Medication

Battling Big Pharma

Beasley Allen has a proven history of standing up against Big Pharma in lawsuits related to harmful drugs on behalf of individuals or their loved ones. One of the most well-known cases handled by our firm involved the prescription medication Vioxx. 

In 2008, after more than five years of challenging litigation, Merck agreed to pay $4.85 billion—the largest pharmaceutical settlement in history—to resolve claims involving plaintiffs who suffered a heart attack (including sudden cardiac death) or a stroke after taking the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx. 

Andy Birchfield led Beasley Allen’s team, playing a crucial role in developing the Settlement Program and persuading Merck to settle these cases. Since Vioxx, our firm has obtained numerous verdicts and settlements on behalf of people nationwide who were injured by dangerous drugs.

Recall Rundown

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the marketing of medical drugs in the U.S. and ensures that each drug offers a “reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness.” If a pharmaceutical manufacturer discovers a problem with one of its medications, the company must issue a recall to correct or remove the dangerous drug and inform the FDA.

There are three types of medical drug recalls:

• Class I: Involves a situation where there is a reasonable chance that medication will cause serious health problems or death.
• Class II: Involves a situation where medication may cause a temporary or reversible health problem or a slight chance of causing severe health problems or death.
• Class III: Involves a situation where medication is not likely to cause any health problem or injury.

Class II recalls account for 80% to 90% of all drug recalls. With over 1,000 drug recalls annually, pharmaceutical companies have significant room for improvement and a strong case for enhanced industry regulation.