Approximately one hundred patients have filed a federal lawsuit against Medtronic, the maker of Infuse Bone Graft and against a spinal surgeon. The former patients claim that Dr. Abubakar Atiq Durrani “performed medically unnecessary, experimental spine surgeries… using falsely and improperly marketed Medtronic medical devices and drugs.” The company is already facing lawsuits filed previously by people who have been injured by Infuse. Infuse was once praised as an advancement in medicine; however, this synthetic bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2) now finds itself at the center of controversy. It is intended to help regrow damaged bone if injected into the spine during surgery, but more recently it has been shown to cause many serious side effects. These side effects include degeneration of bone tissue, unwanted bone in the spinal canal, severe pain and growth of cancerous cells. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only approved the product for use in the lower back using a technique where the surgeon operates on the spine through the abdomen and only on patients over the age of twenty-one. However, the latest lawsuit claims that the defendants “knowingly and falsely marketed” Infuse as safe for use in cervical and thoracic spine surgeries despite the FDA’s warning against such use. Also, three of the new plaintiffs are minors.

Medtronic Under Scrutiny

This is not the first time Medtronic has come under scrutiny for its Infuse Bone Graft. In October 2012, it was revealed by a U.S. Senate Finance Committee investigation that certain authors of studies reporting on the safety of Infuse had been paid more than $200 million by Medtronic. The investigation revealed that one independent reviewer had been paid almost $8 million. In a statement about the investigation, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. said, “Patients are at serious risk when companies distort the facts the way Medtronic has.” In 2011, Dr. Eugene J. Carragee and colleagues published a review in The Spine Journal accusing Medtronic of purposely hiding severe complications associated with Infuse. Medtronic denies that BMP products, such as Infuse, can inflame surrounding tissue and bone, leading to cancer and are associated with a 43 percent greater rate of overall complications. In 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice filed civil action against Medtronic for paying doctors incentives to use Infuse. The company reportedly made false consulting agreements with doctors and paid for expensive vacations. Medtronic paid $40 million to settle.

National Medtronic Lawsuit Attorneys

If you or someone you love has suffered a major complication because of a Medtronic medical device, it is important to know that you are not alone. To learn more about filing a Medtronic lawsuit call the experienced Medtronic lawsuit lawyers at Phillips Law Firm today. Call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our national Medtronic lawsuit attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation.

1 out of 4 patients receives the wrong diagnosis. The results of that wrong diagnosis could cause you to receive inappropriate treatment and could result in a lifelong injury or even death. Misdiagnoses can occur in a variety of ways, including inappropriately ordered lab work, improper charting, wrong medical diagnosis, and failure to report results. Luckily, there are ways you can avoid a misdiagnosis and potentially save your life.

Find the Right Doctor

The main way to avoid a misdiagnosis is to locate the right doctor for your problem. While a general practitioner is best for normal ailments, when you have a serious or chronic illness, it is wise to speak to a specialist. A doctor who specializes in your symptoms and your illness can alert you to any mistakes and can avoid misdiagnoses.

Be a Proactive Patient

Seattle patients need to speak up when they are sick. If you feel you are not being taken care of or if you have questions concerning your illness, it is always a good idea to voice your concerns. If you feel that you are not being heard or that your concerns are not being addressed, ask another physician or nurse until you receive the explanation or the treatment you need. If your doctor orders tests or lab work to be done, be sure to ask for an explanation of those tests and the reason for ordering them. Also, call back when the results are in to be sure your results are appropriately reported.

Get a Second Opinion

When you receive a diagnosis, it is always wise to have that diagnosis confirmed by another doctor. This is especially important for critical diagnoses, such as cancer, heart disease, or chronic debilitating disorders. Second opinions also offer you the chance to ask more questions, understand the disease process a bit better, and double check the results of lab work, EKGs, and MRIs.

Contact a Seattle Medical Malpractice Attorney

If you received a misdiagnosis and this caused you to receive inappropriate treatment or caused a lifelong chronic disability, it is important to consult with a Seattle medical malpractice attorney immediately. Your attorney will be able to review your case thoroughly to determine if medical malpractice was to blame for your misdiagnosis.

Seattle Medical Malpractice Attorneys

If you or someone you love was injured through the negligence of a physician or medical personnel, you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries. The Seattle medical malpractice attorneys at the Phillips Law Firm can help. Our attorneys have successfully represented individuals in medical malpractice cases in Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, Bellevue, and throughout the State of Washington. To learn more about your legal options, call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our Seattle medical malpractice attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.

Warm summer weather is just about here in Seattle, and this means children of all ages will be spending more time outside and less time indoors playing video games and watching TV. While this outdoor activity is great for their bodies and their minds, it does bring an increase in childhood injuries. Children visit the Emergency Room more during the summer months than at any other time of the year. These visits range from minor broken bones and lacerations to more serious head and neck injuries. In 2004 alone, more than 2.4 million children went to the emergency room for injuries and 2,143 of those children died as a result of those injuries. By far, broken bones are the most common types of childhood injuries and can occur for a variety of reasons, including trampoline use, bicycle riding, playground equipment, and climbing trees. While many of these broken bones are easily fixed with a cast, some of these fractures are more serious and may require hospitalization and surgical intervention. Head injuries are another common childhood injury and can result from bicycle accidents, falls, and sporting collisions. Football, baseball, and other types of contact sports can result in concussions that if left untreated, can result in disabling symptoms and long-term trauma. Bicycle accidents and falls can cause more serious head injuries that can require emergency life-saving medical treatment and could result in permanent disability.

