Defective Drugs

Below are some examples of defective drugs that have been shown to cause serious personal injury and death. Some are still on the market while others have been recalled due to their danger.

Certainly, there are other dangerous drugs besides the ones below that may have harmed you because you have had a rare complication or reaction to that drug. If this is the case, you may have a case against the manufacturer of that drug.

  • Accutane is a drug prescribed to treat acne that has not responded to other treatments. Though the drug is an effective treatment for this condition, it has also been proven to lead to physical and psychological complications. There have been reported cases of individuals who have suffered severe depression or anxiety after discontinuing use of Accutane. This depression and anxiety has reportedly even led to suicide. Physical damage and birth trauma or defects can also occur when patients use Accutane while pregnant. In some cases the child is born with physical deformities, is born prematurely, or is miscarried. In such cases, the makers of Accutane and often the doctor who prescribed the narcotic may be liable for injuries suffered by the victim.
  • Antidepressants such as Paxil have been found to increase the risk of suicide in some depressed people. The risk of suicide is even more likely in adolescents. The FDA changed warnings because of research confirming this.
  • Baycol (cerivastatin) was voluntarily recalled by Bayer Pharmaceuticals in August of 2001 after reports that it caused a condition called rhabdomyolysis. This condition causes adverse reactions within the victim’s muscles and has been the cause of nearly 40 deaths within the United States. Victims suffering from rhabdomyolysis experience the release of muscle cells into the bloodstream, which can lead to fatal kidney and organ damage.
  • Celebrex is a narcotic prescribed to ease the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in adults. In some cases, patients have reported serious stomach ulcers and bleeding caused by Celebrex. Though the stomach conditions associated with Celebrex are rare, patients who take the drug for an extended period of time dramatically increase their risk of developing complications.
  • Ephedra is a stimulant that can cause serious medical damage within the nervous system and heart. During the mid- and late-90s, Ephedra was marketed as a metabolic stimulant and weight loss drug. One common product containing Ephedra was Metabolife, which was recalled in 2003. Ephedra has been linked to serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, seizures, and even deaths. Because many products containing Ephedra were marketed as over-the-counter drugs, thousands of Americans were put at risk.
  • Fen-Phen is a combination of two drugs, fenfluramine (Pondimin) and phentermine (Ionamin), and it was prescribed to obese patients as a weight loss drug during the mid-1990s. Fen-Phen was often used in conjunction with another drug called Dexfenfluramine (Redux) as part of a “drug cocktail” designed to increase the speed of the patient’s metabolism. While the effects were dramatic – most patients witnessed dramatic weight loss — increasing evidence proved that fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine were linked to heart valve damage. Lawyers began to prosecute makers of this Fen -Phen after many victims suffered heart failure as a result of taking the medication. In 1997, the FDA recalled Pondimin and Redux.
  • Oxycontin is a painkiller designed to treat moderate and severe chronic pain. Manufactured by Purdue Pharmaceuticals, Oxycontin contains oxycodone hydrochloride, a narcotic made of opium, and is similar to morphine and heroine. The pain relieving capabilities of Oxycontin is higher than that of most narcotics because Oxycontin is designed to release the drug within the body over an extended period of time. Oxycontin began to receive attention when reports of dependence on the drug received media attention. Patients who were not weaned slowly off the narcotic reported withdrawal symptoms similar to symptoms experienced by heroin addicts. In addition to dependence, Oxycontin has a high rate of recreational use and abuse. When an individual chews or crushes and snorts the narcotic, the drug is released into the body all at once, producing a euphoric feeling. This abuse often leads to addiction and overdose.
  • Rezulin is a drug designed to treat diabetes and hyperglycemia. The drug increases insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle and decreases glucose production in the liver. Unfortunately, the stress the drug puts on the liver can be dangerous and even deadly. In March of 2000, the FDA barred the distribution of Rezulin after receiving reports of liver failure.
  • Prempro is a dangerous hormonal replacement drug made of estrogen and progesterone. Used to treat women suffering from symptoms associated with menopause. Prempro combines the two hormones in a pill form. The FDA and defective drugs lawyers began to take notice of Prempro when a study found that women who were treated with the drug dramatically increased their chances of developing invasive breast cancer. Additionally, the study linked ovarian cancer, coronary heart disease, strokes, and pulmonary embolism within patients to the defective drug.
  • Serzone: In May 2004, Bristol-Meyers Squibb halted the production of Serzone after reports that it caused critical or fatal hepatic failure in users. This liver damage occurred in approximately 1 out of 250,000 patients treated with the drug. The physical damage caused by hepatic failure is often life threatening and can be devastating for a victim.
  • Vioxx, a widely prescribed arthritis and acute pain medication, was voluntarily recalled by Merck & Co. in September of 2004. The previous month, results of the APPROV(e) (Adenomatous Polyp Prevention on VIOXX) clinical trial were publicized, prompting an abrupt halt to the study and immediate worldwide withdrawal of the drug. Two years into the study, long-term (18 months or longer) Vioxx users were found to have double the risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke, or blood clot, compared to patients taking placebos. While such frightening side effects had been observed during previous studies, Vioxx remained on the market, simply donning a more descriptive warning label mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Defective Drug Lawyer

Complications from a defective drug can be financially and emotionally devastating to victims. If you or a loved one suffered a heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrest, any cardiovascular complication or even death because of a defective drug you may be eligible to receive compensation. It is important to contact an experienced defective drug lawyer.