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J&J accused of hiding the tendon risks of Levaquin | StarTribune.com

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http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/wellness/122992828.html

Being prescribed this antibiotic several years ago was the last straw for me. I

had been against " psychoactive " drugs. Then I took ONE pill of Levaquin, along

with Prednisone (sp?), and spent a night racked by joint pain. I demanded an

" old school " antibiotic the next day. My doc was totally unaware of the warnings

(pre-Black Box).

J & J accused of hiding the tendon risks of Levaquin

Article by: JANET MOORE , Star Tribune â  â Updated: June 1, 2011 - 9:35 PMâ 

The case, involving a Worthington man, is the second of nearly 1,000 to go to

trial for the drug giant & .

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Lawyers squared off in federal court Wednesday in a jury trial that pits an

elderly Worthington man against & over claims that the drug

giant failed to warn patients about the risks associated with a popular

antibiotic and possible tendon damage.

Opening arguments in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis before Judge

Tunheim were politely contentious before a jury of nine women and three men. The

case, the second of close to 1,000 that have been consolidated in Minneapolis

federal court, follows a jury verdict against New Jersey-based J & J in December

that awarded an Edina man with a similar injury $1.7 million in damages.

The current case was filed by Calvin Christensen, an 84-year-old retired

businessman who was hospitalized in May 2001 for pneumonia. His doctor

prescribed Levaquin (pronounced LEEV-ah-qwinn), as well as a steroid, to combat

the respiratory condition. Christensen subsequently ruptured his Achilles

tendon, an injury that required surgery to repair.

Goldser, a Minneapolis attorney representing Christensen, said his client

hasn't been the same since the Achilles injury, which has curtailed his beloved

activities -- including shopping at Wal-Mart, fishing and golf. His lawsuit

calls for an unspecified amount of damages.

Goldser argued that & failed to adequately warn doctors about

the risk of tendon injury associated with Levaquin when used with some steriods,

a drug cocktail commonly prescribed to treat respiratory infections.

But J & J's lawyers pointed out that ever since Levaquin was approved by the Food

and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996, its packaging has contained warnings

about tendonitis and tendon ruptures. In 2008, the FDA required that J & J's

Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit -- as well as competitors making

similar drugs -- enclose a " black box " warning on the label that describes

tendon-related risks.

In his opening statement, Saul, a New York attorney representing

Christensen, carefully unfurled the 2-foot-long Levaquin label packed with small

type and proclaimed it an inadequate warning for both doctors and patients.

J & J's lawyer Irwin said " doctors know exactly where to look " on the label

to detect any special warnings or instructions associated with the drug.

Further, he noted, Christensen's doctor was well-aware of the risks associated

with prescribing Levaquin with a steroid, but did so because the combination

works in combating serious chest infections. " He chose this medication because

it was more important to get this man home to his wife, " he said.

Over the years, Levaquin has been a blockbuster drug for & -- in

2010, sales of the antibiotic were $1.4 billion, according to securities

filings.

The trial is expected to last up to three weeks.

Janet • 612-673-7752

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