Judge Orders DePuy to Produce Compliance Reports
The federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Texas over Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics’ unit’s Pinnacle hip implants ordered that the device maker provide compliance monitoring reports. In excess of 900 cases are included into this MDL, which is in the U.S. District Court for Northern Texas under Judge Ed Kinkeade, according to [...]
Canadian Health Agency Issues New Thalidomide Advisory
Celgene, Inc., in cooperation with Health Canada, the government health regulatory agency, has issued a safety warning about an increased risk of second primary malignancies associated with the drug Thalomid (thalidomide). Health Canada has authorized the use of Thalomid in very limited circumstances to treat multiple myeloma in patients 65 years of age and older [...]
Statin Drugs May Reduce Benefits of Exercise for Obese Adults
University of Missouri researchers have found that statin drugs, widely prescribed to lower blood cholesterol, can hinder the positive effects of exercise for overweight adults. John Thyfault, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri (MU), said “if patients start exercising and taking statins at the same time, it seems [...]
Medtronic Announces Cuts in Worldwide Workforce
Minnesota-based medical device maker Medtronic has announced plans to cut 2,000 jobs worldwide. This is the third consecutive year the company has cut its workforce. Medtronic said the cuts, about half of which will be in the United States, are a response to slow growth among some of the company’s key products, reports the (St. [...]
Camp Lejeune Cleanup Continues
Camp Lejeune, the site of what is considered the worst drinking water contamination in United States history, continues to be the focus of an ongoing, massive cleanup. The former Hadnot Point fuel farm at the Marine Corps’ Base Camp Lejeune was ordered closed in the 1980s and is where a 15-foot thick layer of gasoline [...]
Intuitive Robotic Surgery Case Goes to Jury
Jury deliberations begin today in the first case to come to trial against Intuitive Surgical Inc. over injuries allegedly connected to the da Vinci robotic surgery system. A judge in Kitsap County (Washington) Superior Court turned the case over to the jury after a five-week trial. Lawyers for the estate of Fred Taylor claimed that [...]
FDA Review Raises Concerns About Merck Sleep Drug Suvorexant
Although Merck & Co.’s experimental insomnia drug suvorexant has proven effective in clinical trials, the drug may also have dangerous side effects, including causing daytime drowsiness and suicidal thinking. On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a review of suvorexant, before a public meeting scheduled for today, CBS/The Associated Press (CBS/AP) reports.
Jury Told that Intuitive Acted Like a Car Dealership in Order to Boost Sales of da Vinci Surgical Robot
Overview: In the closing arguments of the first da Vinci trial, attorneys for the Plaintiff told jurors that Intuitive resembled a car dealership by wanting to keep control of surgeons, hospitals and surgeries themselves. This negligent and unethical behavior, Plaintiff’s parties allege, is what ultimately led to the death of Fred Taylor who suffered numerous [...]
Hidden Camera Catches Appalling Nursing Home Patient Abuse
A dreadful video captured nursing staff abusing one nursing home patient over a three-week period. The video was secretly filmed by Hellen MacDonald’s, 85, son, Camille Parent, according to the Daily Mail. In response to release of the video, four employees at the St Joseph’s at Fleming long-term facility have been suspended pending investigation. The [...]
Tissue Damage from Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants Can be Detected Before Symptoms Occur, New Study Reports
Joint inflammation caused by metal-on-metal hip implants can be detected long before symptoms appear. So says a study scheduled to appear in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The study, undertaken by researchers at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, demonstrates that MRI scans can identify implants that are going to fail before the [...]
