The trial of plaintiff Kathleen Herlihy-Paoli started last week in federal court in Dallas, Texas. The Paoli trial is the first of more than 6,000 cases filed across the country that have been consolidated in a Multidistrict Litigation (“MDL”) before the Honorable Edward Kinkeade, United States District Court Judge in the Northern District of Texas. Plaintiffs allege that the Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip replacement device, manufactured by DePuy, has a higher-than-normal failure rate. Additionally, some plaintiffs…

As we previously reported, an Atlantic County jury awarded a former nurse $3.35 million in compensatory damages and $7.76 million in punitive damages for injuries she suffered from a pelvic mesh implant made by Johnson & Johnson. The Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, Ethicon, maker of the Gynecare Prolift pelvic mesh product, filed a motion requesting a new trial following the jury’s decision. The Presiding Civil Judge in Atlantic County Superior Court, Carol E. Higbee,…

As we have previously reported, the makers of Plavix®, Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb, have been fined for engaging in anti-competitive behavior related to the sale and marketing of the medication. Plavix® is a blood thinner prescribed to prevent heart attacks, strokes and blood clotting. However, the users of Plavix® have alleged various forms of severe side-effects. Reportedly, these side-effects include: gastrointestinal bleeding, cerebral bleeding, bleeding ulcers, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP), heart attack, stroke and…

As we have previously reported, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has asked all pharmaceutical companies involved in the development or marketing of incretin-based medications (Januvia/Janumet/Byetta/Victoza) to make patient level data on their products available for an independent review. Research into the safety of these incretin medications continues across the globe. A recent study published in the medical journal, Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, confirms other U.S. studies that link incretin mimetic medications to pancreatic…

As we have previously reported, the use of Pradaxa has been linked to serious injury.  There are nearly 600 cases currently pending in federal court in the Southern District of Illinois. Pradaxa is a blood thinner that was marketed to replace warfarin, a commonly used anticoagulant.  Unfortunately, there is no readily-available antidote for the internal bleeding that can sometimes occur in patients treated with Pradaxa. Judge David R. Herndon, Chief Judge United States District Court,…

As we have previously reported, the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) granted multidistrict litigation (MDL) treatment to the incretin mimetic litigation, meaning that all federal lawsuits filed across the United States are now centralized in one judicial district. The incretin mimetic litigation, which includes the medications Byetta, Januvia/Janumet and Victoza, was centralized in the Southern District of California. This consolidation streamlines the pretrial discovery process, allowing the parties to avoid duplicative…

As we previously reported, the United States Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation (MDL) convened to determine whether the cases, known as IN RE: INCRETIN MIMETICS PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION, should be given MDL treatment. Granting MDL treatment consolidates all federal lawsuits filed across the United States into one centralized district. This consolidation streamlines the pretrial discovery process, allowing the parties to avoid duplicative discovery and inconsistent rulings from different judges. The Judicial Panel granted MDL…