Brain Injuries in Sports – Page 2

Motion to Consolidate Incretin Mimetic Cases into One Multidistrict Litigation Currently Pending

chilliard on June 4, 2013

Category: Byetta, Januvia/Janumet and Victoza, Defective Drugs
Tag: Brain Injuries in Sports, Brain Injury News

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have recently determined that a number of incretin mimetic diabetes medications like Byetta, Januvia/Janumet and Victoza could be linked to pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

A motion to consolidate the incretin mimetic cases into one MDL is currently pending. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) will likely hear oral argument, if necessary, this summer or fall.[1] If granted, the MDL will likely be venued in the Southern District of California where Judge Anthony J. Battaglia is already overseeing a number of cases. Plaintiffs have alleged that the manufacturers knew of the cancer risk associated with the incretin mimetics, but failed to disclose it to the medical community and/or consumers. Reports indicate there are approximately 500 cases ready for filing. It is expected that there could eventually be thousands of plaintiffs nationwide.

If you feel you have experienced any side-effects from taking Byetta, Januvia/Janumet or Victoza, you can contact Stark & Stark and speak to one of the Mass Tort/Pharmaceutical Litigation attorneys, free of charge, who can help assess any claims that you might have against the Byetta, Januvia/Janumet or Victoza manufacturers.

[1] One report indicates that the defendant manufacturers have consented to MDL status in the Southern District of California.

Incretin Mimetic Medications Byetta, Januvia/Janumet and Victoza Can Cause Substantial Injury

khart on June 3, 2013

Category: Byetta, Januvia/Janumet and Victoza, Defective Drugs
Tag: Brain Injuries in Sports, Brain Injury News, Brain Injury Resources & Links

There are an estimated 25 million people in the United States with diabetes with an estimated $245 billion a year in diabetes-related health costs. A number of drugs have been introduced to treat diabetes patients and time has shown that certain types of these drugs can cause substantial injury.

Byetta (Exenatide), manufactured by Amylin Pharmaceuticals, in association with Eli Lilly and Co., entered the market in 2005 for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Byetta is a type of incretin mimetic that is administered as a subcutaneous injection of the abdomen, thigh or arm within 60 minutes of a person’s first and last meal of the day (i.e. two injections a day). Byetta is widely prescribed and made $710 million in 2010 and is expected to surpass $1 billion in sales by 2015.

Januvia/Janumet (Sitagliptin) was developed and marketed by Merck & Co. as an oral anti-hyperglycemic beginning in 2006. It is an enzyme-inhibiting drug that helps control blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetics. Januvia generated sales of more than $4 billion last year alone.

Victoza (Liraglutide), developed and manufactured by Novo Nordisk, was approved for sale and use in January 2010 for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Victoza is a type of incretin mimetic that is administered as a once-daily injection. It has enjoyed strong market support, selling an estimated $1 billion in 2011. Sales reached nearly $750 million in the first half of 2012.

Recently, researchers at Johns Hopkins University determined that these medications could be linked to pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, leading to an FDA warning. The FDA is currently working with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases and the National Cancer Institute to determine whether incretin mimetic medications should be pulled from the market altogether.

Pradaxa Linked to Increased Risk of Viral Infections

chilliard on April 10, 2013

Category: Defective Drugs, Pradaxa
Tag: Brain Injuries in Sports, Brain Injury News

A study by the University of North Carolina found that Pradaxa may increase the risk of some viral infections, such as flu and myocarditis, and infection of the heart. The study also affirms that the blood thinner blocks key components of the human blood clotting system.

Pradaxa works by inhibiting thrombin, the body’s central coagulation activator of the blood clotting system. By blocking the thrombin activity, the drug disturbs the “protease cascade of molecular events that normally occurs during coagulation.” The new study shows that, although clot formation is reduced, an unintended consequence may emerge. The study reported that “blocking thrombin reduces the innate immune response to viral infection.” This research will be published in the March 2013 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The devastating consequences of Pradaxa use will likely continue. If you or a loved one has experienced serious side effects after taking Pradaxa, you can contact Stark & Stark and speak to one of the Mass Tort attorneys, free of charge, who can help assess any claims that you might have against Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Pharmaceutical Companies Provide Compensation to Generic Drug Makers

mschrama on April 3, 2013

Category: Defective Drugs
Tag: Brain Injuries in Sports, Brain Injury News

Pharmaceutical companies frequently pay generic drug competitors money to delay releasing their cheaper versions of brand-name drugs. The result is a large financial reward for the pharmaceutical companies, both name brand and generic manufacturers, and a substantial cost to American consumers and insurance companies. A recent article explains that, within America, 80% of all prescriptions for medicines and vaccines are made by generic manufacturers. However, a far smaller percentage of the $325 billion annual prescription drug total is paid to generic manufacturers.

