32 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsVioxx Litigation Update: A New Jersey jury recently awarded Plaintiff John McDarby and his wife $4.5 million, blaming his heart attack on four years of Vioxx use, despite several risk factors, such as diabetes, clogged arteries, and being a former smoker.
- Staff Writer | April 29, 2006 10:30 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsAccording to a recent Associated Press article, drug maker Wyeth wants the FDA to crack down on compounding pharmacies which create custom-mixed, bio-identical hormone replacement products to help alleviate the symptoms of menopause. Wyeth claims public safety as its motive, but pharmacists and consumers are questioning whether Wyeth's concern may have more to do with its own bottom line. ...
- Staff Writer | April 28, 2006 8:26 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsMore and more, we're hearing stories about people who are engaging in unusual behaviors while on Ambien, an anti-insomnia medication made by Sanofi-Aventis. Many people are reporting short-term memory loss as well. Both MSNBC.com and the New York Times have reported behaviors that are even more bizarre and disturbing, involving Ambien users who drank and drove in their sleep and remembered...
- Staff Writer | April 27, 2006 12:54 PM |
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MiscellaneousAccording to a recent article in the Rocky Mountain News, Denver-based Peaberry Coffee released a list of 11 locations it plans to close in the coming weeks and deals to lease the stores to Starbucks. Last month, the coffee company said it would close up to 13 corporate locations in a restructuring designed to focus on franchising and retail bean sale efforts. Peaberry will keep its two kiosk...
- Staff Writer | April 27, 2006 10:17 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe FDA issued a Safety Alert notifying doctors and patients that cases of breathing problems, some of which were fatal, have been reported when the drug promethazine hydrochloride (HCI), marketed as Phenergan and generic products, was used in children less than two years old. Parents should also get a doctor's advice before giving the drug to children ages two and older, the FDA said. The...
- Staff Writer | April 26, 2006 9:07 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsInjuries are being reported by users of AstraZeneca's Seroquel, a popular schizophrenia drug approved by the FDA in 1997. Seroquel has also been known to be prescribed for "off label" purposes. Research recently released showed that patients taking Seroquel had as much as a 3.34 times higher risk of developing dangerous side effects, including diabetes and diabetic-related injuries. Burg...
- Staff Writer | April 26, 2006 8:57 PM |
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MiscellaneousA federal grand jury indicted former Qwest CEO, Joseph Nacchio, on charges of insider trading. On December 19th, 2005, he was charged with profiting by insider trading in the sale of more than $100 million of Qwest stock. The sale took place between January and May 2001 after he had been informed that Quest would not meet its revenue targets. Several other former executives were also...
- Staff Writer | April 25, 2006 7:06 PM |
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Medical MalpracticeThe FDA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)issued a safety alert April 24, 2006, warning that 12 incidents have been reported in which regulators used with oxygen cylinders have burned or exploded, in some cases injuring personnel. Improper use of gaskets/washersin the regulators are a major factor in the ignition and severity of the fires, and FDA and NIOSH...
- Staff Writer | April 24, 2006 5:19 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe New York Times ran an article citing research that found that "95 - or 56 percent - of 170 experts who worked on the 1994 edition of the manual, called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, or D.S.M, had at least one monetary relationship with a drug maker in the years from 1989 to 2004. . . . The percentage was higher - 100 percent in some cases - for experts who worked on sections of...
- Staff Writer | April 22, 2006 8:31 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsIt has been reported that the FDA has not been very forthcoming about the issue of Benzene in soda. Benzene is a carcinogen that has been linked to cancer such as leukemia. The current means of evaluating the effects of benzene is in terms of life-time exposure but it is unclear what precise amounts of Benzene and what type of exposure will cause health complications. Many experts do not feel...
- Staff Writer | April 21, 2006 8:36 PM |
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Medical MalpracticeA recent study by HealthGrades indicates that the most serious problem in U.S. hospitals is medical error. This study ranked hospitals in New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Tennessee and the District of Columbia as those ranking lowest in patient safety.For more information about the medical errors study...
- Staff Writer | April 20, 2006 4:35 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThere has been a recent increase in eye infections in soft contact lens wearers using Bausch & Lomb's ReNu with MoistureLoc brand contact lens solution or a generic brand manufactured by them. These rare but serious eye infections are being caused by the fungus Fusarium and can result in permanent loss of vision requiring corneal transplant. In early April the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...
- Staff Writer | April 19, 2006 9:35 AM |
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Workplace DiscriminationThere is an urban myth, that a claim for hostile work environment can encompass any kind of behavior in the workplace, from compliments about one's dress or hair to rude behavior to bosses or co-workers who are always angry or boorish. This is simply not true. Federal and state civil rights laws do not impose a general civility code; simple teasing, offhand comments, and isolated incidents,...
- Staff Writer | April 19, 2006 9:31 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsMany folks have recently seen or perhaps heard of the Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra, Ortho Evra, Guidant and Medtronic "MDLs" in the media. So what is an "MDL"? Well, its shorthand for multidistrict litigation. The first thing you need to know about multidistrict litigation is that its not the same thing as a class action. A class action is a lawsuit where a few people sue on behalf of themselves and...
- Staff Writer | April 18, 2006 10:59 PM |
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Medical MalpracticeWe have all read about rising health care costs. Insurance companies would have you believe the increase is due to high medical malpractice verdicts and unscrupulous trial lawyers. As a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice litigation and takes pride in representing the injured, it was with interest that I read the front page story in today's Wall Street Journal (April 18, 2006).The...
