Saturday, May 19, 2012

Several Birth Defects Including Neural Tube Defects, Cleft Palate Defects, Cleft Lip Defects, and Spina Bifida Defects Have Been Linked to The Use of Prescribed Antidepressants and Other Medications: Pregnant Women and Women that May Get Pregnant Should Be Aware of These Potential Health Risks by Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawyer, Cleft Palate Birth Defect Lawyer, Cleft Palate Birth Defect Lawyer, and Spina Bifida Birth Defect Lawyer Jason S. Coomer

Several Birth Defects Including Neural Tube Defects, Cleft Palate Defects, Cleft Lip Defects, Heart Defects, and Spina Bifida Defects Have Been Linked to The Use of Prescribed Antidepressants and Other Medications: Pregnant Women and Women that May Get Pregnant Should Be Aware of These Potential Health Risks by Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawyer, Cleft Palate Birth Defect Lawyer, Cleft Palate Birth Defect Lawyer, and Spina Bifida Birth Defect Lawyer Jason S. Coomer

Several medications, products, and drugs have been linked to birth defects including neural tube defects, cleft palate, cleft lips, and spina bifida.  Unfortunately, through strong marketing pressure some drug companies have been continuing to push doctors to prescribe drugs that may cause severe birth defects to pregnant women and women that may become pregnant for FDA approved uses and off-label usesThese birth defects can result in death or injury to an infant including malformation, permanent paralysis, disabilities, and severe health problems.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) May Cause Neural Tube Birth Defects, Cleft Palate Birth Defects, Cleft Lip Birth Defects, Clubbed Foot Birth Defects, Heart Birth Defects,  and Spina Bifida Birth Defects by SSRI Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawyer, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN) Lawyer, Prozac Birth Defect Lawyer, Zoloft Birth Defect Lawyer, Zoloft Birth Defect Lawyer and Paxil Birth Defect Lawyer Jason S. Coomer

A growing body of evidence indicates that several drugs and medications, if used during pregnancy may cause serious birth defects.  These drugs include selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor SSRI antidepressants.  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used as antidepressants. Drugs included in the SSRI class are Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Symbyax, Celexa, Cymbalta, Effexor and Lexapro.

These SSRI antidepressants may cause birth defects and developmental problems if taken during pregnancy.  Some potential birth defects and developmental problems include neural tube birth defects, heart defects, cleft palates, cleft lips, clubbed feet, as well as other malformations and developmental problems.  These selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs have been strongly marketed by the drug companies and are commonly used to treat depression and other disorders.  Some of the most popular SSRI antidepressants are: Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride), Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Lexapro (escitalopram), Celexa (citalopram), and Effexor (venlafaxine).

The Anticonvulsant Drug Topamax May Cause an Increased Risk of Birth Defects Including Cleft Lip Birth Defects and Cleft Palate Birth Defects by Topamax Birth Defect Lawyer, Topiramate Birth Defect Lawyer, Topamax Heart Defect Lawyer, Topamax Cleft Palate Lawyer, Topamax Cleft Lip Lawyer, and Antiepileptic Drug (APD) Birth Defect Lawyer 

 
Topiramate (brand name Topamax) is a anticonvulsant drug. It has been approved for the treatment of epilepsy and migraines, but has been aggressively marketed for many off-label uses including bipolar disorder, cluster headaches, eating disorders, obesity, fibromyalgia, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcoholism, sleep disorders, sleep-eating disorders, infantile spasms, autism, periventricular leukomalacia in preterm infants after an hypoxic-ischemic injury, essential tremor, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, smoking cessation, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, neuropathic pain, and cocaine dependence.  If you or a loved one have been taking Topamax during pregnancy and had a child with a birth defect, it is important to seek medical assistance.

The FDA recommends that "before starting topiramate, pregnant women and women of childbearing potential should discuss other treatment options with their health care professional. Women taking topiramate should tell their health care professional immediately if they are planning to or become pregnant. Patients taking topiramate should not stop taking it unless told to do so by their health care professional. Women who become pregnant while taking topiramate should talk to their health care professional about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry, a group that collects information about outcomes in infants born to women treated with antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy."
 
The FDA has recently announced that Topiramate (brand name Topamax) causes an increased risk of development of cleft lip and/or cleft palate (oral clefts) in infants born to women treated with Topamax (topiramate) during pregnancy. If you or a loved one have been taking Topamax during pregnancy and had a child with a birth defect, it is important to seek medical assistance. 


