If you or anyone you know has suffered from injury to the liver, kidney, or pancreas while taking Alli or Xenical, please CONTACT US for a free case evaluation.

The death of a 2-year-old Houston boy from a rare infection blamed on contaminated alcohol wipes may be only the first casualty tied to allegedly shoddy sterilization practices by a Wisconsin medical products firm….

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“Procedures designed to prevent microbiological contamination of drug products purporting to be sterile are not followed,” officials wrote in inspection reports. But there’s no record that the FDA sent warning letters typically used to force firms to comply….

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Reported injuries range from superficial skin infections to serious complications, and even one claim of another death….

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Another 100 reports of problems with alcohol prep pads have been logged by the FDA since the Jan. 5 recall of Triad products because of potential contamination with the bacteria Bacillus Cereus, an agency spokesman said.

And a Tennessee man has filed his own $30 million lawsuit against Triad, claiming he developed an infection from Bacillus Cereus from the wipes and had to undergo open-heart surgery as a result.

“That was the most scared I’ve been in my life,” said Donovan Joseph Postich, a 55-year-old ironworker from Madisonville, Tenn., who is permanently disabled after the surgery. “They told me about the tainted pads and you just kind of put two and two together.”

Triad’s recall covers all lots of its alcohol prep pads, wipes and swabs, totaling perhaps hundreds of millions of products sold in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

H&P Industries, which does business as the Triad Group, is among the largest providers in the U.S. of generic medical products often sold under private labels of grocery stores such as Safeway and Kroger and drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens….

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Problems with sterilization, contamination
Documents show that FDA officials expressed concerns following visits to the Triad plant from July 15 to July 17, 2009, and again from April 19 to May 18, 2010. Inspectors reported that the company could not validate the processes used to ensure quality or sterility not only of alcohol prep pads and wipes, but also other products used for intimate care.

Those include hemorrhoid creams, infant and adult glycerin suppositories and sterile lubricating jelly widely used in homes, as well as in clinics and hospitals for medical exams.

The inspection documents, known as FDA Form 483s, were obtained by msnbc.com from a confidential source and confirmed by FDAzilla.com, an independent Web site that monitors the FDA. Copies of the documents were sent to the FDA for review; the agency did not deny their authenticity.

In the documents, inspectors cited Triad’s sterilization process for alcohol prep products, questioning dosages of the gamma radiation process that ensures sterility.

“Specifically, there is no validation of the gamma radiation sterilization process for the Alcohol Swabsticks labeled as sterile,” the report said.

In addition, shipments of Triad Plus BZK prep pads that failed to meet specifications were released for distribution, inspectors said.

The documents did not mention specific contamination of the swabs or pads with Bacillus Cereus.

However, inspectors said Triad’s processes “may not be adequate to sterilize” the lubricating jelly and charged that Triad had failed to address “high microbial bioburden levels” previously detected in the purportedly sterile jelly. Information about the specific type of contamination was redacted in the documents.Inspectors reported worn and broken manufacturing equipment, misidentified batches of hemorrhoid cream, and instances where if a single batch of hemorrhoid ointment or glycerin suppositories failed quality standards, others weren’t tested for the same problem and were released for distribution.

In one case, inspectors noted that a batch of lubricating jelly failed viscosity tests on Jan. 28, 2010, but was released anyway with the specific consent of Triad’s president, David Haertle. A week later, the decision to release the jelly per Haertle’s authority was revised and cases of the jelly were scrapped, but some already had been distributed, according to the report.

“No action was taken on the distributed cases,” inspectors wrote.

Overall, officials concluded the company had no procedures in place for reporting or acting on manufacturing problems….

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Before the recall, FDA had received no reports of adverse events related to Triad alcohol prep products, Kelly said. From Jan. 5 to Jan. 31, the company received about 100 reports of problems with alcohol prep products, which Kelly said was typical of the number of reports received after most recalls are posted. They included about 50 reports of infection and one death, which could not be tied to contaminated wipes.

