All Topics

• New study links drugs to liver damage

  Staff Writer | November 22, 2006 8:22 AM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  According to the Parmaceutical Business Review online, a study out of Washington University School of Medicine shows that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) can increase liver damage in patients. Here are some details of the study:Using an experimental mouse model of the disorder, the researchers investigated the effects of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) on liver...

• Merck's 18-Month Myth Is Now Totally Deflated

  Tom Methvin | October 24, 2006 8:28 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  Merck & Co. has been playing fast and loose with the truth for years relating to its testing and marketing of Vioxx. Finally, in an admission that undermines its core defense in Vioxx-related lawsuits, Merck has finally decided to tell the truth. Merck now says it erred when it reported in early 2005 that a crucial statistical test showed that Vioxx caused heart problems only after 18 months of...

• Alabama state court in Vioxx spotlight

  Staff Writer | October 24, 2006 1:17 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  One of today's top Reuters headlines talks of a new barrage of Vioxx litigation over this defective drug that has been proven to cause strokes and heart attacks. Though a case in Texas was recently dropped by a plaintiff just two weeks before trial, several others move forward and will soon go to trial, including one in an Alabama state court. Drug manufacturer Merck & Co. is facing more than...

• FDA Official Recommends Antibiotic Withdrawal

  Staff Writer | July 23, 2006 2:19 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  The 2004 approval of the antibiotic Ketek, is a "mistake," according to FDA safety official Dr. David Graham. Graham suggested immediate withdrawal of the controversial antibiotic, citing its toxicity and lack of adequate safety research. Over five million prescriptions have been written for Ketek, which has been linked to reports of liver damage, blurred vision, loss of consciousness, and death.

• Medical Device Manufacturer Settles Kickback Charges

  Staff Writer | July 23, 2006 2:17 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  An unidentified whistleblower filed suit in Federal District Court against medical device manufacturer Medtronic. The suit claims the company's spinal-plant division gave doctors kickbacks to encourage the use of its products. The company settled the first of two similar lawsuits for $40M.

• Alabama crewman dies in fall from rig

  Staff Writer | July 23, 2006 2:13 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  Eighteen-year-old Benjamin Sutherland of Concord died Friday when he fell from the rigging of the Vineyard Haven schooner Alabama to the deck. Mr. Sunderland was in his first year as crew on the 90-foot passenger vessel. The Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office in Providence is investigating the accident.

• Growing Concern Over Abusive Debt Collection Tactics

  Staff Writer | July 11, 2006 2:22 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  Debt collection agencies often buy debt from established companies for only pennies on the dollar. There is growing concern among government regulators that these agencies are using aggressive and sometimes abusive tactics to collect debt even if they could not determine that the debt is valid. One couple sued a CA based collection agency after being harassed by a collector who also posed as a...

• Study Finds Tylenol May Elevate Liver Enzyme Levels

  Staff Writer | July 05, 2006 10:38 AM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the maximum recommended dose of acetaminophen, otherwise known as Tylenol, can elevate liver enzyme levels. This increase suggests the presence of disease according to the study. The lead author said an overdose of acetaminophen can lead to severe liver damage but noted that the drug has a "long track record of...