Medical News

April 17, 2011

Texas Titanic About to Hit The Fosamax Iceberg?

Every day, we are hearing a lot of bad news about the osteoporosis drug Fosamax. Made by Merck & Co., Fosamax has been a successful bone disease treatment on the market for over a decade. In January 2009, medical studies were released that hit the drug and its manufacturer hard. The first study links Fosamax to osteonecrosis, of the jaw, and the second, links Fosamax to esophageal cancer. Are these reports the Titantic that is about to hit the Fosamax iceberg?
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Fosamax works by attacking cells in the body responsible for bone breakdown, which can help patients dealing with osteoporosis. At the same time, if the drug is too efficient, it can cause the bone to grow too dense, which takes up inner bone space where bone marrow is found. Bone marrow is responsible for bone healing and growth, so without enough marrow, the bone will die. If you do break a bone that has been subjected to Fosamax and similar drugs it won’t heal.

Medical studies linking the drug to esophageal cancer report that many of those affected had used the drug for over two years. One thing is certain – we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Fosamax injuries. Currently there are over 1,000 Fosamax lawsuits in litigation, and as more studies are done to confirm the allegations against the drug, we may see even more patients coming forward.

Fosamax, when used over time, can cause dead jaw, and Fosamax femur fractures have been a major problem in some cases. When you have osteoporosis, your bones become extremely fragile, and fractures can happen even with just a bump or gentle fall. Most often, fractures happen in the hips, spine, and wrists. If you break your hip, you typically need major surgery to fix it, and even then, you may have problems walking for the rest of your life. With spinal fractures, the same is true, and patients generally have back pain and may have to deal with deformities.

Fosamax and the following drugs Actonel (risedronate sodium) tablets, Actonel with Calcium (risedronate sodium with calcium carbonate tablets), Atelvia (risedronate sodium) delayed-release tablets, Boniva (ibandronate sodium) tablets, Fosamax (alendronate sodium) tablets and oral solution, Fosamax Plus D (alendronate sodium/cholecalciferol) Tablets, Reclast (zoledronic acid) Injections are now required to have clear warning labels regarding low-energy, or low trauma fractures of the femoral shaft (leg bone).

As a Fosamax osteoporosis attorney, I suggest discussing this drug with any elderly female friends and relatives as they may be unaware of the current crisis and the FDA’s warnings.

April 10, 2011

Propecia Use Can Lead to Permanent Sexual Dysfunction

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A lawsuit has been filed against Merck, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The complaint alleges that the drug manufacturer warned European users that the drug Propecia may cause sexual problems in men, but did not provide American users the same warning.

According to the complaint, plaintiffs were prescribed Propecia to combat male pattern hair loss, and they suffered serious sexual dysfunction.

The lawsuit alleges that the warnings about the risk of sexual problems from Propecia differed significantly in Europe from the label warnings to users of Propecia in the U.S.

In Europe, Propecia labels stating that erectile dysfunction problems may persist after the patient discontinues use treatment with Propecia were added in 2008.

Propecia (finasteride) was approved in 1992 for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and also is approved to treat male pattern baldness.

Last month researchers from the U.S. published a study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine that found side effects of Propecia were linked to sexual problems in men. Researchers indicated that the class of drugs known as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors can cause loss of libido, depression erectile dysfunction, reduced semen production and growth of male breast tissue.

The lawsuit over Propecia charges Merck with negligence, failure to warn, strict product liability, and breach of warranty.

November 10, 2010

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Two West Texas nurses have been indicted after filing an anonymous complaint about a doctor’s practices with the Texas Medical Board, but the state agency says the women did nothing wrong.

The nurses are charged with misuse of official information. Each one-page indictment filed against them alleges they improperly accessed information that was not public “with intent to harm” the doctor for “a nongovernmental purpose.”

Among the nurses’ complaints were that the doctor improperly encouraged patients to buy herbal medicines from him and had wanted to use hospital supplies to perform a procedure at a patient’s home.

The Texas Medical Board defended the nurses’ actions and said it’s the board’s state-mandated duty to look into such complaints.

July 3, 2009

Texas Patient Awarded $10 M in Medical Malpractice Claim

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A Harris County Texas jury has ruled in favor of a Houston man in a medical malpractice case, awarding him $10 million in damages stemming from a lawsuit against Methodist Hospital and the doctors who treated him there.

John German developed gangrene that required the amputation of his left leg above the knee, all the toes on his right foot and all of his fingers in the aftermath of heart surgery in 2002 .

“It’s been a long time coming, but I feel vindicated,” said German, who was a 32-year-old mechanic at the time of the care.

June 24, 2009

Texas Medical Board New Rules June 2009

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The following is a summary of the changes effective on June 24, 2009. Click here for the complete board rules.

Chapter 162, Supervision of Medical School Students, with amendments to §162.1 Supervision of Medical Students, which clarifies the intent of the amendment previously adopted, which became effective on March 9, 2009. The Board determined that the revised language was necessary based on questions received regarding interpretation.

Chapter 165, Medical Records, with amendments to §165.3, Patient Access to Diagnostic Imaging Studies in Physician’s Office, which expands the rule to include non-static diagnostic imaging studies and imaging studies that are maintained in electronic format. The Board determined that the rule change was necessary to clarify the definition of diagnostic imaging studies for the purpose of releasing such records to requestors for medical records.

Chapter 173, Physician Profiles, with amendments to §173.1, Profile Contents, which requires that the profile of each licensed physician shall contain the physician’s full name as the physician is licensed. The Board determined that the change was necessary to allow the Board to appropriately track all physicians licensed by the Board rather than allowing physicians to identify themselves under multiple names when submitting documents to the Board.