Dallas, TX (PRWEB) November 27, 2012 The latest financial report from German drugmaker Bayer offers patients some clarification on which cases qualify for a Yaz settlement and how much the claims may be worth. According to the Business Development and Legal Notes section of the Bayer Interim Financial Statement on September 30, 2012, the company is only settling claims involving blood clot injuries, such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, Also, Bayer confirmed they have resolved nearly 3,500 injury claims for a total cost of nearly $750 million, or an average of approximately $214,000 per case. Anyone who suffered a blood clot, DVT, stroke or Pulmonary Embolism after taking Yaz or Yasmin is urged to contact the Drug Risk Resource Center or speak with a lawyer about their legal options. The news comes as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists last month renewed warnings that birth control pills containing drospirenone such as Yaz and Yasmin may have a higher risk of causing blood clots, according to the Chicago Tribune on October 24, 2012. In October of 2011, the FDA released a study entitled "Combined Hormonal Contraceptives and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Endpoints" which found that drugs like … Continue reading →

Researchers are now finding an increasing number of instances of dangerous drug interactions between various medications and grapefruit. The more serious side effects range from internal bleeding to kidney failure, heart abnormalities and sudden death. (A full list of susceptible drugs appears at the end of this article.) In a paper published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, three Ontario-based researchers review recent case studies and articles examining grapefruit-drug interactions and call upon doctors to be aware of the potentially dangerous mixture of certain drugs and citrus fruits. "Unless health care professionals are aware of the possibility that the adverse event they are seeing might have an origin in the recent addition of grapefruit to the patient's diet, it is very unlikely that they will investigate it," the authors wrote. "In addition, the patient may not volunteer this information. Thus, we contend that there remains a lack of knowledge about this interaction in the general healthcare community." Between 2008 and 2012, the introduction of new medications and new formulations of existing drugs increased the number of substances with the potential for seriously dangerous interactions with grapefruit from 17 to 43. Overall, more than 85 drugs in circulation have the … Continue reading →

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) November 27, 2012 The judge overseeing litigation of Pradaxa bleeding lawsuits recently ordered manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim to produce evidence against safety claims by December 17th, according to a Case Management Order on November 21, 2012.* The order comes as the latest report from the Judicial Panel on MultiDistrict Litigation on November 14, 2012 shows the number of Pradaxa internal bleeding cases has increased 50% since September 5th.* On October 3, 2012, the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices QuarterWatch (PDF) estimated that prescription drug complaints to the FDA have risen 90% in the past 4 years, and two drugs, Pradaxa and Chantix, are responsible for 37% of that increase. Anyone affected by internal bleeding after taking Pradaxa is urged to speak with a lawyer about their legal options as soon as possible. Researchers disagree on the safety of Pradaxa. The Journal for The American Medical Association warned on September 3, 2012 that the FDA may have rushed its approval, overlooking key Pradaxa side effects like internal bleeding. In its latest study released November 4, 2012, however, the FDA stated that, for now, Pradaxa carries the same risk as other blood thinners. While all anticoagulants can cause internal bleeding, … Continue reading →