The national law firm, Parker Waichman LLP, continues to look into Medtronic Infuse® cases alleging that the bone growth product caused serious injuries, while also offering free legal advice.

The Infuse® device has been a major legal issue in recent years, centering on a host of allegations that Medtronic paid researchers to promote the device, while hiding serious complications associated with it. Medtronic has also been criticized for the off-label use of Infuse®. More Law Firm Continuing to Look Into Medtronic Infuse® Injuries

Controversy surrounding the use of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) in surgeries has picked up after a recent investigation found it is being used in 9.2 percent of spinal fusion surgeries involving children.

Study lead, Emily Dodwell, MD, of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, and a team of researchers, made the discovery when they looked at data from a sample of 4,121 U.S. hospitals in the “Kids’ Inpatient Database.” BMP has previously been linked to complications when used on adults, including wound dehiscence and respiratory stenosis, said MedPage Today. More Children Receiving Bone Growth Protein Off Label

Medtronic’s Infuse® spine fusion product was hailed as a breakthrough in medical journals, but it seems those studies were influenced by Medtronic employees and written by well-paid company doctors who provided positive feedback in exchange for so-called “consulting fees.”

Thirteen clinical trials of Infuse® intended to gain the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval offered a glowing portrayal of the device, but failed to mention that some of the study’s subjects reported serious side effects, said ABCNews, including cancer, retrograde ejaculation, male sterility, infections, bone dissolution, and worsened back and leg pain, according to NewsInferno. More Medtronic Bone Graft Product Presented Only in the Most Positive Light

After a review of Medtronic’s internal documents and communications, the Senate Committee on Finance has confirmed that Medtronic put profit margins before patient safety. This is not the first time that Medtronic was accused of disregarding ethics standards to increase profits. In June 2011, the Spine Journal published its suspicions, seriously calling into question the efficacy and ethical practices of Medtronic and its devices.

Today, The North American Spine Society (NASS) published its reaction to the Senate Committee report proclaiming its appreciation for the “in-depth investigation into physician/industry relationships, scientific publishing and the marketing of Medtronic product[s]…” More Senate Committee on Finance Report Confirms Medtronic’s Disregard for Patient Safety and Ethics

The national law firm of Parker Waichman LLP is continuing its nationwide representation of consumers against unproven health claims made by the Dial Corporation. The Dial Complete Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) is being heard in U.S. District Court, District of New Hampshire, under the Honorable Steven J. McAuliffe. Parker Waichman partner, Jordan L. Chaikin Esq, serves as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) in the Dial Complete MDL

A complaint filed by Parker Waichman this March alleged that Dial aggressively promoted its Dial Complete, which contains the active ingredient, triclosan, as being more effective than soap and water and other non-triclosan liquid soaps. The lawsuit also alleged that Dial deceptively and unfairly represented that use of Dial Complete provides special health benefits; for instance, being over 1,000 times more effective at killing disease-causing germs, when compared to antibacterial liquid hand soaps; killing 99.99 percent of both bacteria and disease-causing bacteria; reducing disease transmission by 50 percent, compared to hand-washing with a plain soap; and killing more germs than any other liquid hand soap.

More Dial Complete MDL Continues

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) offcials are continuing their probe into the health and safety of energy drinks after a wrongful death lawsuit unearthed deadly coincidences.

Last week, Richard Fournier and Wendy Crossland filed a negligence and wrongful death lawsuit against Monster Beverage Inc., after their daughter died from “cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity” shortly after consuming two Monster energy drinks in 24 hours, the LA Times reported. When their attorneys filed a public records request, they found that their daughter, Anais Fournier, was the fifth person to die in connection with the drinks. More FDA Continues Energy Drink Probe

An Italian businessman has been granted worker’s compensation over cell phone radiation and the development of a benign tumor.

A former financial manager for an industrial plant, Innocente Marcolini filed for worker’s compensation after he developed a benign tumor on his trigeminal nerve, which he claimed was caused by long-term cell phone use as part of his job, Microwave News reports. More Italian Court Rules on Mobile Phone Radiation and Tumors

A nurse working in a Toronto, Canada nursing home was convicted and sentenced to a one-year jail term after sexually assaulting a 71-year-old resident.

Leonid Kozlov, 47, a registered practical nurse working at the Castleview Wychwood Towers in Toronto, Canada, has pled guilty to sexually assaulting Danae Chambers, who has severe dementia. For this crime, Kozlov was sentenced to 12 months in jail, The Star reports. More Male Nurse Sentenced in Nursing Home Sexual Assault

The parents of a Hagerstown, Maryland teenage have filed a lawsuit against Monster Beverage Corp, alleging its Monster Energy Drink contributed to their daughter’s death.

In the lawsuit, filed in California Superior Court, Riverside County, the parents of Anais Fournier say she drank two 24-oz Monster Energy drinks in 24-hours, causing her to go into cardiac arrest, the Associated Press (AP) reports.  Fourier’s autopsy showed that she died from cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity, which decreased her heart’s ability to pump blood. Fournier had a disorder that weakened her blood vessels, according to the AP. More Lawsuit Claims Monster Energy Drink Contributed to Death of Child

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted and then removed an expanded list of clinics and hospitals, which many have purchased tainted drugs from the New England Compounding Center (NECC). The NECC is the compounding pharmacy linked to the growing fungal meningitis outbreak.

After posting a list of over 1,200 clinics and hospitals that had received drugs and medications made and distributed by the NECC, the FDA took down the list saying it wasn’t accurate, CNN reports. The FDA explained on its web site that it would repost the updated list once its accuracy is verified. More FDA to Expand NECC Contamination Warnings to Hospitals and Clinics, More Medications of Concern