- Joe Saunders | October 31, 2007 9:44 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsJapan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. is suspending clinical trials of its anti-cholesterol drug known as TAK-475 because of potential side effects concerning the liver. The news comes in the wake of Congressional hearings investigating the FDA's role in monitoring and evaluating pharmaceutical products. One interesting twist thus far in the hearings is how the FDA is supposed to monitor foreign...
- Shannon Weidemann | October 30, 2007 2:58 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA 29-year-old married father of two children died after leaving his car to help at the scene of an accident in Tampa on Interstate 75. The car accident happened early on Sunday morning. He was hit by a car that hit one of the cars from the original accident. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, one driver rear-ended another, causing one of the cars to roll over.Two other cars pulled over...
- Joe Saunders | October 30, 2007 10:59 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsIn an 8-7 vote, an internal FDA review board voted to allow Avandia to stay on the market. The vote was so close it has drawn scrutiny and criticism from Senator Charles Grassley of the Senate Finance Committee. Grassley criticized the FDA for not making public the findings of the FDA review board. Avandia, a diabetes drug, has been linked to an increase in heart attacks. Avandia already...
- Joe Saunders | October 29, 2007 7:13 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsPresidential candidate John Edwards is proposing that pharmaceutical companies refrain from marketing new drug products for two years. This would give the FDA and health officials the necessary time to evaluate and monitor the safety and effectiveness of the drugs. It's also an acknowledgment that big pharma's overly aggressive marketing campaigns translates into huge sales for the...
- Joe Saunders | October 27, 2007 10:42 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe generic for the popular anti-depressant Wellbutrin XL is under investigation by the FDA after consumers complained of severe headaches, anxiety, insomnia and digestive ailments. The generic Budeprion XL was approved for use in 2006. A consumer products advocacy group ConsumerLab.com began testing the drug after the complaints arose. The tests revealed some differences in the scientific...
- Joe Saunders | October 26, 2007 8:16 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe FDA has said that Bayer's Trasylol increases the risk of death compared to similar drugs. Trasylol also known as aprotinin, is used in heart bypass surgery to stem excessive bleeding. The drug works by blocking enzymes that dissolve blood clots, hence less bleeding. However, the blood clots are a risk factor for heart attacks and death. Curiously, the FDA has stated a month earlier that...
- Joe Saunders | October 25, 2007 8:01 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsUntil Eli Lilly abruptly pulled patients off of prasugrel, the blood thinning drug had been one of the more promising drugs for the large pharmaceutical company. A. Michael Lincoff, director of cardiovascular research at the Cleveland Clinic, was quoted in the Wall St. Journal as stating that in all likelihood the drug trial was suspended for safety reasons with bleeding the most likely safety...
- Courtney Mills | October 24, 2007 5:04 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA sixteen-year-old was run over twice by passing cars on Sunday night in Land O' Lakes and survived. Michael Mauritzen was walking after hours on Thys Road Sunday night when the right mirror of a passing minivan struck him in the back, knocking him right off his feet and ripping the mirror off the van.Michael was then run over completely by a Ford Taurus as he lay on the ground writhing in...
- Joe Saunders | October 24, 2007 10:44 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe FDA has seized $71,000 worth of dietary supplements from FulLife Natural Options, Inc., a company located in Boca Raton, Florida. The seizure highlighted the FDA's efforts to curb the misbranding, mislabeling of dietary supplements that claim to cure medical diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and anemia. The seized products include Charantea Ampalaya Capsules and Charantea Ampalaya...
- Joe Saunders | October 23, 2007 9:37 AM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsAccording to company sources, Bausch & Lomb has stated that it is a named defendant in 573 lawsuits involving its defective ReNu contact lens solution. The majority of the lawsuits are individual with one federal class action suit filed. A year and a half ago, ReNu contact lens solution was pulled off the market after consumers began contracting fungal eye infections that can cause blindness.