Preventing Seattle Summer Childhood Injuries

Helmets: Perhaps the single best way to prevent your child from being injured is to make sure they wear an appropriate helmet when riding their bikes, scooters, and participating in contact sports. Wearing a helmet could save your child’s life, especially if they fall suddenly or are hit by a moving vehicle. Playground Use: Another way to prevent your child from being injured is to monitor them on the playground and curb all inappropriate behavior. Children like to test limits and often use playground equipment inappropriately. Parents can help their children avoid injuries by teaching them the appropriate way to use playground equipment. Pool Safety: Another way parents can prevent devastating summer childhood injuries is to closely supervise children when they are swimming. Children should never be left alone while swimming and residential pools should always be gated and fenced in order to prevent accidental drowning. Even children who are avid swimmers should be supervised by a parent, adult, or lifeguard at all times.

Seattle Personal Injury Lawyers You Can Rely On

In spring and summer, childhood accidents are unfortunately very common. If your child is injured through the negligence of another person, it is important to seek legal help immediately. At Phillips Law Firm, we have successfully represented child accident victims in Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Tacoma, and throughout the State of Washington. Call us today for a free case evaluation at 1-800-708-6000.

Both the Federal Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency have begun investigations into several diabetic drugs known as GLP-1 inhibitors and their connection to pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. While the links to pancreatitis are not new, new research suggests that pre-cancerous cell growth is a major cause for concern. Some watchdog groups are even calling for a reassessment of the entire class of drugs.

Analyzed adverse events data points to a troubling trend: distinctly higher odds that GLP-1 drugs cause these pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer as opposed to older drugs, such as metformin. In particular, analysis found that the odds were 25% higher for the following drugs:

• Januvia
• Byetta
• Onglyza
• Tradjena
• Victoza

“I think the future of the whole class in question. If results are confirmed in a broader patient population, it raises questions about the entire class of drugs.”
–Tom Moore, senior scientist with ISMP

The Institute for Safe Medicine Practices (ISMP) examined 1,723 adverse events that were reported to the FDA between July1, 2011 and June 30 2012 for all five of the GLP-1 drugs listed above. The function of these dangerous diabetic drugs is to mimic a hormone known as GLP-1 that stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. During this time there were 831 cases of pancreatitis, 105 cases of pancreatic cancer, 32 cases of thyroid cancer, and 101 cases of hypersensitivity. In particular, patients who were injected with Byetta and Victoza were 28.5 times as likely to file a report for pancreatitis compared to patients taking older diabetic medications.

Overall, the odds that a GLP-1 drug, such as Januvia or Byetta, would cause pancreatitis were 25.6% higher than for metformin or sulfonulyreas treatments. Patients taking Victoza were 8 times more likely to file an adverse report for hypersensitivity than patients taking older forms of diabetic medications. The risk of the injectable diabetic medications was far greater than the risk of the oral medications which would cause concern for many diabetics and their physicians.

Not surprisingly, the drug manufacturers continue to push these GLP-1 diabetic medications and tout their safety. A Bristol-Myers spokesman cautioned that “direct comparison of event rates of different agents generated from this type of analysis should be interpreted with caution. Data needs to be put into context with data from clinical trials and epidemiology studies, which are better suited to assess risk.”

National Diabetic Lawsuit Attorneys

Patients who have been diagnosed with pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer after using a GLP-1 diabetic drug, such as Januvia or Byetta, may be able to file a lawsuit. To learn more about your rights and legal options, call the Phillips Law Firm today. Our experienced Diabetic lawsuit lawyers have represented families across the country in their quest for justice. For a free consultation visit the Phillips Law Firm website http://www.justiceforyou.com or call 1-800-708-6000.

Januvia is a new generation type 2 diabetes medication manufactured by the global healthcare leader, Merck. Lately, however, Merck’s Januvia has come under scrutiny as new evidence has prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a safety review of the medication.  The FDA recently released a statement saying that it is evaluating studies that suggest a link to increased risk of pancreatitis and pancreatic duct metaplasia in diabetic patients receiving this diabetic medication therapy.

In March, Dr. Alexander Butler and his fellow researchers at the University of California Los Angeles reported on a small study conducted on donated organs from diabetic patients who had been treated with Januvia, a medication in a class of drugs called incretin mimetics.

Dr. Butler and his colleagues compared the pancreas of patients who had received incretin therapy to those of patients who had received other therapies and non-diabetic controls. They found that the organs from the incretin treatment group had a 40% increase in pancreatic mass and a six-fold increase in beta cell mass compared to the patients who had not received incretin therapy.

In JAMA Internal Medicine, (2/25/13),  researchers at John Hopkins published a study that showed people taking incretin mimetics, such as Januvia, had double the rate of acute pancreatitis. The JAMA study found that patients hospitalized with pancreatitis were twice as likely to be taking the drug Januvia or Byetta as diabetic patients who did not have pancreatitis. This alarmed Consumer Reports so much that it issued warnings urging patients to discuss other therapies with their doctors.

In the British Medical Journal, Dr. Edwin A.M. Gale, professor of diabetes medicine at Southmead Hospital in England, commented on those data. He said that the medical community should be worried about the results of these studies because all forms of pancreatitis predispose a patient to carcinoma of the pancreas. He added that the number of reports of pancreatitis linked to the use of incretin mimetics received by the FDA has reached “astronomical proportions.”

Patients who have been diagnosed with pancreatitis after using the diabetic Januvia may be able to file a lawsuit. To learn more about your rights and legal options, call the Phillips Law Firm today. Our experienced Januvia lawsuit lawyers have represented families across the country in their quest for justice. For a free consultation visit the Phillips Law Firm website http://www.justiceforyou.com or call 1-800-708-6000.