Safety in the News From the American Association for Justice

Drug Safety

Drug Makers Spending More For Advertising, Marketing

The Washington Post (3/24, Millman, 5.17M) “Wonkblog” reports that market research firm Kantar Media analyzed how much drug companies were spending on advertising and marketing. According to the firm’s figures, pharmaceutical companies in 2014 “spent $4.5 billion marketing prescription drugs” directly to consumers, which is “up from $3.5 billion in 2012,” and also “up from the $2.5 billion drug makers spent in 2000, or $3.39 billion in 2015 dollars when adjusted for inflation.” In 2012, the firm found that drug companies spent “$24 billion promoting their wares directly to” physicians. The most heavily advertised drugs are the erectile dysfunction treatments Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil), the rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira (adalimumab), and Lyrica (pregabalin), a treatment “for pain caused by nerve damage.”

Product Safety

Recalls On Frozen Meals With Spinach Amid Listeria Concerns

The Los Angeles Times (3/24, Parker, 3.49M) reports “Amy’s Kitchen is recalling more than 73,000 cases of products containing organic spinach because of possible Listeria contamination.” A news release from the US Food and Drug Administration said the California company was recalling “73,897 cases of 19 products after one of its spinach suppliers issued a recall notice because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.”

CNN (3/24, Shoichet, 2.05M) reports Amy’s Kitchen “said it wasn’t aware of any reports of illness connected with its products, but was recalling them ‘out of an abundance of caution.’”

CBS News (3/24, 8.2M) reports Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., also announced a recall over fears of listeria. The article notes that “in recent months, a listeria outbreak linked to caramel apples was blamed for at least four deaths, and listeria in Blue Bell Creameries ice cream may have played a role in three deaths.”

From the desk of John Badal, attorney for Liever, Hyman & Potter serving Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, including Berks , Schuylkill, Chester, Montgomery, Lebanon County and other areas in the  practice of personal injury law.

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