ProPublica studied five different specialties to compare the rates by which doctors who receive money from big pharma prescribe typically more expensive brand name medication, versus doctors who haven’t taken money from pharma.  The analysis found that doctors who receive $5,000 or more from pharmaceutical companies in a given year all prescribe more brand name […]

Pfizer has recently agreed to pay $330 million dollars to settle more than 2,200 lawsuits charging that Prempro caused women to develop Breast Cancer.   [Note: Levin Simes Abrams is not investigating Prempro cases at this time. This page is for informational purposes.] Overview Prempro, also known as conjugated estrogen/medroxyprogesterone acetate, was approved by the […]

An article published in November in BioMed Central discovered serious differences between studies funded by pharmaceutical companies selling testosterone therapy drugs, and those that were independent of pharmaceutical companies pushing the drugs. Combined with the FDA warning1 in January on the risks of testosterone therapy, including heart attacks and strokes, this paints a troubling picture […]

Earlier this year, a group of private companies and institutions released a new mobile application in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiologic Health. It is called MedWatcher, and is a mobile app for use on tablets and smartphones to make reporting negative effects of drugs, medical devices, and vaccines […]

After over 1000 adverse event reports, several consumer watchdog groups have urged diabetics to avoid using Actos or its generic equivalent. Many have espoused that actos use may not be worth the associated health risks. A group by the name of “Consumer Reports” noted that Actos should only be used as a “last resort” diabetes […]

According to a recent review of FDA adverse event reports, the FDA has received over 1000 reports from individuals reporting unexplained diagnoses of bladder cancer after Actos use. This comes after several prominent scientific reports linked Actos use to an increased likelihood of developing bladder cancer. The institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recently analyzed […]

According to a new study published in the British Medicine Journal which compared healthy people with patients diagnosed with bladder cancer, Actos use has been associated with an 83% increased risk of bladder cancer and a 200% increased risk of bladder cancer if Actos is used for more than 2 years. Previous research indicated that […]

Lisinopril (Prinivil & Zestril) Linked to Various Severe Adverse Effects Lisinopril is a drug of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor class that is primarily used in treatment of hypertension, congestive heart failure, and heart attacks and also in preventing renal and retinal complications of diabetes. It was developed by Merck & Co. and is marketed […]