The Anticonvulsant Drug Depakote May Cause Birth Defects Including Spina Bifida and Neural Tube Defects by Depakote Birth Defect Lawyer, Depakote Spina Bifida Lawyer, Depakote Neural Tube Defect Lawyer, and Depakote Birth Defect Lawsuit Information

The drug, Depakote, aka Depakote ER, Depakene, Depacon, Epival, Dépakine Chrono,Valance, and divalproex sodium (USAN) is a drug prescribed to treat seizures, migraine headaches, manic episodes of bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, prevention of both manic and depressive phases of bipolar disorder, epilepsy, chronic pain associated with neuropathy, and migraine headaches. Further, with the increase in pharmaceutical marketing off-label use of the drug has become more prevalent including treatment of mild depression, the depressive stage of bi-polar disorder, and chronic pain such as migraine headaches.

Depakote has been linked to major birth defects in children of women that were taking this drug.  According to a recent medical scientific study, women taking Depakote had four times the risk of delivering a child with major birth defects, compared to women taking other, similar drugs.  The range of birth defects associated with Depakote is broad, however the report specifically cited neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Neural tube defects are birth defects that affect the brain and spinal cord; spinal bifida is a defect affecting the spinal cord that causes paralysis of the legs. There is no known cure.

Women that take Depakote, Depakote ER, Depakene, Depacon, Dépakine Chrono, and other forms of divalproex sodium, while they are pregnant may be at higher risk to have children with serious birth defects including spina bifida, cleft palate, cleft lip, and malformations.  If you believe that you or someone in your family is on Depakote or Depakote ER while pregnant, please contact a doctor immediately. 

Adverse Reactions to Medications Including Birth Defects Need to Be Reported to Health Care Providers and the FDA by Texas Pharmaceutical Birth Defect Lawyer, Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawyer, and Birth Injury Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
 
Avoidable birth defects are one of the most devastating problems that can occur to a family and a new baby.  Parents who should be celebrating the birth of a new child, are often caught off guard when their child is born with severe disabilities and often  do not realize that someone may be responsible for the birth defect including drug manufacturers that hid information about medications that can cause birth defects.  The family is typically busy taking care of the child with the serious health problems and often does not know that the birth defect was preventable.  When they discover the probable cause of the preventable birth defect they are often filled with anger and rage.  It can be horrifying to find out that a child will have permanent health problems because a drug company hid research and did not provide an adequate warning of a product's safety. 


Several antidepressant drugs and other medications prescribed for off label and FDA approved uses have been linked to birth defects including neural tube defects, cleft palate, cleft lips, and spina bifida.  Unfortunately, some drug companies have been able to push doctors to prescribe drugs to pregnant women that may cause severe birth defects.  These birth defects can result in serious and permanent to a child including malformation, permanent paralysis, disabilities, and severe health problems.  It is important to communicate with your doctor to make sure that you both understand these potential health hazards.

If you have a child with a birth defect and have taken the above mentioned medications or another type of medication that may be the cause of a birth defect, it is important that the adverse health results be reported to provide information to both doctors and the FDA of adverse events that need to be prevented in the future.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Diabetes Drug Actos May Cause An Increased Risk of Bladder Cancer That Can Metastasize into Lung Cancer, Lymphatic Cancer, Liver Cancer, Bone Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Rectum Cancer, or Vaginal Cancer by Texas Actos Bladder Cancer Lawyer, Texas Diabetes Drug Cancer Lawyer, Diabetes Bladder Cancer Lawyer, and Texas Actos Cancer Death Lawyer

The Diabetes Drug Actos May Cause An Increased Risk of Bladder Cancer That Can Metastasize into Lung Cancer, Lymphatic Cancer, Liver Cancer, Bone Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Rectum Cancer, or Vaginal Cancer by Texas Actos Bladder Cancer Lawyer, Diabetes Drug Cancer Lawyer, Diabetes Bladder Cancer Lawyer, and Texas Actos Cancer Death Lawyer

Actos is a diabetes drug that has been prescribed to more than 10 million Americans since its approval for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.  It is an extremely profitable drug in that it has had multi-billion dollar annual global sales and has created large profits for its manufacturer.  Actos is manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.  However, Actos has been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer and has been pulled off the market in some European countries.  Actos is now under review by the FDA to determine if it will be pulled from the market or additional black box warnings will be added to the drug. 