- Shannon Weidemann | October 22, 2007 11:22 PM |
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Medical MalpracticeA woman died after undergoing a c-section and her family sued the hospital and doctor they felt was responsible for her death. The jury found in favor of the doctor in the medical malpractice case. The family had been asking for $10 Million in damages. Susan Special, 38, died in June 2003 after a Caesarean section. Moments after Nicholas was born, she suffered a seizure, went into cardiac...
- Joe Saunders | October 21, 2007 10:42 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsMulti-symptom cold medicines for children have come under increasing fire recently from public health advocates as well as the FDA. In a few instances, these cold medicines have been linked to children's deaths. Now, some advocates are calling on an outright ban of the products. The problem with the multi-symptom products is that they contain a wide variety of drugs used to treat different...
- Joe Saunders | October 19, 2007 10:39 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsThe Clearwater Police Department has released its report concerning the August 26th auto accident involving Nick Bollea, son of wrestling star Hulk Hogan. The report cites the obvious: speeding on a wet roadway led to the crash. Toxicology reports have not been completed yet. John Graziano, the passenger in the vehicle at the time of the auto accident, remains in critical condition.
- Joe Saunders | October 17, 2007 10:18 AM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsIn another setback for Medtronic, its cardiac implant device, the Sprint Fidelis has been shown to have a faulty lead wire. The defect can cause the defibrillator to jolt the heart when the heart's rhythm doesn't need to be adjusted and/or it can fail to send the necessary electric impulse when the heart actually needs to be brought back into a normal cardiac rhythm. The Sprint Fidelis is...
- Shannon Weidemann | October 16, 2007 8:14 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsAn advisory about not fully cooking pot pies has turned into a larger recall for name brand and generic pot pies sold by ConAgra. The recalled pot pies my have been contaminated by salmonella. There have been 174 reported cases of food poisoning linked to the recalled pot pies. The outbreak has prompted a voluntary recall of some Banquet and generic-brand pot pies made by ConAgra Foods.The...
- Joe Saunders | October 16, 2007 10:43 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Michigan man was seriously injured as a result of a one-vehicle accident on Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. early this morning. The police are investigating to determine the cause of the crash. The driver, Geoffrey H. Malek, was flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg and is listed in critical condition. There is no word yet if he was wearing his seat belt.
- Brenda Fulmer | October 15, 2007 7:54 AM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsAfter years of scorched earth litigation tactics and many successes, the tide appears to be turning. The tobacco industry is no longer dominating the court system. Those who have suffered the ravages of smoking are being heard - and not just in Florida where the Florida Supreme Court rendered a stunning defeat to tobacco defendants in Engle that will be felt for years to come as former class...
- Joe Saunders | October 15, 2007 5:04 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsGadolinium, a contrast dye drug used to enhance MRIs, has been linked to a serious and sometimes fatal disease called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. The skin disease affecting the kidneys is particularly dangerous for those with severe or acute kidney insufficiencies. The threat is serious enough that the FDA required a boxed warning for the drug and warned healthcare officials to screen...
- Joe Saunders | October 11, 2007 11:58 AM |
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MiscellaneousRiver of Life Church youth minister Justin Peterson admitted to forcing a 7 year old child to perform oral sex. Now a judge has denied bail for the 31 year old youth minister. The abuse survivor, now an adult, confronted the minister about the abuse and he readily admitted to abusing the young girl. Apparently, there is another victim who has not come forward. Peterson remains in jail...
- Joe Saunders | October 11, 2007 5:20 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsAs the weather starts to turn cooler in Tampa Bay, more people will turn to their bikes for recreation and exercise. Pinellas County is fortunate to have the Pinellas Trail among other bike trails. Yet, those who choose an alternative route other than the bike trails may be choosing a perilous route. PInellas County roads are often overcrowded and many have an inadequate or no breakdown lane...
