Ortho Evra News

Ortho Evra News: "The mother of a woman who died while using a popular birth-control patch has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the maker of the patch, which she says caused her daughter's death." [Topix]

Women sue over birth-control patch - Women's Health - MSNBC.com

Women sue over birth-control patch - Women's Health - MSNBC.com: "More than 40 women sued the makers of a popular birth-control patch Wednesday, claiming the contraceptive caused serious illnesses and at least one death." [MSNBC]

Pill makers curry favor by touting convenience - Nashville, Tennessee - Monday, 11/27/06 - Tennessean.com

Pill makers curry favor by touting convenience - Nashville, Tennessee - Monday, 11/27/06 - Tennessean.com: "The hormone estrogen in these contraceptives is the main culprit in the increased risk of clots. In September, the FDA added a new warning label to Ortho Evra, the popular birth control patch, saying that it delivers up to 60 percent more estrogen than most daily birth control pills." [RCTimes]

TheStar.com - Birth control patch warning

TheStar.com - Birth control patch warning: "Health Canada is warning Canadian women that use of a birth control patch may increase their risk of developing blood clots in the legs and lungs." [Toronto Star]

Birth control patch warning about blood clots - Evra contraceptive patch - Health Canada

Birth control patch warning about blood clots - Evra contraceptive patch - Health Canada: "Janssen-Ortho Inc., in consultation with Health Canada, wishes to highlight important new safety information pertaining to Evra. The Evra transdermal system marketed in Canada contains 6.0 mg norelgestromin (NGMN) and 0.60 mg ethinyl estradiol (EE) and is approved for use in contraception (prevention of pregnancy)." [SpiritIndia]

Merck to Face 40,000 Vioxx Suits, Officials Say - Los Angeles Times

Merck to Face 40,000 Vioxx Suits, Officials Say - Los Angeles Times: "Merck & Co. will face about 40,000 claims over its withdrawn Vioxx painkiller once deadlines for filing lawsuits lapse around the U.S., court records and lawyer estimates show. " [LATIMES.com]

More than 14,000 Vioxx cases strain Atlantic County court

More than 14,000 Vioxx cases strain Atlantic County court: "The court charged with handling about 14,000 Vioxx-related cases that have been filed in the last two years has asked for additional help to handle its workload.

The Atlantic County Civil Division is handling the thousands of cases filed against Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck over the painkiller it pulled from the market in 2004, saying its own research showed the drug doubled risk of heart attack and stroke with long-term use." [KATC.com]

Judge Orders Merck to Reveal Trial Cost,

Judge Orders Merck to Reveal Trial Cost,: "A N.J. judge ordered Merck & Co. on Tuesday to release records on how much it spent on a trial involving its Vioxx painkiller.

The information would provide a window into how much Merck spends on its trials, and what its legal defense costs could be in the future. More than 21,000 suits have been filed against Merck, which has vowed to try each case over Vioxx." [Chron.com]

How The Journals Are Cracking Down

How The Journals Are Cracking Down: "With concerns about conflicts of interest on the rise, many medical journals are cracking down. Some are demanding more detailed disclosures from authors about how they're compensated by companies, and many are more skeptically scrutinizing papers that academic and company scientists produce together. " [BusinessWeek]

Merck Caught Misrepresenting Vioxx Risks Again

Merck Caught Misrepresenting Vioxx Risks Again: "Although Merck has long maintained that the risks associated with Vioxx occur after long-term use, a recent study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, says the drug may raise the risk of heart attack for patients taking Vioxx for less than 2 weeks.

The study published online this month, found that more than 25% of 239 patients who had heart attacks did so in less than 13 days of being on the drug." [OpEdNews.com]

Judge: Merck claimed privilege for ads, press releases -- Newsday.com

Judge: Merck claimed privilege for ads, press releases -- Newsday.com: "Advertisements, press releases and studies already admitted into evidence were among hundreds of thousands of documents which Merck & Co. attorneys claimed they could not release, the judge overseeing all federal lawsuits involving the painkiller Vioxx said Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon said he went through nearly 500,000 documents over the past two weeks _ checking many twice _ and probably will release many of them on Monday to the steering committee representing thousands of federal court plaintiffs." [Newsday]

Merck's Most Recent Vioxx Trial Loss and Punitive Damages Award Is 'No Surprise' for This Plaintiff's Lawyer: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Merck's Most Recent Vioxx Trial Loss and Punitive Damages Award Is 'No Surprise' for This Plaintiff's Lawyer: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance: "Some lawyers may have been surprised at the outcome of the most recent Vioxx trial. But it was no surprise for veteran Alexander Hawes, LLP, an AV-rated trial firm, has concentrated its practice on the prosecution of complex Personal Injury and Class Action cases. The Firm represents individuals, governmental entities, businesses and institutional shareholders in auto accident cases, insurance claims, motorcycle injury accidents, and truck (and SUV) accidents. In addition, our law firm represents consumers in defective product, product liability, tort, negligence, mass tort, consumer, construction defect, investment fraud, price fixing and employment cases. The Firm is currently involved in complex cases pending in federal and state courts throughout the Unites States. The Firm is dedicated to quality representation of its clients and prides itself on aggressive advocacy of its clients' claims." [AH]

USATODAY.com - Jury smacks Merck with $9M in punitive damages in Vioxx trial

USATODAY.com - Jury smacks Merck with $9M in punitive damages in Vioxx trial: "A jury has awarded $9 million in punitive damages to a man who blamed his heart attack on Vioxx, finding that manufacturer Merck (MRK) failed to warn about the risks of its arthritis drug and misrepresented the risks to physicians." [USA Today]