- Staff Writer | April 18, 2006 9:27 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsA retired doctor from Austin has sued Las Vegas casinos and the maker of Parkinson drug Requip, claiming that they caused compulsive gambling behavior that ultimately cost him $14 million in Las Vegas. The plaintiff cites a 2005 Mayo Clinic study documenting 11 Parkinson's patients who developed compulsive behaviors while taking Requip or Mirapex.See the American-Statesman article by clicking...
- Staff Writer | April 18, 2006 9:40 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsMy colleague in Cheyenne, William Simpson, has a great post about SUV headrests failing whiplash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety did a study that found:Seats and head restraints in big SUV sellers like the Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner and Chevrolet TrailBlazer rated poor, as did the Chevy Silverado pickup and some seats in the Ford F-150 and Dodge Dakota pickups.
- Staff Writer | April 17, 2006 9:25 PM |
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Medical MalpracticeA Senate Finance Committee found that a top FDA official overruled the unanimous opinion of his scientific staff when he decided last year to approve a pacemaker-like device to treat persistent depression, according to an article in the New York Times. The device has been used since 1997 to treat epilepsy, and when patients began reporting improvements in mood, the manufacturer sought approval...
- Staff Writer | April 17, 2006 8:25 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe article at this link does a good job of discussing the current issues surrounding Ortho-McNeil's Ortho Evra Contraceptive Patch. According to the article, it appears people have suffered substantial injury in hundreds of cases across the country involving this patch. Ortho-McNeil has settled many of the lawsuits in the past few months for millions of dollars.
- Staff Writer | April 16, 2006 9:20 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe FDA Advisory Committee recently issued an alert saying that,"Attention deficit/hyperactivity drugs should be prescribed with a medication guide warning of potential cardiovascular risks with the class of stimulant agents, FDA's Drug Safety & Risk Management Advisory Committee recommended Feb. 9."Here's the list of ADHD drugs under scrutiny:----------------------FDA conducted an analysis of...
- Staff Writer | April 15, 2006 9:17 PM |
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Medical MalpracticeAs if we needed convincing, here's more proof that dogs really can be man's (and woman's) best friend. An article in HealthDay News reports a new study showing that dogs can detect lung and breast cancer in breath samples.Here's an excerpt:"When we heard anecdotally that there was a device out there that might be able to detect cancer at its earliest stages, before it even shows up on an MRI...
- Staff Writer | April 14, 2006 9:03 PM |
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MiscellaneousColorado Springs Utilities proposes building a $10 million inflatable dam to prevent sewage spills into Fountain Creek. Under this plan, clean water from a nearby pond would be released into the creek to avoid harm to downstream water rights. Jerry Forte, Utilities Chief Executive Officer, believes the dam would be the best way to alleviate the waterway's environmental problems, saying, "It's...
- Staff Writer | April 14, 2006 4:43 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsUsers of bisphosonates, such as Fosamax, have been experiencing the decay or death of their jawbone. Fosamax is prescribed to treat osteoporosis. Last year alone, doctors wrote an estimated 22.4 million prescriptions for Fosamax. Unlike many injuries, osteonecrosis of the jaw is not common in the general population and thus believed to be a "signature" injury that will aid in the prosecution...
- Staff Writer | April 13, 2006 8:51 PM |
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Wrongful DeathA New York jury didn't buy the arguments set forth by a decedent's family as it sought $10 million from Benihana's for his death several months after dodging a shrimp allegedly tossed by the chef.For more about this story...
- Staff Writer | April 13, 2006 8:47 PM |
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MiscellaneousFor your reading pleasure, here's an AP article about those popular Crocs, which were started by three Boulder-based entrepreneurs. Crocs began in 2002 as shoes for boating and the outdoors. Click here to see the full article.
- Staff Writer | April 13, 2006 8:44 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsColorado ranks sixth in U.S. for fatalities from drowsy driving; Wyoming ranks number one, according to a recent article in the Rocky Mountain NewsThe federal government has conservatively estimated that about 100,000 crashes a year are caused by driver fatigue, resulting in 71,000 people being injured and 1,500 fatalities. But safety officials said those figures are probably low because of the...
- Staff Writer | April 13, 2006 8:35 PM |
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MiscellaneousConAgra Foods said today it will sell 15 plants in 10 states, including a turkey processing operation in Longmont, Colo., as it sheds its refrigerated meats business. Here's an excerpt of the 2/3/06 story in the Rocky Mountain News:The sale, which the company announced Thursday, would affect about 6,000 employees of the Omaha-based company, and ConAgra plans to part with its Armour, Butterball...
- Staff Writer | April 13, 2006 8:32 PM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)Denver is a beautiful city, but eyesores exist in many neighborhoods. That's where the city's neighborhood inspectors come in. Each year, they scour Denver neighborhoods in an effort to bring problem properties into compliance with the city's codes. Southwest Denver resident Linda Stephens stands by her neighbor's house which has been a twenty-five year struggle for her to deal with.Click here
- Staff Writer | April 12, 2006 2:14 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsWalgreen''s has issued an order for all locations to stop selling all of Bausch and Lomb's Renu products, not just MoistureLoc, which has been suspected of causing rare eye infections leading to blindness. Bausch & Lomb's stock continued to drop another 6% om imcreasingly bad news about health concerns resulting from their contact lens solutions.