The Federal Trade Commission is officially leading the charge against the so called “pay-for-delay” practices. The Obama Administration is officially denouncing these pay-for-delay deals that add an estimated $3.5 billion to consumer’s annual drug bills. As U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli recently noted, “once a generic drug gets on the market and competes with a brand-name drug, the price drops 85 percent.” The American Medical Association also condemns the practice arguing that the pay-for-delay arrangements “undermine the balance between spurring innovation through patents and fostering competition through generics.” The United States Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument next week in a case involving the $1.2 billion annual sales male hormone treatment AndroGel produced by AbbVie Inc. The case is being closely monitored by everyone involved in the pharmaceutical industry.

AAN Guideline Recommends Removal of Player If Concussion Suspected

Bruce H. Stern on March 21, 2013

Category: Brain Injuries in Sports, Brain Injury FAQs
Tag: Brain Injuries in Sports, Brain Injury FAQs

An evidence- based guideline from the AAN for evaluating and managing athletes with concussions recommends that athletes who are suspected of having a concussion be removed from the game immediately and not be returned until assessed by a licensed health care professional trained in diagnosing and managing concussion.

Brain Injury May Be Auto Immune Phenomenon, Like Multiple Sclerosis

Bruce H. Stern on March 15, 2013

Category: Brain Injuries in Sports, Brain Injury News
Tag: Brain Injuries in Sports, Brain Injury News

A new study published online at PLOS One found that “the brain degeneration observed among professional football players could result from an out-of-control immune response, similar to what multiple sclerosis patients experience. “Consequences of Repeated Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in Football Players, Nicola Marchi, Jeffrey J. Bazarian, Vikram Puvenna, Mattia Janigro, Chaitali Ghosh, Jianhui Zhong, Tong Zhu, Eric Blackman, Desiree Stewart, Jasmina Ellis, Robert Butler, and Damir Janigro.

J & J DePuy Engineer Blames Surgeons for Product Failures

khart on March 8, 2013

Category: DePuy ASR
Tag: Brain Injuries in Sports

An orthopedic surgeon who helped design the recalled DePuy ASR hip replacement testified for the defense in California state court this week. The surgeon, Dr. Thomas Schmalzried, was paid $3.6 million by DePuy’s parent company, Johnson & Johnson, for his work on the device. Dr. Schmalzried testified that the surgeons that install the devices are to blame for the complications and product failure that has injured thousands of victims across the country.

Dr. Schmalzried testified in the trial of Loren Kransky, a plaintiff who alleged product failure. Similarly allegations of product defects have been raised in thousands of lawsuits currently pending across the country. Despite providing testimony to defend the product design, Dr. Schmalzried admitted that he no longer uses the metal-on-metal hip prosthesis, instead opting for other newer alternatives.

If you have had a hip replacement, which used the DePuy ASR or DePuy Pinnacle devices, please contact Stark & Stark and speak to one of the Mass Tort attorneys, free of charge, who can help assess any claims that you might have against the DePuy manufacturers.

Merck Reports Drop in the NuvaRing Use Amid Injuries and Lawsuits

mschrama on March 6, 2013

Category: NuvaRing
Tag: Brain Injuries in Sports, Brain Injury News

The latest financial statements from Merck, the manufacturer of the NuvaRing, appear to show that the warnings and surrounding litigation are slowing the drug’s use. According to a report on DrugRisk, an online pharmaceutical resource center, sales slipped by 2% from 2011. The drop is not surprising. Additionally, the New England Journal of Medicine and British Medical Journal have published studies finding vaginal ring contraceptives, like the NuvaRing, could relate to “2.5 to 3 fold increased risk of blood clots over traditional pills.”

NuvaRing users continue to suffer negative health effects that can be fatal including strokes, DVT and pulmonary embolisms. There are more than 1,000 NuvaRing cases currently pending across the country. The first New Jersey trial is scheduled to begin in May, 2013.

If you, or someone you know, has experienced adverse effects as a result of using Nuvaring®, you can contact Stark & Stark and speak to one of the Mass Tort/Pharmaceutical Litigation attorneys, free of charge, who can help assess any claims that you might have against the manufacturer of NuvaRing®.

White Matter Integrity in the Brains of Professional Soccer Players

Bruce H. Stern on December 10, 2012

Category: Brain Injuries in Sports
Tag: Brain Injuries in Sports

The researchers, interested in whether frequent sub concussive blows to the head in soccer players could lead to traumatic brain injury, evaluated concussion-naïve soccer players using high resolution DTI, which “is highly sensitive for detecting alterations in white matter architecture.” The researchers utilized forty soccer players, all right handed males, from two training groups of an elite-level soccer club in Germany.

OU Partnering in National Youth Football Injuries Study

Bruce H. Stern on December 7, 2012

Category: Brain Injuries in Sports
Tag: Brain Injuries in Sports

A recent article in WOUB Public Media talks about Ohio University’s attempt to determine ways to reduce the risk of injuries, including lessening the risk of sustaining a concussion. Ohio University was one of the universities selected to work with the Datalys Center and USA football.

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