Current Events

Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) issued a field safety notice in May, warning users that keypad buttons on its MiniMed 640G insulin pump may become temporarily stuck when the atmospheric pressure around the pump suddenly increases or decreases – like during air travel.

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Car seat and stroller manufacturer Britax announced this week that it is recalling more than 200,000 car seats after customers reported that seats’ chest clips can break, posing a choking hazard for young children.

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ALBANY — More victims of misdiagnosed cancer are about to get their day in court.

The Legislature on Wednesday passed a scaled-back version of Lavern’s Law that would start the window to bring medical malpractice cases involving cancer when an error is discovered by the patient, not when the mistake occurred, as under current law.

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C.R. Bard (NYSE:BCR) and several subsidiaries of Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) unit Covidien settled more than 130 product liability lawsuits brought over pelvic mesh products.

The lawsuits were part of multi-district litigation being overseen in the U.S.
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Troubled auto supplier Takata is tumbling toward a widely expected bankruptcy filing following a costly scandal that has killed at least 16 people worldwide.

The Japanese supplier recently pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to criminal charges for its handling of the scandal, which involved exploding air bags.

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The FDA today released information on a select voluntary recall from Getinge‘s (PINK:GETI B) Datascope and Maquet of its System CS100, CS100i and CS300 intra-aortic balloon pumps over issues with potential electrical test failures.

Datascope said they received a complaint in which the device failed to initiate therapy, resulting in a patient death. The complaint involved a CS300 IABP device which failed to pump due to electrical test failure code #58, a maintenance code and an autofill failure, according to the FDA notice.

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The Supreme Court on Monday issued a ruling that makes it more difficult for plaintiffs attorneys to look for friendly locations for their lawsuits, a practice known as “court shopping.”

The court reversed a lower-court decision on class-action lawsuits, ruling that hundreds of defendants who sued Bristol-Myers Squibb in California over injuries associated with the blood-thinning drug Plavix could not sue in that state because they were not residents.

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The U.S. Justice Department said Friday that Genesis Health Inc., a major nursing home operator based in Kennett Square, will pay $53.6 million to settle six federal lawsuits and investigations alleging that companies and facilities acquired by Genesis billed the government for “medically unnecessary therapy and hospice services, and grossly substandard nursing care.
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Pfizer subsidiary Hospira issued a nationwide recall of its vials used to inject sodium bicarbonate, citing sterility concerns. The recall exacerbates the current shortage of the potentially lifesaving drug.

Hospira is voluntarily recalling sodium bicarbonate and succinylcholine chloride vials that had microbial growth and were susceptible to contamination, which could cause sepsis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.
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A bipartisan group of state attorneys general announced on Thursday that they are jointly investigating the marketing and sales practices of drug companies that manufacture opioid painkillers at the center of a national addiction epidemic.

Attorneys general from states including Massachusetts, Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania announced the investigation two weeks after Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine sued five drug manufacturers for misrepresenting the risks of opioids.

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Takata Corp, the Japanese company facing billions in liabilities stemming from its defective air bag inflators, is preparing to file for bankruptcy as early as next week as it works toward a deal for financial backing from U.S. auto parts maker Key Safety Systems Inc, sources said on Thursday.

Takata, one of the world's biggest automotive suppliers, has been working for months to complete a deal with Key Safety.

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