Latest Business News and Financial Information | Reuters.com

Latest Business News and Financial Information | Reuters.com: "A jury on Tuesday awarded $9 million in punitive damages to a New Jersey man who blamed Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx for his heart attack, but the company vowed to continue fighting cases involving its withdrawn pain medicine." [Reuters]

FOXNews.com - Death Risk Warning for Asthma Drugs - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News

FOXNews.com - Death Risk Warning for Asthma Drugs - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News: "New labels on asthma drugs Advair and Serevent warn patients that the drugs 'may increase the risk of asthma-related death.'" [Fox News]

Patient Information Sheet: Fluticasone propionate; Salmeterol xinafoate (marketed as Advair Diskus)

Patient Information Sheet: Fluticasone propionate; Salmeterol xinafoate (marketed as Advair Diskus): "Because LABAs, such as Advair Diskus, may increase the chance of asthma death in some people:

* Advair Diskus should not be the first medicine you use for asthma.
* Advair Diskus should only be used if an inhaled corticosteroid along with once in a while use of a short-acting bronchodilator medicine does not control your asthma." [FDA]

Alert for Healthcare Professionals: Fluticasone propionate; Salmeterol xinafoate (marketed as Advair Diskus)

Alert for Healthcare Professionals: Fluticasone propionate; Salmeterol xinafoate (marketed as Advair Diskus): "Long-acting beta 2-adrenergic agonists, such as salmeterol, an active ingredient in Advair Diskus, have been associated with an increased risk of severe asthma exacerbations and asthma-related death. FDA has requested that the package insert (labeling) for all long-acting beta 2-adrenergic agonists, including Advair Diskus, be revised to provide more information about this possible increased risk. FDA has also requested that a Medication Guide (FDA-approved patient information) containing information about these risks for patients and caregivers be dispensed with each prescription. FDA advises that, in the treatment of asthma, Advair Diskus should only be used in patients who have not adequately responded to other asthma controller medications, such as low-to-medium dose inhaled corticosteroids." [FDA]

Death Risk Warning for Asthma Drugs

Death Risk Warning for Asthma Drugs: "GlaxoSmithKline, which makes both Advair and Serevent, agreed to the new 'black box' warnings -- the strongest warning a drug label can carry. The agreement follows the FDA's November 2005 requestFDA's November 2005 request for an update of the drugs' existing black box labels." [WebMD]

Serevent, Advair, and Foradil Linked to Risk of Severe Asthma Exacerbations

Serevent, Advair, and Foradil Linked to Risk of Severe Asthma Exacerbations: "Serevent, Advair, and Foradil Linked to Risk of Severe Asthma Exacerbations, Death" [Medscape]

Advair & Serevent, Severe Asthma Reactions and Fatalities Lawsuit Information: Click Here.

Advair & Serevent, Severe Asthma Reactions and Fatalities Lawsuit Information: Click Here.: "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned healthcare professionals regarding the increased risk of severe asthma episodes and death associated with use of inhalation powders containing long-acting beta 2-adrenergic agonists (LABA) such as salmeterol xinafoate and formoterol fumarate." [AHA]

Jury again rules against Merck in a Vioxx case - Business

Jury again rules against Merck in a Vioxx case: "Delivering a sharp blow to Merck, a New Jersey jury has found that the company did not properly warn patients of the dangers of its drug Vioxx and thus was responsible for a heart attack suffered by John McDarby in 2004.

The jury awarded McDarby, who had taken Vioxx for four years, $3 million in compensatory damages and Irma, his wife, an additional $1.5 million." [IHT}

Merck stock tumbles after loss in Vioxx case - Apr. 6, 2006

Merck stock tumbles after loss in Vioxx case - Apr. 6, 2006: "Merck stock tumbled Thursday, a day after the nation's No. 2 drugmaker was found liable for the heart attack of a New Jersey man who took Vioxx and a jury awarded $4.5 million in damages.

Merck stock sank about 4 percent in morning New York Stock Exchange trading.

A jury in Atlantic City, N.J., late Wednesday awarded John McDarby and his wife $4.5 million in compensatory damages in their suit against Merck. " [CNN}

Attorney urges punitive damages against Merck

Attorney urges punitive damages against Merck: "An attorney for a 77-year-old New Jersey man who won a $4.5 million verdict against Merck & Co. over the withdrawn Vioxx painkiller urged the jury on Thursday to send a strong message to the drugmaker by awarding punitive damages." [Reuters]

Merck Shares Fall After Losing Vioxx Trial

Merck Shares Fall After Losing Vioxx Trial: "Shares of Merck & Co. fell Thursday after a New Jersey jury found that the drugmaker concealed the dangers of its painkiller Vioxx in a split verdict that gave one of two plaintiffs in the trial $4.5 million in compensatory damages.

Shares of Merck, which is facing many similar lawsuits, fell $1.47, or 4 percent, to $34.52 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange ." [Leading the Charge]

Merck faces punitive phase of Vioxx trial

Merck faces punitive phase of Vioxx trial: "The punitive phase of a trial involving the Merck & Co. painkiller Vioxx was set to start on Thursday after a jury found the drugmaker failed to warn Vioxx users of heart risks and ordered it to pay a 77-year-old plaintiff at least $4.5 million in damages.

Merck shares fell 4.3 percent to $34.45 in premarket trade on Thursday after the jury in Atlantic City, New Jersey, found that Vioxx had been a substantial contributing cause of a heart attack suffered by John McDarby. "