Defective Drugs and Drug Recalls: Knowledge is Power

From time to time, we like to remind the public about the recent defective drugs and drug recalls. Often, drug companies skip important tests in order to quickly garner FDA approval and increase sales. The result is innocent people bare the consequences of serious, and sometimes fatal, side effects.

The following list is some brief information about drugs that have been recently recalled or have been deemed defective, along with possible side effects:

Pradaxa
Pradaxa is a popular blood thinning medicine manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim. It is prescribed to prevent blood clots and stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem. To learn more about possible complications from Pradaxa.

Type-2 Diabetes Drugs (Invokana – Jardiance – Farxiga – Invokamet – Glyxambi – Xigduo XR)
Recentlythe FDA issued a Safety Announcement warning that six Type-2 diabetes drugs – all SGLT2 inhibitors – may be causing serious problems in patients. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are prescribed to patients with Type-2 diabetes. These drugs work by blocking the ability of the kidneys to reabsorb glucose. There are varied possible complications based on the drug used. To learn more about the possible complications based on the drug, click here.

Actos
Actos (pioglitazone), manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels for people with Type 2 diabetes. In addition to other side effects, one of the most alarming and deadly side effects is a significantly higher risk of bladder cancer. To learn more about possible complications from Actos, click here.

Risperdal
Manufactured by Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (JPI), Risperdal (risperidone) is an antipsychotic medicine, approved by the FDA, for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in adults and adolescents. Despite the known threat of gynecomastia, which is a condition that enlarges the breast tissue in males, the drug was still distributed to children with behavior challenges. There are many law suits as a result. To learn more about the repercussions of distributing this drug even after issues were reported, click here.

Avandia
Manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, Avandia is a thiazolidinedione drug that’s used to treat diabetics. Avandia acts to lower glucose and insulin concentration by sensitizing the fat cells of the fat tissue to these compounds. The most major side effect of using the drug (which has been contested by the drug manufacturer), includes heart attacks and heart failure. To read more about other complications from using Avandia, click here.

Health and medical issues arising from defective drugs or recalled drugs can cause lasting and severe complications, or even death. If you or someone you love has incurred harm as a result of the use of a defective or recalled drug, there are steps you should take to learn about your rights. The Law Offices of Martin, Harding & Mazzotti, LLP can help you determine if you have a case for legal action against the drug company. Please call 1-800-LAW-1010 or contact us on the web.