February 2015 Mass Tort Newsletter

Xarelto

Xarelto is an anticoagulant (blood-thinner) that is manufactured by Bayer and marketed by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.  It is used to reduce the risk of stroke & blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation, and to treat DVT and Pulmonary Embolism, particularly in patients who have just had hip/knee replacement surgery.  Unlike other anticoagulants, there is no antidote to Xarelto and thus patients are at risk of severe uncontrollable bleeding incidents.

Potential Claimant:

Experienced the following while taking Xarelto:

• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Intracranial bleeding
• Stroke

MDL Status:

Consolidated in the Eastern District of Louisiana before Judge Fallon.  MDL No. 2592

Takata

Thousands of vehicles have been recalled as a result of defective airbags manufactured by Takata Corporation.  The propellant wafer used to accelerate and inflate the airbagsisunstable, causing a heightened risk of a failure to deploy, an overaggressive inflation, oran explosion potentially launching plastic and metal shrapnel at the vehicle’s occupants.  For a full list of recalled vehicles, visit: www.nhtsa.gov

Potential Claimant:

The focus is on TakataCorp. for the faulty airbags, but also on Honda and other vehicle manufacturers for failure to act despite being aware of the problem for years. These problems include personal injuries caused by exploding airbags and diminished value.

MDL Status:

Consolidated in the Southern District of Florida before Judge Moreno. MDL No. 2599.

Benicar

A growing number of patients have filed Benicar lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturers, Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories.  These lawsuits claim that the blood-pressure drug caused serious intestinal problems and other complications.  Oftenpatientsrequire hospitalization to determine the cause of their ailment.  Afterward, long-term medical care might be necessary.  Benicar lawsuits claim that Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories knew or should have known about the risk of intestinal problems, and that the companies failed to warn patients about the risk.

Potential Claimant:

Experienced the following as a result of taking Benicar:

• Chronic diarrhea
• Severe weight loss
• Nausea
• Vomiting

MDL Status:

N/A

AndroGel

Testosterone drugs like AndroGel have recently been linked to serious injuries such as heart attack, stroke and cardiac death.  There are numerous Testosterone Replacement Therapy products on the market including gels, patches applied to the skin or gums, pills and shots.  On January 31, 2014, the FDA announced that they were investigating the increased risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiac death related to Testosterone Replacement Therapy use. Men using Testosterone Replacement Therapy drugs are at risk and could experience serious side effects, including heart attack, stroke and even death.

Potential Claimant:

Has taken any of the following Testosterone brands:AndroGel®,Androderm®, Android 10®, Android 25®,Axiron®,Fortesta®, Bio-T-Gel®,Delatestryl®,Depo-Testosterone®,Methyltestosterone®,Striant®,Testim®,Testopel®, TestosteroneCypionate®,Enanthate®,Testred® andandsuffered any of the following:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Transient ischemic attacks
• Pulmonary embolism
• Coronary artery disease
• Death

MDL Status:

Consolidated in the Northern District of Illinois before Judge Kennelly. MDL No. 2545.

Transvaginal Mesh

In July 2011, an FDA alert warned of serious complications associated with transvaginal mesh patches when implanted to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence (SUI). That same year, the New England Journal of Medicine compared vaginal mesh tocolporrhaphy, a traditional treatment of POP, and found vaginal mash carries greater risks, such as 7 times the risk of bladder perforation, nearly twice the risk of urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control) and 3.2%of women required follow-up surgery to correct problems.

Potential Claimant:

Has been implanted with a transvaginal mesh device and experienced any of the following:

• Erosion of the vaginal tissue
• Infection
• Bleeding
• Pelvic pain
• Urinary problems such as incontinence
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Organ perforation from surgical tools during mesh implantation
• Vaginal scarring or shrinkage
• Nerve damage

MDL Status:

Consolidated in the Southern District of West Virginia before Judge Goodwin. MDL No. 2187; No. 2325; No.2327

Actos

This litigation involves Actos,a prescription drug used to treat diabetes and is alleged to case bladder cancer. It is manufactured by Takeda, a major drug manufacturer in Osaka, Japan.According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, patients taking Actos for more than a year may have increased risk of bladder cancer.Patients and doctors charge Takeda with failure to warn of the heightened risk of bladder cancer associated with Actos.

Potential Claimant:

Was or is taking Actos and has been diagnosed with bladder cancer.

MDL Status:

Consolidated in the Western District of Louisiana before Judge Doherty. MDL No. 2299.