Nasdaq reports that Pfizer has completed its acquisition of Illinois-based medical device company Hospira. Based on recent device recalls, the Hospira acquisition may result in additional lawsuits for Pfizer, which is already defending a number of its own cases involving Lipitor and Zoloft.
The past six months have seen a slew of recalls and warning letters from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning Hospira products and operations. In March, Hospira issued a Class I recall of its Plum A+ and A+3 infusion pumps. According to an FDA notice, an alarm that triggers when therapy is interrupted was not working as intended in the recalled pumps, which could have resulted in patients going hours at a time without crucial treatment. Last month, the FDA issued a safety alert to warn health care facilities and professionals of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in Hospira’s Symbiq Infusion System.
Meanwhile, Pfizer is dealing with mounting Lipitor and Zoloft lawsuits. Women who have filed Lipitor lawsuits allege that Pfizer’s blockbuster anticholesterol drug led them to develop type 2 diabetes. Already, over 2,400 Lipitor diabetes lawsuits have been filed as part of a South Carolina multidistrict litigation, and some legal experts expect this number to rise as high as 10,000.
As if the growing Lipitor litigation is not enough, Pfizer is also struggling with Zoloft lawsuits filed by women who claim the antidepressant caused their children to be born with birth defects. Plaintiffs in Zoloft lawsuits point to numerous medical studies that have associated selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Zoloft with an increased risk of birth defects. More recently, Pfizer has had to confront evidence that its own scientists knew of the potential birth defect dangers of the drug.
Consult your doctor about any medical concerns you may have. If you or someone close to you suffered after using a Pfizer drug such as Lipitor or Zoloft, contact the pharmaceutical attorneys at Lopez McHugh now to schedule a free legal consultation. You may be entitled to damages through a Lipitor lawsuit or Zoloft birth defect lawsuit.
