Terry Bryant | Injury Law Blog

bbryant September 3rd, 2010

The executive editor of The New England Journal of Medicine has taken a strong position by calling Abbott Laboratories weight loss drug Meridia “another flawed diet pill.” The pill has come under significant scrutiny and will be reviewed by an FDA panel on
September 15th.

According to a company-sponsored study people who take Meridia have a slightly higher risk of a nonfatal heart attack or stroke. However, this increased risk has only been seen in patients that have some form of heart disease. Therefore, the company is intent on keeping the drug on the market but restricting it to patients that do not have any known heart problems.

The strategy was not accepted in Europe and the diet pill has been banned there. If the editors at The New England Journal of Medicine have their way, it will also be banned in the US. They contend that the risk far outweighs any benefit. Furthermore, they question if there is any real benefit at all by noting that in most instances the weight loss evidenced by patients on the drug, is generally no more than 9 pounds, or less than 5% of the body weight.

Why would a company accept such a risk by keeping the drug on the market? We don’t purport to know that, however we do know that in the pharmaceutical industry, obesity is known as the “trillion dollar disease” and that is the estimated amount of profit that could be made by a manufacturer that is able to produce a drug that is both safe and effective in treating obesity.

So far, no company has successfully done so. Currently the only other FDA approved drug for long term treatment of obesity is Xenical. However, there are two other drugs currently awaiting FDA approval. They are Contrave from Orexigen Therapeutics Inc and Lorcaserin from Arena Pharmaceuticals.

Considering the financial potential for a successful obesity drug, it is no surprise that Abbott, a big pharma company, is fighting for the right to keep Meridia on the market. As defective drug attorneys it is also no surprise to us that a big pharma company is willing to accept a very significant level of risk when the financial potential is so strong.

References:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1003114

http://www.realdietmeds.com/blog/

http://www.healthnews.com/nutrition-diet/weight-loss/weight-loss-drug-meridia-comes-under-fireagain-4442.html

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20100901/weight-loss-pill-meridia-ups-heart-attack-stroke

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• Drug Injuries
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bbryant August 26th, 2010

Jeep Grand Cherokees built from 1993 to 2004 are currently being investigated by US safety officials to determine whether or not the gas tank position could cause fuel to spill if the vehicle is struck from behind. After 2004 the automaker moved the fuel tank. And the company has recently started selling a redesigned model for 2011 which eliminates the concern that is currently being voiced.

Records show that the vehicle has an excellent safety record. However, there have been 44 Grand Cherokee crashes and 55 deaths since 1992 where fire was listed as the most harmful factor. Of those figures, 10 of the crashes and 13 of the deaths occurred in rear end crashes according to the federal safety agency.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Center for Auto Safety, a safety research group, petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to start an investigation. According to the group, “the vehicle’s plastic fuel tank behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper makes it especially vulnerable to rupturing or leaking and causing fires in rear-impact collisions.” ABC owned station WTVD in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina first brought attention to the alleged problem when they told the story of a 49-year-old mother, Susan Kline, who died in a fiery accident in 2007. Police reports show that the woman was on a New Jersey highway and had slowed down to avoid a car that was backing up after having missed an exit. She was subsequently rear-ended and her 1996 Grand Cherokee burst into flames.

Not that long ago, Toyota was under investigation. So often, the automakers and other big businesses shield their cost cutting practices and less than stellar safety records by creating slick advertisements and marketing programs to tout their products and services. In many cases, once these corporate entities come under scrutiny, evidence surfaces showing monetary reasons that influenced decisions to choose cost cutting over safety. Hopefully, that will not be at the root of this case. But it seems to happen frequently enough to cause the public to question whether or not money was a factor. BP Oil is certainly perpetuating that line of thinking.

A spokesman for Chrysler says that the company is fully cooperating with safety officials and that the Grand Cherokee “meets or exceeds federal safety standards.” Safety officials are still working towards determining whether or not to issue a recall. Some of these recalls help avert potentially dangerous situations that can cause both serious injury and death.

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• Auto Accidents , Fire and Burn
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admin August 19th, 2010

August 19, 2010

Bicycling is certainly a greener way to travel, but it does come with risks. One of those risks is cars with whom bicyclists must share the road.

Unfortunately, a Houston auto accident claimed the life of a bicyclist and led to charges being filed against the driver of the vehicle that struck him, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Houston auto accident occurred on Southwest Freeway when a 19-year-old, who is being charged with reckless driving, struck a 35-year-old man on a bicycle. The driver crossed multiple lanes of traffic to take an exit when he lost control of his vehicle after hitting a curb, the bicyclist, and a light pole.

The man died as a result of the Houston auto accident.

Read more.

Have you ever been involved in a Houston auto accident? Did you suffer Houston auto accident injuries?

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• Auto Accidents
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bbryant August 12th, 2010

Losing a child has got to be one of the very worst tragedies that a family can face and that’s exactly what Dwayne Stidman is facing right now. His son, 23 year old Cpl David Stidman, was killed last week by a drunk driver. Cpl Stidman had survived two tours in Iraq and one tour in Afghanistan before losing his life to an irresponsible 33 yr old that had apparently decided that it was acceptable behavior to get behind the wheel of his pickup truck while under the influence. Cpl Stidman had returned home to Rosenberg just four months ago. Ironically, his father had been in a motorcycle crash just three months before where another drunk driver had left him with severe injuries. His son was home to help him recover.

Dwayne Stidman is undoubtedly facing one of the toughest days of his life today as his beloved son is laid to rest. On Tuesday, he purchased the Harley his son had always wanted and plans to have another marine ride it in the funeral procession today. Dwayne will be riding his own Honda Gold Wing where the urn will be carried inside of a velvet-lined trunk. He commented that “we have a place of honor for him to ride, so we’ll go for one last motorcycle ride together.”

Following the eulogies, Dwayne plans to take the urn with him on a last fishing trip, something that he and his son enjoyed together many times over the years. It is there that Dwayne plans to say his last goodbyes to his son.

Much to his credit Dwayne, who is also a former marine, plans to embrace a new mission to help change state law to provide stiffer sentences to drunk drivers. The man that hit his son was released from jail the afternoon of the day of the accident.

Dwayne has asked that everyone wear red today in honor of his son. He thinks it would be a fitting way to say goodbye by honoring him with a sea of red.

We want to express our heartfelt condolences to young David’s family and friends. You will be putting to rest a local hero today and our thoughts and prayers go out to you.

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• Auto Accidents , Terry Bryant , Truck Accident
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admin August 12th, 2010

August 12, 2010

We always hear that hindsight is 20/20. Unfortunately, that saying can be applied to many safety hazards we face every day.

The possible Houston workers’ compensation case in which a fire fighter in training lost his life is no exception.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the accident that could lead to a Houston workers’ compensation case occurred when a 26-year-old firefighter in training died after a 4.4 mile run in April 2009.

Investigators now say the incident and a possible Houston workers’ compensation case could have been avoided if there had been water available during the run or an ice water immersion facility to lower his body temperature.

The worker died of a heat stroke in May 2009. The investigation into the Houston workers’ death revealed many deficiencies in the Houston Fire Department’s training program.

Read more.

Have you been ever been injured on the job?

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• Workers' Compensation
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