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West Virginia -National Injectable Colchicine Attorneys

The Law Office of Bell & Bands
Charleston Defective Drug Attorneys &
Medical Device Recall Lawyers

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The sad truth is giant pharmaceutical companies and a handful of medical device manufacturers have put the public at risk by bringing dangerous or defective products to market. In this case the drug manufacturer ApothCure's Colchicine may be putting the public at risk of several severe side effects.

If a dangerous drug or defective medical device has caused you serious injury, Bell & Bands can explain your legal options and prepare your case for trial. Working with nationally recognized medical experts, engineers, and technicians, we work to establish fault on the part of manufacturers and demand financial compensation for our clients.

FDA announced its intention to take enforcement action against companies marketing unapproved, injectable colchicine, a drug used to treat gout. Colchicine is a highly toxic drug that can easily be administered in excessive doses, especially when given intravenously. There is a narrow margin between an effective dose of the drug and a toxic dose that can result in serious health risks, including death. The FDA is aware of 50 reports of adverse events associated with the use of intravenous colchicine, including 23 deaths. Potentially fatal effects include low blood cell counts, cardiac events, and organ failure. This action does not affect colchicine products that are dispensed in tablet form.

Individuals and companies must stop making these products within 30 days and stop shipping the product within 180 days or face regulatory action. After these dates, all injectable colchicine drug products must have FDA approval to be manufactured or shipped interstate.

Read the complete 2008 MedWatch Safety Summary, including a link to the FDA News Release regarding this issue at:

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2008/safety08.htm#colchicine

Colchicine

Drug manufacturer ApotheCure and the Food and Drug Administration enacted an immediate recall of compounded Injectable Colchicine .5mg/ml, 4ml vials, lot number 20070122@26 due to three recent deaths in Oregon. ApotheCure, a pharmacy based in Texas, recently mistakenly made this batch of an already dangerous drug 10 times stronger than the label stated. Colchicine is an extremely toxic nitrogen-based medication used by doctors to treat a number of conditions such as:

• Gout: Gout is caused when uric acid builds up in the cartilage of the tendons or joints throughout the body, which inflames the tissues and results in immense pain. Colchicine gout treatment side effects are extremely dangerous unless the drug is administered carefully
• Secondary amyloidosis(AA): This condition occurs when protein deposits build up in the body
• Scleroderma: When collagen builds up the skin or other organs it can cause scleroderma, which can be fatal in some cases
• Familial Mediterranean fever: This autoimmune disease affects people with ancestry primarily from around the Mediterranean Sea, and affects a wide number of systems including the chest, lungs, skin, and abdomen.

This recall is very similar to a recall that occurred in 2000 when Phyne Pharmaceuticals of Scottsdale, Arizona accidentally labeled their injectable colchicine .5 mg/mL, but it was actually the far more potent and potentially fatal 5 mg/mL.

Three people in Oregon have already died due mislabeled compounded colchicine. Compounding is a process that pharmacies sometimes use to create medications for people that have certain conditions that prevent them from using standard drugs. ApotheCure Inc. compounded colchicine for the Oregon patients, but made it too strong. Colchicine is already extremely dangerous under the right conditions, but when it is used incorrectly it can be almost immediately life-threatening. ApotheCure Inc. initiated a recall in order to prevent more fatalities from occurring.

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Sore throat
• Rash
• Numbness
• Allergic reactions such as hives, swelling of lips/face/tongue, closing of throat, difficulty breathing
• Unsuspected bleeding and bruising

The most serious colchicine side effects include:

• Fetal damage in pregnant women
• Anemia,
• Respiratory failure
• Kidney failure
• Death

Do I Have a Lawsuit? If you or a loved one have taken "Injectable Colchicine" and suffered from fetal damage in pregnant women, anemia, respiratory failure, kidney failure or death, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and we can help.

Have you or a loved one taken Injectable Colchicine and become sick shortly afterwards? If so, our Colchicine Attorneys can help, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Defective Drug Law Firm that will fight these mega-pharmaceutical companies to protect your rights.

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Sore throat
• Rash
• Numbness
• Allergic reactions such as hives, swelling of lips/face/tongue, closing of throat, difficulty breathing
• Unsuspected bleeding and bruising
• Fetal damage in pregnant women
• Anemia,
• Respiratory failure
• Kidney failure
• Death

Establishing the Facts

As your legal representation, Bell & Bands develops and presents evidence linking your injuries to the use of a particular medical product. Given the fact that recalls have already occurred in the case of many of these products, facts already exist in evidence regarding their dangers. In order to counter defense arguments claiming injuries were caused by a pre-existing condition or factors unrelated to their product, our personal injury attorneys consult with medical doctors and medical device experts, submitting evidence and proof in support of your case.

Unsure if You have a Case? Contact Bell & Bands Today

Dangerous drug and defective medical device cases can be complicated. If you're not sure whether you have a reason to file a lawsuit, contact Charleston defective drug attorneys and medical device recall lawyers at Bell & Bands. We provide free consultations and will evaluate the facts of your case to determine the legal options available to you.