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If you or someone you know thinks they have been injured by one of Triad’s products, please advise them to contact their doctor immediately to discuss their situation.  After the health concerns are taken care of, please CONTACT us immediately for a free case consultation.  The Ronan Law Firm has over 25 years of litigation experience.  The Ronan Law Firm has successfully represented clients all across the nation in pharmaceutical cases such as Vioxx, Fen-Phen, Avandia and more. Why let uncertainty prevent you from obtaining proper recovery for your injury?  CONTACT the Ronan Law Firm with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Dronedarone is used to treat abnormal heart rhythm in patients who have had atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter during the past six months. Dronedarone can reduce the risk of being hospitalized for these conditions, according to the FDA. The agent was approved with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy with a goal of preventing its use in patients with severe heart failure or who have recently been in the hospital for heart failure. In a study of patients with these conditions, patients given dronedarone had a greater than two-fold increase in risk of death. Link

Link to the Wall Street Journal Article

If you, or someone you know, has taken Multaq / Dronedarone and suffered any sort of complication, it is important to know your rights.  Please CONTACT an attorney to evaluate your case and advise you as to how you may proceed.

If you or someone you know is currently taking Multaq ( Dronedarone ) please advise them to contact their doctor immediately to discuss their situation.  If you have been injured while taking Multaq ( Dronedarone ), please CONTACT us immediately for a free case consultation.  The Ronan Law Firm has over 25 years of litigation experience and we have successfully represented clients all across the nation in pharmaceutical cases such as Vioxx, Fen-Phen, Avandia and more.

Why let uncertainty prevent you from proper recovery for your injury?  CONTACT the Ronan Law Firm with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Last week, the FDA ordered Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals to withdraw the name-brand versions propoxyphene, a drug used to treat mild to moderate pain.  Issues arose with propoxyphene after a study revealed that the drug places patients, from healthy to those weakened by illness, at risk for serious to sometimes fatal arrhythmias.

Propoxyphene was first approved in 1957.  Since 1978, the FDA has received two requests to remove propoxyphene from the market. Until now, the FDA had concluded that the benefits of propoxyphene for pain relief at recommended doses outweighed the safety risks of the drug. (link)  The efficacy and safety of propoxyphene, first approved by the FDA in 1957, was the subject of a January 2009 FDA advisory committee meeting. After considering the data submitted with the drug’s original application and subsequent medical literature and post-market databases, the committee voted 14 to 12 against continued marketing of propoxyphene products. In making this recommendation, the committee noted that additional information about the drug’s cardiac events would be relevant in weighing its risks and benefits, based on the release. (link)  News of the withdrawals came as no shock to the European markets as they had ordered the withdrawal of propoxyphene in 2009.

American Council on Science and Health Doctor Gilbert Ross is happy with this withdrawal.

I do, however, agree that Darvon needed to be removed from the market–let’s just say public health will not suffer as a result of its withdrawal. LINK

If you or someone you know is currently taking Darvon, Darvocet, or a some generic form, please advise them to contact their doctor immediately to discuss their situation.  If you have been injured while taking Darvon, Darvocet, or any generic, please CONTACT us immediately for a free case consultation.  The Ronan Law Firm has over 25 years of litigation experience.  The Ronan Law Firm has successfully represented clients all across the nation in pharmaceutical cases such as Vioxx, Fen-Phen, Avandia and more. Why let uncertainty prevent you from proper recovery for your injury?  CONTACT the Ronan Law Firm with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Additionally, these heart problems are not limited to patients weakened by illness; rather, even healthy patients are at risk.  Risks include, but are not limited to: Significant changes in the electrical activity of the heart, prolonged PR interval, widened QRS complex and prolonged QT interval.  These changes increase the risk for serious abnormal heart rhythms.

The FDA has recommended that healthcare professionals stop prescribing propoxyphene-containing products to patients and then, contact patients currently taking propoxyphene-containing products and ask them to discontinue he drug.

The FDA estimates that 10 million people have been given either Darvon or Darvocet since 2009.

If you or someone you know is currently taking Darvon, Darvocet, or a generic therein, please advise them to contact their doctor immediately to discuss their situation.  If you have been injured while taking Darvon, Darvocet, or any generic, please CONTACT us immediately for a free case consultation.  Why let uncertainty prevent you from proper recovery for your injury?  CONTACT the Ronan Law Firm with any questions or concerns that you may have.

