Bertram & Graf, L.L.C.
4717 Grand Avenue, Suite 800
Kansas City, MO 64112
Phone: 800.200.6303
Fax: 816.523.8258
8400 E. Prentice Ave., Penthouse Suite
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Phone: 303.409.7711
Fax: 303.409.7714
Pharmaceutical Product Liability
Every year, thousands of people nationwide suffer serious harm or death from prescription and over-the-counter medications. Unknowing patients take these dangerous pharmaceuticals because they have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or prescribed by a trusted physician. Tragically, many defective drugs are inadequately tested or have insufficient warnings on their labels. At Bertram & Graf our lawyers represent clients who suffer serious health consequences as a result of dangerous pharmaceuticals or defective medical devices. Our attorneys assist clients in lawsuits against negligent drug makers to achieve justice. If you have suffered serious injuries or health problems as a result of a dangerous medication or medical device, contact our product liability lawyers and schedule a consultation.
- AVANDIA®
- BARD KUGEL™ Hernia Patch
- DURAGESIC® Pain Patch
- GADOLINIUM®
- KETEK®
- MIRAPEX®
- ORTHO EVRA®
- PAXIL® Birth Defects
- REGLAN® (metoclopramide)
- VIAGRA® and CIALIS®
AVANDIA®
AVANDIA®, or rosiglitazone, is an anti-diabetic drug manufactured by Glaxo Smith Kline. It is primarily used in the treatment of Type II diabetes mellitus. Recently, drugs containing AVANDIA® have been linked to significantly increased risk of heart attack.
On August 1, 2007, the FDA said that the diabetes pills should carry new warnings about cardiovascular risk. Although the FDA committee voted to keep AVANDIA® on the market, it voted that the evidence showed that the drug added to the risk of heart attacks.
BARD KUGEL™ HERNIA PATCH
The Kugel mesh hernia patch is used to repair ventral hernias. The Kugel mesh patch can break, however, leading to bowel perforations and chronic intestinal fistulae. These are very serious conditions that pose a significant health risk to Kugel hernia patch patients.
In late 2005, C. R. Bard Corporation sent out a recall of the Kugel patch, urging doctors to stop using some versions of the product, because a plastic component could break and cut through patients’ internal organs and tissue.
DURAGESIC® Pain Patch
The DURAGESIC® pain patch contains a narcotic analgesic used to relieve moderate to severe chronic pain. Produced by Janssen Pharmaceutical Products, it was approved by the FDA in 1990. Recently, however, the DURAGESIC® pain patch has been linked to serious health risks. In July 2005, the FDA issued an alert stating that it is looking into reports of death and other serious side effects from overdoses resulting from use of the DURAGESIC® pain patch.
GADOLINIUM®
Gadolinium®, a metallic contrast dye that is injected in patients undergoing metallic resonance imaging (MRI), has been recently linked to a rare skin disorder in patients with kidney troubles. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis can lead to burning, itching, stiffening, or discoloration of the skin. Doctors think the condition may be under-diagnosed in kidney patients who have undergone MRIs with contrast dyes.
KETEK®
KETEK ® (telithromycin) is a ketolid-class antibiotic manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis. Approved by the FDA in April 2004, the drug has been prescribed over five million times in the treatment of bacterial sinusitis and pneumonia and chronic bronchitis. It has come under fire in recent months because of allegations of adverse KETEK® side effects, which include liver damage, liver failure, and death. A congressional investigation is attempting to determine why the drug was approved even after a physician was convicted of fraud in clinical trials of KETEK®.
MIRAPEX®
MIRAPEX® is a prescription medication used to treat Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome (RLS). Manufactured by Pfizer and distributed by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, MIRAPEX® was first approved by the FDA in 1997. Recently there have been reports that MIRAPEX® users experience uncontrollable compulsive urges. Among the behaviors that have been reported are cases of pathological gambling, hypersexuality, and compulsive eating.
ORTHO EVRA®
On September 20, 2006, the results of a new study were released that confirmed previous studies showing an increased risk of blood clots associated with use of ORTHO EVRA® versus oral contraceptives. The study found that women using ORTHO EVRA® were twice as likely to develop blood clots as those using oral contraceptive pills. As a result, the FDA has asked Ortho McNeil Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson, to update the safety label on ORTHO EVRA® to warn users about the risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.
PAXIL® Birth Defects
Paroxetine or paroxetine hydrochloride (sold under the trade name PAXIL® in the United States) is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) type. It was released onto the market in 1992 by the pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Kline, and has since become one of the most prescribed antidepressants on the market. Pregnant women taking PAXIL® have a greater chance of having babies with birth defects, especially heart defects, than women who have used other antidepressants or no antidepressants.
REGLAN® (metoclopramide)
REGLAN® (metoclopramide) is a prescription drug commonly used for the treatment of gastrointestinal conditions such as gastric reflux and diabetic gastric stasis. However, studies have linked REGLAN® to various nervous system disorders. Long-term use of REGLAN® has been linked to a number of serious side effects including tardive dyskinesia, Parkinson’s-like symptoms, severe depression, and others.
VIAGRA® and CIALIS®
A study performed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and published in 2006 in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, found that men who had a history or heart attack or high blood pressure who had taken the erectile dysfunction drugs VIAGRA® (sildenafil) or CIALIS® (taldenafil) were up to 6-10 times more likely to develop non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) than men who had not taken these drugs.
NAION causes a sudden loss of eyesight (typically in one eye) because of a loss of blood flow to the optic nerve, often appearing upon first awakening, and usually within 12-24 hours after taking the medication. The UAB study adds to the ever-increasing body of evidence showing an increased risk of developing ischemic optic eye diseases in men who use these ED drugs. Earlier reports published in 2005 in the British Journal of Ophthalmology and the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology also reported an association between NAION and the user of these drugs. The FDA has since required the makers of the most popular ED drugs to add label warnings for sudden vision loss. Patients are advised to stop taking the drugs and see a doctor immediately if they experience sudden blindness or decreased vision in one or both eyes.