Prescription Litigation

The headlines are full of stories of drugs that ultimately injure the very patients they were designed to help.  Consider the case of Vioxx, Risperdal, Pradaxa and Fosamax, among others.  These drugs are marketed by large pharmaceutical companies and in many cases, prescription litigation has shown the company knew, or should have known that a percentage of patients would suffer adverse events, even death.  In many cases, even with company insiders warning about the eventual outcomes, the companies forged ahead marketing a dangerous drug. In many cases, the rush is to beat the competition. In other cases, pharmaceutical giants may promote their product for off-label use, that is, to treat a condition for which the drug was not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Consumers need to be warned – approval of a drug by the FDA does not guarantee its safety or efficacy or that its benefit outweighs the risks. Big Pharmaceutical companies can face fines from the government as well as defective product lawsuits filed by consumers who are injured.  In many cases, prescription litigation and the hefty jury awards, are the only messages Big Pharma understands.