Actos May Cause An Increased Risk of Bladder Cancer

Bladder Cancer is a form of cancer that begins in the lining of the bladder as a superficial tumor.  Bladder cancer can spread and metastasize into the lungs, liver, or bones resulting in serious health issues and even death. If left untreated bladder cancer can metastasize into lung cancer, lymphatic cancer, liver cancer, bone cancer, prostate cancer, rectum cancer, uterine cancer, and vaginal cancer. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine.  If you or a loved one have been taking Actos and have experienced blood in your urine, please contact your doctor immediately.  If you suffer from bladder cancer, lung cancer, lymphatic cancer, liver cancer, bone cancer, prostate cancer, rectum cancer, uterine cancer, or vaginal cancer and were taking Actos, please report the adverse facts.  If you have lost a person that you love from a bladder cancer, lung cancer, lymphatic cancer, liver cancer, bone cancer, prostate cancer, rectum cancer, uterine cancer, or vaginal cancer and your loved one was taking Actos, please report the adverse facts.

  Bladder Cancer Can Be Treated If Caught Early: People That Have Taken Actos or Are Taking Actos Should Be Aware of the Warning Signs of Bladder Cancer and Communicate with Their Doctor To Make Sure that They Are Both Aware of Any Symptoms by Texas Actos Bladder Cancer Lawyer, Texas Diabetes Drug Cancer Lawyer, Diabetes Bladder Cancer Lawyer, and Texas Actos Cancer Death Lawyer

Most bladder cancers begin in the transitional cells as transitional cell carcinoma, but can spread into nearby organs.  When bladder cancer spreads beyond the bladder, the malignant cells are frequently found in nearby lymph nodes and may have spread to other lymph nodes or other places including the lungs, liver, or bones.  The most common warning sign is blood in the urine. If there is enough blood to color the urine it may range from slightly rusty to deep red. Other symptoms may be pain during urination and frequent urination or feeling the need to urinate without results. 

Bladder cancer can be diagnosed into several different stages.  Stage 0 Bladder Cancer patients have noninvasive tumors that are only in the bladder lining; Stage I Bladder Cancer Patients have tumor(s) through the bladder lining, but the tumor(s) do not reach the muscle layer of the bladder; Stage II Cancer Patients have tumor(s) that go into the muscle layer of the bladder; Stage III Cancer Patients have tumor(s) that go past the muscle layer into tissue surrounding the bladder; and Stage IV Bladder Cancer Patients have tumor(s) that have spread to neighboring lymph nodes or to distant sites (metastatic disease) including the lungs, liver, bones, prostate, stomach, rectum, ureters, uterus,  and vagina.

Primary malignant bladder cancer can be classified by health care providers in several different categories depending on where it is found including the dome of urinary bladder; lateral wall of urinary bladder; anterior wall of urinary bladder; posterior wall of urinary bladder; bladder neck; ureteric orifice; urachus; and malignant neoplasm of contiguous or overlapping sites of bladder whose point of origin cannot be determined.

Carcinoma in situ is cancer that remains confined to the bladder lining. Bladder cancer may grow into or through the bladder wall and eventually into lymph nodes, lungs, liver, bones, or other nearby areas. 

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Popular Diabetes Treatments Could Trigger Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer

Popular Diabetes Drugs and Treatments May Trigger Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer: Januvia Users, Janumet Users, Victoza Users, and Byetta Users Should Be Aware of Potential Risks and Consult With Their Doctors Regarding Early Detection of Pancreas Problems and Pancreatic Cancer by Texas Diabetes Drug Cancer Lawyer Jason S. Coomer

Recent studies have indicated that a growing number of popular diabetes drugs including Januvia, Janumet, Victoza, and Byetta may cause pancreas problems including Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer.  Diabetics that are taking Januvia, Janumet, Victoza, or Byetta should be aware of this potential health risk and be aware of symptoms that may suggest pancreas problems.  The warning signs of pancreatitis can include: 1) Upper abdominal pain that radiates into the back. Patients may describe this as a "boring sensation" that may be aggravated by eating, especially foods high in fat. 2) Swollen and tender abdomen 3) Nausea and vomiting 4) Fever  and 5) Increased heart rate.

Januvia Users, Janumet Users, Victoza Users, and Byetta users should be aware of these symptoms as well as any symptoms of pancreatic cancer including weight loss, dark urine and clay-colored stools, back pain, and jaundice.  Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose, and the diagnosis is often made late in the course of the disease.  Early detection of pancreatic cancer is essential and will greatly improve a person's chances of surviving the disease.  Frequent and good communication with your doctor and awareness of you body are essential.  Additionally, make sure that all health care providers are aware that you are taking or have taken Januvia, Janument, Victoza, or Byetta.



Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death for both men and women and is one of the most deadly of all types of cancer. The diabetes drugs, Januvia and Janumet, may cause an increased risk of pancreatic cancer in patients using Januvia.

