Bextra recall class action lawsuits filed
The volley of lawsuits against Pfizer has already begun in the case of Bextra recall. In an announcement today, the law firm of Kline & Specter said that three Lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer on behalf of three people injured by the recently banned prescription drug Bextra. Two of the plaintiffs suffered heart attacks and one sustained a stroke after taking the painkiller. (Related article: Bextra recall lawsuits expected to explode during coming weeks)
The suits were filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York on Friday, one day after New York-based Pfizer removed Bextra from the market at the urging of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA also directed that a black box warning be placed on Celebrex, the other Cox-2 drug that Pfizer makes. FDA decided not to ban Celebrex but a black box warning means that the drug should be taken if no other option is appropriate for a patient.
The plaintiffs are all represented by Thomas R. Kline, who on Friday was also named to the Plaintiffs Steering Committee in the federal litigation over Vioxx. This is a major breakthrough for the law firm since membership on the committee gives them enormous influence over Vioxx litigation.
The Bextra lawsuits claim, among other things, that Pfizer failed to adequately and properly test Bextra and failed to warn doctors, patients and others about its potential risks. Studies showed that patients who used Bextra were more likely to suffer heart attacks and strokes.
The plaintiffs in the Bextra suit are Luis G. Flores, 33, of Texas, who suffered a heart attack on Aug. 5, 2004 and, as a result, was forced to undergo two stent implantation surgeries; Jimmy Kitchen, 67, of Arkansas, who suffered a heart attack on June 12, 2002; and Theodis Maddox, Jr., 48, of Arkansas, who suffered a stroke and temporary paralysis and weakness on his right side.
A class action lawsuit was also filed separately against Pfizer today on behalf of all persons who died or were injured by Bextra, according to the Chicago law firm Kenneth B. Moll & Associates. This firm is also active in Vioxx class action lawsuits. "The decision of the FDA to withdraw Bextra from the market is a victory for consumers, and affirms that the risks of these drugs outweigh the benefits," said Kenneth B. Moll. "However, countless individuals have already suffered severe or fatal injuries including heart attacks, strokes, embolisms, gastrointestinal bleeding, ulcers, and skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome. This drug did not carry sufficient warnings regarding the potentially fatal side effects it can cause."
As previously reported, Louisiana attorneys for patients have already asked a judicial panel in Washington, D.C. to move all the Bextra related lawsuits in the country to one federal court, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, which is in New Orleans, for consolidation and management.
German lawyer Michael Witti and U.S. firm Nagel Rice & Mazie are preparing a class action suit against drugs giant Pfizer over claims relating to its arthritis drug Bextra, Witti said on Sunday in an interview with Reuters. Similar lawsuits are expected worldwide, pretty much in line with Vioxx lawsuits.
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