Important information regarding FDA Hydroxycut Weight Loss Recall

Each day, we use hundreds of products with relative ease and safety. Unfortunately, if the pill or supplement you take is defective, you can be severely injured. Manufacturers of drugs and supplements could be held responsible for sale of defective products, devices, and drugs. The responsibility of the drug manufacturer is to make sure the consumer receives a safe product. It is their duty to design, test, manufacture, and package a product appropriately. Because of the expert testimony and understanding of pharmacology these cases require, proving drug manufacturer responsibility for a defective product can be both complicated and costly.

The attorneys and staff at The Higgins Firm constantly look to protect our clients from potentially harmful drugs. Below are just some of the defective drugs we're working on:

• BEXTRA - The popular painkiller Bextra (Valdecoxib), used by millions of Americans to relieve symptoms of acute arthritis and painful menstrual cycles, may double the risk of heart deaths, heart attacks, and strokes.
• CELEBREX - The results of December 2004 study first showed and later studies confirmed the potential for heart attacks, strokes, and death more than doubled when patients took the painkiller Celebrex (Celecoxib).
• CONCERTA - The safety of Concerta, a central nervous system stimulant commonly used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in young children, has recently been called into question after the FDA released data showing a link between ADHD medication use and a risk of sudden death.
• CRESTOR - The popular cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor (Rosuvastatin) poses a greater risk of renal (kidney) failure and serious adverse muscle effects. Patients taking Crestor have suffered from liver damage, kidney damage, and other organ failure that has led in some cases to untimely death.
• ELIDEL - Elidel was originally approved by the FDA in 2000 for use by adults and children two years and older. However, the FDA recently requested a label change for Elidel following a public health advisory warning of the potential risk for cancer.
• EPOGEN - Epogen (generic name: epoetin alfa), an anti-anemia drug used in treatment of patients who have had kidney failure or transplants, has been linked to deadly side effects in cancer patients and others. These life-threatening side effects include heart failure, stroke, and death.
• FOSAMAX - Fosamax is used to increase bone density, reduce bone fractures and prevent and/or treat osteoporosis. The drug, which is manufactured by Merck & Company, has recently been linked to cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw. This rare condition involves the loss, breakdown, or "death" of the jaw bone, commonly leading to serious infection and fractures that require long-term care to correct. The condition is irreversible.
• HRT - PremPro and other hormone replacement therapies (HRT) promote incidents of breast cancer, heart attacks, and strokes.
• METHAZOLAMIDE - Methazolamide is a sulfa-based drug manufactured by Wyeth-Ayerst that is used to treat Glaucoma and various kinds of tremors. Recently, there have been numerous reports of people developing the rare skin disorder Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) after taking Methazolamide.
• ORTHO EVRA - Since the FDA's approval of the Ortho Evra birth control patch in April 2002, nearly 4 million American woman have started using the alternative contraceptive. To date, however, there have been over 9,000 reports of adverse events following the use of the patch, including nearly 20 confirmed reports of death caused by blood clots, pulmonary embolisms, heart attacks, and strokes.
• PAXIL - Paxil (Paroxetine HCL) is a drug commonly used for the treatment of depression, panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, and social anxiety disorders. Paxil has been shown to increase the change of heart birth defects in children of mothers taking Paxil during pregnancy. Paxil, despite the lack of FDA studies or approval for use in minors, was the second most prescribed antidepressant in the United States prior to a number of teenage suicides linked to the drug.
• PERMAX - Permax (Pergolide) was recalled from market in March 2007 after being prescribed to patients for nearly 20 years. Permax, a Parkinson’s disease treatment, causes heart valve damage in those taking the drug.
• PROTOPIC - Protopic was originally approved by the FDA in 2000 for use by adults and children 2 years and older. However, the FDA recently requested a label change for Protopic following a public health advisory to healthcare professionals warning of the potential risk of cancer.
• PROZAC - During a clinical trial in 1984, German authorities became concerned when there were 16 attempted suicides by Prozac patients, 2 of which were tragically successful.
• REGLAN - In June 2009, FDA officials ordered manufacturers of the gastrointestinal drug metoclopramide (Reglan) to carry the Agency’s most serious warning. This black box warning informs users of the significant risks associated with chronic (longer than three months) Reglan use, including tardive dyskinesia, a serious and often permanent condition with Parkinson's-like symptoms.
• RITALIN - Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) is a common medication used by millions of American children and adults to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The safety of the drug has been called into question after the FDA released a report detailing 25 deaths and 54 serious cardiovascular problems as a result of methylphenidate use.
• SEROQUEL - Seroquel, an antipsychotic drug, includes many life-altering side effects including the movement disorder NMS (neuroleptic malignant syndrome) and increase in suicidal tendencies. Seroquel can cause death from heart failure or infection in elderly people suffering from dementia.
• TRASYLOL - Trasylol is used to prevent excessive blood loss during heart surgery. A recent national study has found that the drug may be linked to serious complications involving kidney failure and heart problems. The study found Trasylol increases the risk of heart failure and heart attack by nearly 55%.
• VIAGRA - A FDA alert released in 2005 warns that a small number of men have lost eyesight following the use of Viagra, or similar Erectile Dysfunction (ED) drugs such as Cialis or Levitra.
• VIOXX - The prescription painkiller Vioxx (Rofecoxib) has been recalled from the marketplace after data from a clinical trial indicated that those taking Vioxx had double the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or sudden death.
• ZELNORM - Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate), prescribed for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and constipation, was recalled earlier this year after FDA regulators found an increase in strokes and heart attacks associated with this drug.
• ZICAM - Zicam is a popular over-the-counter homeopathic drug that is supposed to reduce the symptoms and duration of the common cold. Use of the medication is now being linked to anosmia, a condition in which there is a total loss or impairment of the sense of smell.
• ZYPREXA - Zyprexa was developed in the early 1990's as part of the next generation of anti-psychotic drugs called “atypicals.” These drugs were created to treat severe psychological disorders like schizophrenia with fewer side-effects than the previous generation of anti-psychotics.

Why are so many dangerous or defective drugs being prescribed? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responsible for testing and approving every drug made available in this country, has come under increasing pressures in the past two decades from drug manufacturers who want faster approvals and a less strict testing process.

The FDA itself admits that not all serious adverse drug reactions are documented by the time a drug is marketed. The safety profile for new drugs that come on the market is never totally defined because new drugs are studied in relatively small and homogenous patient populations. As dangerous as it sounds, the final safety profile of a new drug comes after it has been approved and is in use by the public.

There is also the classic story of corporations putting profits over people. The pharmaceutical industry is a multi-billion dollar business and the competition to bring a new drug to market is fierce. Some companies have gone so far as to purposefully hide evidence from the FDA in order to a get a drug approved.

If you or a loved one have been injured by a defective drug, or if you don't see the drug that injured you or a loved one listed below, contact the experienced and dedicated legal team at The Higgins Firm so that we can immediately begin using our knowledge and resources to fight for you and get you the settlement you deserve.