Popular Diabetes Treatment Could Trigger Pancreatitis, Pancreatic Cancer, Study Suggests

"ScienceDaily (Apr. 30, 2009) — A drug widely used to treat Type 2 diabetes may have unintended effects on the pancreas that could lead to a form of low-grade pancreatitis in some patients and a greater risk of pancreatic cancer in long-term users, UCLA researchers have found."


The consumer group, Public Citizen, has filed a petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting that the agency immediately remove the diabetes drug, Vicoza, from the market the increasingly prescribed diabetes drug Victoza (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection) because it puts patients at higher risk of thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, serious allergic reactions and kidney failure that outweigh any documented clinical benefits.

Consumer Group to FDA: Take Victoza off the Market

"April 20, 2012 -- Public Citizen, the Washington, D.C.-based consumer advocacy group, is petitioning the FDA to immediately remove the type 2 diabetes drug Victoza (liraglutide) from the market. The petition claims that the injectable medication puts patients at risk of thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, serious allergic reactions, and kidney failure."


The injectable diabetes drug, Byetta (Exenatide), may cause an increased risk of pancreatic cancer in patients using ByettaIf you have lost a loved one from Pancreatic Cancer or have suffered acute pancreatitis, hemorrhagic pancreatitis, accute necrotizing pancreatitis, or pancreas cancer; and have been using Byetta (Exenatide), please report the adverse action to the prescribing medical doctor as soon as possible.

Popular diabetes drugs may raise pancreatic cancer risk – USATODAY.com

When compared to other treatments, the researchers found a sixfold increase of reported cases of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) linked to patients taking Januvia or Byetta; a 2.9-fold increase in reported cases of pancreatic cancer among those taking Byetta and a 2.7-fold increase of reported pancreatic cancers among Januvia users.
Fatal Diabetes Drug Lawsuits, Fatal Pancreatic Cancer Lawsuits, Diabetes Drug Cancer Lawsuits, and Diabetes Drug Pancreas Cancer Lawsuits

Drug manufacturers that were aware of their diabetes drug causing an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, and pancreas cancer, but hid research linking this health risk can potentially be held liable by persons that have suffered pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer as well as the families of persons that have died from pancreatic cancer, pancreas cancer, thyroid cancer, or other cancers after using the drug.

The loss of a spouse, child, parent, or loved one to pancreatic cancer, pancreas cancer, or thyroid cancer can be devastating.  It is often worse to then find out that the loss of your loved one was unnecessary and could have been prevented if the defective diabetes drug manufacturer had properly disclosed the drug's potential dangers.  In these situations, where a loved one is lost from taking a defective diabetes drug and the drug company knew of the dangers of the drug, but marketed the diabetes drug as safe to make a profit; families are needed to stand up and make sure that the drug company does not get away with this and will not repeat this action to other families.

In fatal cancer diabetes drug lawsuits, diabetes drug attorneys will often work with families to seek compensation for the loss of their loved one.  Though no amount of money will ever replace or bring back their loved one.  The family will often need compensation to replace the lost earnings of their loved one or to pay medical expenses caused by the care needed by their lost loved one.   The fatal diabetes drug lawsuit will usually seek several elements of damages for the family of the deceased including their loss of love, companionship, comfort, assistance, protection, affection and care; the loss of financial support and lost benefits from the death; and loss of inheritance from an untimely death.  These fatal cancer diabetes drug lawsuits will also often include claims for what the decedent would have recovered had the person survived the cancer caused by the drug. These claims are through the decedent's estate and either go to their heirs or beneficiaries depending if the person had done any estate planning. These damages include expenses associated with the death including funeral costs, medical expenses prior to the death, and pain and suffering associated with the untimely death.  

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Novo Nordisk A/S : VictozaR label in the US updated to include data showing superior efficacy when compared to JanuviaR | Reuters

Novo Nordisk A/S : VictozaR label in the US updated to include data showing superior efficacy when compared to JanuviaR | Reuters


Label update also includes FDA approval of combination therapy with basal insulin for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes

Novo Nordisk today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to update the product label for VictozaR (liraglutide [rDNA] injection) to include data showing superior blood sugar control and weight reduction when compared to JanuviaR (sitagliptin).

Group asks for withdrawal of Victoza diabetes drug | Reuters

Group asks for withdrawal of Victoza diabetes drug | Reuters


"(Reuters) - Watchdog group Public Citizen urged U.S. regulators to withdraw approval of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Victoza, saying it increases the risk of serious health problems like thyroid cancer and kidney failure. Public Citizen said the drug was approved in 2010 against the advice of three reviewers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according a petition filed to the FDA on Thursday."