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What we've lost to frivolous lawsuits.(Guest Editorial)
Frivolous lawsuits have adversely affected the development and availability of reproductive medical technology in the United States. As a result, we have lost access to several safe and effective medications and devices, and others will never be realized.
When I started my work with the Food and Drug Administration as a member of the obstetrics and gynecology advisory committee in 1970, there were more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies doing work in the field of contraceptive technology. Now there are only a few. Frivolous litigation is a major reason for that.
The first drug we lost to this litigation was Bendectin. Approved in 1956, Bendectin was the only drug ever developed for nausea and vomiting related to pregnancy. But in 1983, Merrell Dow pulled it from the marketplace because an increasing number of lawsuits were filed claiming the drug caused birth defects. These claims were never backed by convincing scientific data.
In the mid-1980s, we lost two good intrauterine devices--the Copper-7 and Tatum-T--to lawsuits claiming use of the devices put women at high risk for the development of pelvic infections. Again, there were no convincing scientific data to back up the claims, yet the manufacturers pulled the products from the market due largely to mounting legal defense costs, even though they were winning lawsuits.
More recently, we lost the six-rod Norplant contraceptive, which was highly effective. Soon after its FDA approval in 1991, several lawsuits were filed against its manufacturer, American Home Products, claiming that because it contained silicone its use was linked to an increased risk of developing autoimmune disease. Because of this, the company never did introduce the two-rod Norplant system to the marketplace. It is important to note that Bendectin, the Copper-7, the TatumT, and the six-rod Norplant never lost their FDA approval status.
The most disheartening example of frivolous lawsuits took place more than a decade ago during the trials of ...
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- Magazine article from: Family Practice News Connell, Elizabeth B. January 15, 2004 700+ words
...disheartening example of frivolous lawsuits took place more...called the Sick of Lawsuits Campaign, which aims to...public about how frivolous lawsuits threaten our health...with the Sick of Lawsuits Campaign, an initiative...
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...on a single, simple battle cry: frivolous lawsuits. From the White House to white...litigation have told the public it is frivolous lawsuits that are responsible for skyrocketing...reelection fundraising tour and cited frivolous lawsuits as the major culprit, the political...
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...patients are paying the price for frivolous lawsuits that are driving up the cost of healthcare...chairperson. "In many states, frivolous lawsuits are forcing physicians to limit services...practices. Unfortunately, while these frivolous lawsuits are making personal injury lawyers...
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...Procedure mandatory for those who file frivolous lawsuits. "Since 1993, Rule 11 has been...that diluted its ability to prevent frivolous lawsuits," the NFIB states on its website...she said. To learn more about frivolous lawsuits, visit NFIB's Web site at www...
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- Magazine article from: USA Today (Magazine) Abraham, Spencer July 1, 1998 700+ words
Frivolous lawsuits are tieing up the courts, costing...but the damage being done by frivolous lawsuits is all too obvious. The current...figure has soared in recent years. Frivolous lawsuits also result in decreased innovation...
Source: HighBeam Research, What we've lost to frivolous lawsuits.(Guest Editorial)