- Shannon Weidemann | October 10, 2007 10:52 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA 17-year-old girl from Brandon was killed in a car accident in Plant City on Friday night. It was storming badly at the time of the accident and the weather may have been a factor. A car headed eastbound turned in front of a car headed the other direction. They collided sending many people to the hospital with injuries. Eight others were taken to hospitals with injuries after the...
- Joe Saunders | October 10, 2007 10:47 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsEventhough the Florida Legislature passed a new Auto Insurance No-Fault Law, it is still important for Florida drivers to have uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage as part of their auto insurance policies. Florida law still does not require that drivers have bodily injury liability coverage to pay damages for liability claims. Uninsured and underinsured auto insurance provides insurance...
- Joe Saunders | October 09, 2007 6:57 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsUltrasound imaging drugs, particularly Definity made by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Optison from General Electric have drawn the attention of the FDA due to reports of deaths and serious cardiopulmonary reactions. These drugs are used to help doctors with difficult ultrasound tests that prove inconclusive in attempting to diagnose cardiac problems. The new black boxes will alert doctors to avoid...
- Brenda Fulmer | October 08, 2007 9:37 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsA new bill was recently passed which gives the FDA power to require drug companies to submit TV ads for review before they run. The bill doesn't go far enough, however, since the Agency can only recommend changes, not demand them. Early drafts of the bill gave the FDA authority to block a drug company from advertising medications that contained serious safety concerns. Consumer drug ads have...
- Joe Saunders | October 08, 2007 6:44 AM |
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MiscellaneousFour days after personal injury auto accident insurance expired in Florida, lawmakers moved swiftly to re-enact the PIP provisions. A move to cap attorney fees was struck down in the new legislation that is set to begin in January. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) pays medical bills up to $10,000 regardless of who is at fault in the auto accident. The move is seen as helping those who drive...
- Joe Saunders | October 08, 2007 6:24 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsAfter years of mounting evidence that their schizophrenic drug Zyprexa had harmful side effects, drug manufacturer Eli Lilly added a strong warning on the label for Zyprexa. Critics of the drug Zyprexa have been arguing since 2004 that the drug causes significant weight gain as well as elevated blood sugar levels, elevating the risk for diabetes in users. Zyprexa has been heavily marketed in...
- Chrissie Cole | October 07, 2007 11:27 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsThe tobacco industry appealed a ruling from last year by the Florida Supreme court that jury findings, including deception and negligence by the tobacco companies, could now be used in individual lawsuits by former class action members.In the other issue appealed to the nation's highest court, the industry said the generalized jury findings rested on evidence, arguments and theories of liability...
- Brenda Fulmer | October 06, 2007 9:30 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsIn late September, the FDA announced that it intends to start cracking down on manufacturers of unapproved drugs that are being marketed in the United States. The Agency announced in particular that it was focusing on companies that are marketing and distributing unapproved cough medications that include the active ingredient hydrocodone. This same ingredient is included in the narcotic drug...
- Brenda Fulmer | October 05, 2007 11:30 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe Reno trial involving three breast cancer survivors who are suing Wyeth is now nearing the end of its fourth week. The Nevada plaintiffs are suing Wyeth, the manufacturer of Prempro and Premarin, after they each developed breast cancer attributed to their long-term use of combination hormone replacement drugs. Brett Hendricks, a former sales representative for Wyeth, provided riveting...
- Joe Saunders | October 05, 2007 9:51 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsAfter Thursday's move to cap attorney fees in auto accident cases derailed PIP, the House stripped the controversial provision from the bill. The Florida Senate had vowed not to pass a PIP bill with attorney fee caps. In the compromise measure, the Florida House has agreed to drop the $10,000 fee cap so it looks like PIP will be restored at some point.
- Joe Saunders | October 05, 2007 9:14 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsRepublican Florida house members added amendments to the no-fault auto insurance bill that would limit the rights of consumers to pay their lawyers in lawsuits for denied claims against insurance companies. Under these new amendments persons injured in auto accidents would likely have difficulty getting a lawyer to help them make legitimate claims against their own insurance company to recover...
