The chief executive of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. said the company had used “inappropriate expressions” in promoting its blood pressure drug Blopress, but denied claims that the drug maker tampered with any research data.

Takeda CEO Yasuchika Hasegawa made the admission after the Japanese health ministry said last week it was investigating questions raised by a Japanese doctor that a graph used in the company’s advertisement did not match the results of a clinical study, Bloomberg News reported. More Takeda CEO Admits Improper Marketing of Blood Pressure Drug

Pennsylvania State Judge Arnold New ordered the creation of a mass tort last week for product liability lawsuits filed over pelvic mesh products that many patients allege caused them injuries.

Judge New, director of the Complex Litigation Center at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas ordered February 11 that “all currently filed pelvic mesh matters shall be transferred to the Complex Litigation Center Pelvic Mesh Mass Tort Program” for coordination, according to court documents obtained by MassDevice.com. More PA State Judge Orders Creation of Mass Tort for Pelvic Mesh Injury Lawsuits

More than three weeks after a chemical spill left 300,000 West Virginia residents without clean running water, there is new health concern: formaldehyde.

In the hours following the discovery of the leak, health officials struggled to provide accurate and reliable information about 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol, or MCHM, which was spilling into the Elk River. Residents were instructed not to cook or drink with their tap water but were told little else. Now it has come to light that MCHM can break down into formaldehyde, and residents are likely inhaling it, according to LATimes.com. More West Virginia Residents Worried they are Inhaling Formaldehyde from Chemical Spill

A federal judge has ordered C.R. Bard and plaintiffs involved in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) against the medical device maker over its Avaulta mesh product to select 200 lawsuits for discovery.

MassDevice.com reported that Bard is facing more than 7,000 product liability lawsuits filed by patients who allege they were injured by the firm’s Avaulta transvaginal mesh. More C.R. Bard Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuits Moving Forward

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Class I status to Nephros Inc.’s recall of its In-Line Dual Stage Ultra (DSU) filter.

The recall was initiated because promotional materials for non-medical water filtration products were determined to promote claims which constitute marketing the product as a medical device. The affected marketing materials include the following document numbers: 60-0237 Nephros Ultrafilters Technical Dossier (Infection Control) and 60-3003 Nephros In-Line DSU Filter Brochure. More Class I Status Given to Nephros Water Filter Recall

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers to immediately stop using a dietary supplement product called Mass Destruction. The product label indicates that it contains at least one synthetic anabolic steroid and has been linked to at least one reported serious illness.

Mass Destruction is marketed as a dietary supplement that aids in muscle growth. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services alerted the FDA of a serious injury associated with use of the supplement and described a previously healthy 28-year-old male who suffered liver failure after using the product for several weeks. The man required a liver transplant. More FDA Warns Consumers Against Using Mass Destruction Supplement

Officials at the Boehringer Ingelheim “made misrepresentations” about their efforts to preserve documents pertaining to the company’s blood thinner, Pradaxa, and failed to take obvious steps to preserve files and other records, an Illinois U.S. District judge has ruled. Boehringer must now pay a nearly $1 million fine.

In the ruling, obtained by Bloomberg News, Judge David Herdon called Boehringer’s efforts to safeguard the documents “egregious” and said the company acted “in bad faith.” Judge Herdon is overseeing more than 1,700 consolidated lawsuits filed on behalf of consumers who allege that Pradaxa caused excessive and sometimes fatal bleeding. More Boehringer Ingelheim Fined Nearly $1 Million Dollars Over Pradaxa Document Debacle

Intuitive Surgical warned doctors this week that friction, in certain circumstances, can form in the arms of some of its $1.5 million da Vinci Surgical System robots, which likely would cause the unit to stall. This marks the second warning from the company about its surgical robot in a month.

Intuitive issued an “urgent medical device recall” November 11 alerting customers to the problem, which impacts 1,386 systems worldwide. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the stalling can occur during a sudden “catch-up” if the surgeon pushes through the friction-caused resistance, according to Bloomberg News. More Intuitive Surgical Warns of Potential Friction Buildup in da Vinci Surgical Robot

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which last week filed a lawsuit against Arizona resident/weight-loss marketer Kevin Wright, is alleging that the controversial HCG Platinum‘s diet claims are unsubstantiated, as voices critical of the product have begun calling it dangerous to one’s health.

The HCG diet claims rapid weight loss by using the HCG hormone women produce when they are pregnant. The lawsuit alleges that Wright and his company Right Way Nutrition have endangered customers for years, while raking in millions based on false weight-loss statements. The company claims that the product can help people safely lose one to two pounds a day for weeks. It also claims the product is proven to burn fat, reduce weight and lower cholesterol.

More HCG Products Cause Loss of Muscle, Not Fat

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit in Arizona federal court Wednesday accusing HCG Platinum LLC and Right Way Nutrition LLC of making false claims that their dietary products will help consumers lose extensive amounts of weight over a quick period.

HCG Platinum LLC and Right Way Nutrition LLC are managed by fellow defendant Kevin Wright. Using advertisements for HCG Platinum, liquid drops and related supplements in magazines, retail stores and online, the defendants promise consumers that the products are capable of causing “rapid and substantial” weight loss, Law360.com reported. The ads also claimed that consumers would likely lose as much weight as the people in their advertisements. The FCC found those claims to be false and lacking necessary substantiation.

More FTC Files Lawsuit to Halt Sale of HCG Platinum-branded Weight-loss Supplements