A report conducted by France’s national health insurance entity CNAM revealed that in about 30 years, as many as 500 patients may have died from complications directly related to Mediator. Link

This news crosses the pond just as litigation mounts against GlaxoSmithKline, manufacturer of Avandia. Europe has already pulled Avandia off it’s shelves while in the US, the FDA has implemented warnings and restrictions for the Type 2 Diabetes drug.

The new focus of the litigation circles around how much information GlaxoSmithKline had prior to the 2007 Nissen study( New England Journal of Medicine) regarding potential risks and dangers.   The Nissen study reveals an increase in the risk of heart attacks, stroke, or death amongst Avandia patients while reports allege that GSK knew about these risks and failed to warn the public about them.  Link

The Ronan Law Firm is currently representing people all across the country with their claims against the drug manufacturer.  If you have any questions regarding the Avandia litigation and/or how your rights as a patient may be affected, do not hesitate to CONTACT us.  Why let your uncertainty preclude you from potential monetary damages?  CONTACT US for a free case consultation.

GM Dealers have offered to repair this defect at no cost to the owners.  Please contact your nearest dealership immediately to get this problem resolved.  You never know who may be in your car or where you may be if/when the steering gives out.

If you have any questions regarding this recall, or you or someone you know has been in an accident involving one of these models, please do not hesitate to CONTACT the Ronan Law Firm.  We would be happy to answer any questions and/or give you a free consultation regarding your case.

An accelerated release of Fentanyl can lead to adverse events for at-risk patients, including excessive sedation, respiratory depression, hypoventilation (slow breathing), and apnea (temporary suspension of breathing). LINK

If you or a loved one has experienced any issues with a Fentanyl patch (regardless of the manufacturer), please CONTACT us immediately for a free consultation regarding your case.  The statute of limitations against the patch manufacturer may already be running, thus affecting your legal rights and potential compensation.  Why risk the right to recovery because of uncertainty???  While the manufacturer may offer up compensation to you directly, there is no guarantee that they have your interests at heart.  Why risk the right to recovery because of uncertainty??? CONTACT The Ronan Law Firm with any questions or concerns you may have.

Volvo Cars, the Swedish automaker owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., is recalling 113,600 cars in 80 countries for potential faults with air bags and power-steering hoses, a spokesman said.

The models affected by the air-bag wiring fault are the S80, S80L, S60, V70 and XC70 as well as the XC60, the crossover that’s Gothenburg-based Volvo’s best-selling model. The market with the biggest number of air-bag related recalls is Sweden, with 19,273, while 11,400 cars in China and 9,753 cars in the U.S. are affected.

The air-bag fault will take about a half-hour to check and fix and the power-steering repair may take two hours, Froberg said. He declined to discuss the costs of the recalls. (LINK)

If you or someone you know owns one of the listed models, urge them to contact their Volvo dealership immediately to see if these modifications need to be completed.  If you know of an instance in which the airbags failed to deploy, or the steering column may have led to the accident, please contact an attorney to discuss your legal rights.  Why risk losing out on potential financial compensation because of uncertainty?  The Ronan Law Firm will offer you a free consultation regarding your case.

Where you see advertisements for Yaz, you’ll see bright colors and smiling faces. But now there’s also an added emphasis on the serious side effects of this contraceptive — results of a $20 million corrective marketing campaign by its manufacturer, Bayer, getting a message out that thousands of women now claim was missing when their pills were prescribed.

LINK

While Bayer has indeed been forced to correct its marketing, claims against the birth control manufacturer continue to rise as women suffer life-threatening injuries due to Yaz / Yasmin.  Complaints of blood clots, gall bladder disease, heart attacks and strokes are the major issues affecting Yaz and/or Yasmin users.

If you or a loved thinks they may have been harmed while taking either Yaz or Yasmin, please CONTACT an attorney immediately.  Why risk compensation for your injury because of uncertainty?  It doesn’t matter if you’re in Kansas, Missouri, California, New York or anywhere in between.  The Ronan Law firm has experience representing clients all across the country.  CONTACT us for a free consultation regarding your claim.