- Brenda Fulmer | October 05, 2007 9:11 AM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsResearchers at the University of Pennsylvania recently received a $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for a new study focusing on the chemical changes that occur when the body is exposed to cigarette smoke.Previous research has shown that chemical changes in the body can occur after exposure to cigarette smoke and that smoking and exposure to cigarette smoke is the...
- Joe Saunders | October 04, 2007 4:04 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Florida legislative bill by Senators Dave Aronberg and J.D. Alexander to require Florida drivers to have bodily injury liability insurance coverage for car accidents may not be heard in this legislative session. The current special session of the legislature has PIP personal injury protection insurance and property tax budgeting bills on the agenda. However, the legislative rules calling the...
- Brenda Fulmer | October 04, 2007 3:44 PM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsFive companies who market most of the hip and knee surgical implantation devices in the United States have been accused of making deals with orthopedic surgeons in order for their products to be used by those medical providers. Four of the companies, Zimmer Holdings, DePuy Orthopaedics, Smith & Nephew & Biomet, have reached nonprosecutory 18 month agreements which include reforms and federal...
- Joe Saunders | October 04, 2007 10:27 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsThe Florida Senate Committee is ready to vote on a new no-fault auto insurance law that would take effect on February 15 2008. The house committee is concerned about the gap period in the Florida no-fault personal injury protection insurance and are discussing changes in the auto insurance bill. Concerns have been expressed about the state's requirement that insurance companies have their rates...
- Joe Saunders | October 04, 2007 10:27 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsThe Florida Senate Committee is ready to vote on a new no-fault auto insurance law that would take effect on February 15 2008. The house committee is concerned about the gap period in the Florida no-fault personal injury protection insurance and are discussing changes in the auto insurance bill. Concerns have been expressed about the state's requirement that insurance companies have their rates...
- Joe Saunders | October 03, 2007 5:17 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsThe day after the Florida Gov. Charlie Crist put auto insurance on the legislative special session agenda the house and senate committees are in sharp disagreeement over returning to a different form of no-fault auto accident liability insurance or having a pure fault based liability system. The no-fault auto insurance system that expired this week required that all drivers purchase no fault...
- Joe Saunders | October 03, 2007 9:53 AM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsThe FDA plans to take enforcement action against companies that continue to market drug products containing the popular but addictive hydrocodone. The move is intended to target those drugs marketed especially to children to suppress coughs. "Companies marketing these unapproved products have not demonstrated the safety and efficacy of these drugs," said Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H.,...
- Joe Saunders | October 02, 2007 5:08 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsFlorida Governor Charlie Crist has added consideration of Florida no-fault auto insurance to the state legislative special session. The Florida no-fault auto insurance law expired yesterday after the Florida legislature failed to renew the law last this year. Under the no-fault auto insurance law system that has been in effect in Florida for over three decades a person injured in a auto accident...
- Chrissie Cole | October 02, 2007 1:16 AM |
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Medical MalpracticeA case to determine whether Carnival Corp. can be held responsible for the medical malpractice of its onboard physicians was refused by the U.S. Supreme Court.The case was based on a federal maritime precedent that says, "cruise lines are not liable for the actions of their doctors."The case involved a 14-year-old Michigan girl, who boarded the Carnival Ecstasy in March 1997 suffering from...
- Joe Saunders | October 01, 2007 10:15 AM |
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Defective & Dangerous ProductsTopps Meat Co. has expanded its initial recall of beef patties to 21.7 million pounds. The recall involves beef that may be contaminated with the E coli bacteria that has sickened dozens of people. The recall represents all Topps products with either a "sell by date" or a "best if used by date" between Sept. 25 this year and Sept. 25, 2008. The US Department of Agriculture has suspended the...