Defective Drugs
Prescription drug-related injuries can have significant and devastating consequences for patients. When dangerous prescription medications result in serious injury or death, Lewis Saul & Associates works to make sure that the responsible pharmaceutical companies are held responsible.
Lewis Saul & Associates has been fighting the manufacturers of dangerous prescription drugs for more than 40 years. Our attorneys have experience handling prescription drug injury cases across the country. We have the experience, knowledge and resources to handle the most complex and difficult cases.
If you or a loved one has used any of the medications listed below and suffered an associated injury, call Lewis Saul & Associates to speak to an attorney.
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HERE ARE SOME OF THE DANGEROUS PRESCRIPTION DRUG CASES WE ARE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING:
Depo-Provera
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Commonly known as the “birth control shot,” this medication is a long-acting injectable contraceptive used by millions of women since receiving FDA approval in 1992. Recent scientific research has linked Depo-Provera to an increased risk of brain tumors.
A major study published in the British Medical Journal in 2024 revealed a stron connection between Depo-Provera use and the development of a specific type of brain tumor known as a meningioma. The study found women who used Depo-Provera for an extended period were 5.6 times more likely to develop a meningioma brain tumor.
Women who have received at least two Depo-Provera injections and were later diagnosed as having a brain tumor may have a viable claim against Pfizer, the drug’s manufacturer.
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Oxbryta
Used to treat sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder where red blood cells become misshapen, resulting in reduced oxygen throughout the body and causing pain, fatigue, and potential organ damage, Oxbryta increases the ability of hemoglobin to hold onto oxygen which helps red blood cells maintain their normal shape.
Oxbryta was approved by the FDA in November of 2019 through the agency’s accelerated approval process. Post-market studies and follow-up clinical trials revealed a rise in serious adverse events among patients taking Oxbryta. Less than five years after being approved and two years after being acquired by Pfizer, Inc., the evidence showing the health risks from taking Oxbryta outweighed its benefits became overwhelming. The severity of the health risks led to Pfizer initiating a worldwide recall of Oxbryta in September 2024.
Individuals have experienced serious adverse effects after taking Oxbryta, including increased vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) or organ failure. Plaintiffs pursuing claims related to Oxbryta use allege its manufacturers failed to provide adequate warnings to doctors and patients about the risks of VOCs, death, and other serious complications, and knew, or should have known, about these risks well before recalling the drug.
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Ozempic and Wegovy (GLP-1 Ras)
An antidiabetic medication primarily used to treat and manage type-2 diabetes, Ozempic is meant to promote an increase in insulin secretion and the disposal of blood sugar to improve glycemic control. Through aggressive (and allegedly misleading and deceptive) marketing practices, Ozempic has gained popularity for off-label use as a weight loss and anti-obesity drug.
In addition to known side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain, Ozempic and similar drugs are associated with serious stomach problems including gastroparesis (stomach paralysis). This condition affects the normal muscle movement in the stomach, which slows down or stops the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine, causing severe digestive issues.
These drugs are also associated with esophageal damage, bowel obstruction, pulmonary aspiration, gallbladder injury, deep vein thrombosis and sudden vision loss.
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PO# 3049 - Ballinger
Talcum Powder
Used by women in over-the-counter products for personal hygiene for years, talcum powder has been associated with the development of ovarian cancer. Dating back to the 1970s, researchers have suggested a connection between the use of talcum powder products and ovarian cancer, which has also been demonstrated by more than twenty epidemiological studies.
Popular talcum powder products include Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower products. Despite the decades old research and more recent studies, including a June 2013 study from Brigham & Women’s Hospital showing women who used talcum powder products were at a 20-30% increased risk of suffering ovarian cancer than non-users, neither Johnson & Johnson nor the FDA warned consumers about the risks of talcum powder causing ovarian cancer.
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Tepezza
Used to treat symptoms of thyroid eye disease (TED) and a condition known as Grave’s eye disease, Tepezza was discovered to potentially cause permanent hearing damage and/or tinnitus (ringing in the ears)some patients shortly after it was put on the market.
Horizon Therapeutics, the company that developed Tepezza, obtained FDA approval for the drug based on limited testing, using a clinical trial for FDA approval that included less than 100 patients. During the approval process, Horizon acknowledged Tepezza presented some risk of hearing damage, but represented to the FDA that the hearing loss was temporary and only occurred in less than 10% of patients.
In March 2021, a study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society found that 65% of patients who received Tepezza reported some level of hearing damage or ringing in the ears, which was 6 times higher than the estimated risk of hearing loss disclosed by Horizon during the FDA approval process.
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Xeljanz
Used to treat conditions caused by an overactive immune system like severely active rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis, Xeljanz has been prescribed to over 200,000 patients worldwide and earned its manufacturer, Pfizer, Inc., over $7 billion in sales revenue from 2013-2019.
Starting in 2019, multiple clinical trials sponsored by Pfizer found that Xeljanz is linked to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening injuries, including: heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis, blood clots, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Due to the results of these clinical trials, Pfizer had to add a Black Box Warning to the drug’s warning label, the most severe warning the FDA can require.
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Zantac
Once the top selling medication in the world, Zantac (ranitidine) has been used for decades to treat heartburn and acid reflux. Zantac contains N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which increasing evidence demonstrates is a probable human carcinogen. NDMA is a chemical used in gasoline, rocket fuel and other petroleum-based industrial products. NDMA is also the contaminant that led to numerous recalls of certain blood pressure medications, however, the problems with Zantac are potentially more significant.
Scientific research indicates that the unstable nature of Zantac’s active ingredient, ranitidine, may result in dangerous levels of NDMA in the body. In fact, NDMA levels from Zantac may be 26,000 times higher than the legal permissible levels established by the FDA, posing significant risk of cancer and other health issues.
Cancers potentially associated with Zantac include: bladder, breast, colon/colorectal, esophpgeal/nasal/throat, intestinal, kidney, liver, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, stomach, testicular, thyroid and uterine.
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CONTACT LEWIS SAUL & ASSOCIATES, P.C TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS
If you or a loved one has been injured by any of these medications, you may be entitled to pursue a claim against the manufacturers for damages. For a free and confidential case evaluation, please call our office or complete our online contact form and we will promptly respond to your inquiry.