Latest news with #WisnerBaum
Malaysian Reserve
24-04-2025
- Health
- Malaysian Reserve
J&J and Eli Lilly Concealed Breast Cancer Risks in Blockbuster Antipsychotics for Decades, Wisner Baum Lawsuit Alleges
ALAMEDA, Calif., April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court alleges pharmaceutical giants Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly knowingly concealed evidence that their blockbuster antipsychotic medications Risperdal (risperidone) and Zyprexa (olanzapine) cause breast cancer. Attorneys from Wisner Baum filed the complaint on behalf of plaintiff Bridgett Brown, who was prescribed both brand-name and generic versions of Risperdal and Zyprexa. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in approximately 2024. This is the first lawsuit to allege that these antipsychotic drugs cause breast cancer. The complaint centers on the drugs' capacity to cause hyperprolactinemia—a hormonal imbalance directly tied to breast cancer development. Recent studies cited in the lawsuit show significant increased breast cancer risks: 62% increased breast cancer risk for high-prolactin drugs like Risperdal and 54% increased risk for medium-prolactin drugs like Zyprexa – A study of 540,737 women (Rahman, 2023) 59% increased breast cancer risk for Risperdal – A review of 15 studies conducted on over 1 million individuals (Bird, 2025) 47% increased breast cancer risk after 5+ years of exposure to prolactin-increasing antipsychotics like Risperdal and Zyprexa – A Swedish registry study of 132,061 women (Solmi, 2024) Atypical antipsychotic drugs were initially approved for treating severe schizophrenia. However, the lawsuit alleges the drug manufacturers broadened their customer bases by gaining approval for milder indications and promoting off-label use, including ADD in children and dementia in the elderly, generating billions in profits. 'These companies transformed narrow-use schizophrenia drugs into multi-billion-dollar per year blockbusters by targeting extremely vulnerable segments of our population, all while hiding a cancer risk they've known about for decades,' said Pedram Esfandiary, attorney for Ms. Brown. The lawsuit alleges that despite knowledge dating back to the 1990s connecting these drugs to hyperprolactinemia, drug labels denied any cancer risk, stating until 2025, 'neither clinical trials nor epidemiological studies conducted to date have shown an association between chronic administration of this class of drugs and tumorigenesis in humans.' 'The science has been clear on prolactin-elevating antipsychotics for decades,' said Monique Alarcon, attorney for Ms. Brown. 'These companies had a duty to inform; they failed, and now individuals nationwide are suffering the consequences. We intend to hold them accountable.' The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, alleging strict liability for failure to warn, negligence, and fraud. The case is Brown v. Johnson & Johnson et al (Case No. 25CV119808). Read the complaint here. The award-winning law firm of Wisner Baum has successfully litigated cases against many of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Since 1985, the firm has earned a reputation for breaking new legal ground, holding corporations accountable, influencing public policy, and raising public awareness on important safety issues. Using its longstanding tradition of success in the courtroom, the firm always strives to expose unsafe products or harmful practices to protect consumers from dangerous products. The firm has won over $4 billion in settlements and verdicts across all practice areas. MEDIA CONTACTSteve Crighton, steve@
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Merck vaccine case linked to HHS Secretary Kennedy delayed, company says
By Dan Levine, Mike Spector (Reuters) -Merck and a woman suing the drugmaker agreed to halt a trial over alleged injuries from the drugmaker's human papillomavirus vaccine in a case with ties to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the company said. Merck and the plaintiff plan to reconvene in a Los Angeles state court in September with a new jury, the company said in a statement provided to Reuters. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Kennedy, confirmed as HHS secretary last week, played an instrumental role in organizing mass litigation against Merck over Gardasil before taking office, but has not been involved in the Los Angeles trial after entering an initial court appearance in the case. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Friday, following four weeks of trial, plaintiffs' lawyers approached Merck and proposed the jury be discharged and the case adjourned, the company said. Merck agreed "subject to an explicit stipulation that Merck would provide no financial or other consideration in exchange for the agreement to adjourn," the company said. The plaintiff in the case, Jennifer Robi, 30, was vaccinated with Gardasil as a teenager and claims the shot led to impaired mobility that confined her to a wheelchair. Her lawsuit also claims that Merck marketed the vaccine as safe while concealing knowledge of dangerous side effects. Merck has denied the claims. "Merck remains confident that it will prevail in the Robi litigation based not only on the scientific evidence and defenses that it had presented during plaintiff's own case, but also the additional evidence Merck would have presented in its defense, which had not even begun when plaintiff's counsel proposed the adjournment," the company said. "An overwhelming body of scientific evidence, including more than 30 years of research and development along with real world evidence generated by Merck and by independent investigators, continues to support the safety and efficacy profiles of our HPV vaccines," the company added. Before his confirmation, Kennedy said in response to questions from a Senate committee that he would divest his financial interest in Gardasil litigation to his non-dependent, adult son. He had previously said he would retain a financial interest in cases he referred to Wisner Baum, one of the law firms suing Merck over the HPV vaccine. Wisner Baum did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gardasil is recommended as a routine immunization for 11 and 12-year-olds by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prevent cervical and other cancers caused by the virus. Nearly 160 million doses were distributed in the U.S. through the end of 2022, federal data show.
The Independent
12-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
‘He cheats his way through life': The five biggest bombshells from Caroline Kennedy's open letter about RFK Jr
Robert F. Kennedy is addicted to 'attention and power' according to scathing letter revealing some of his darkest moments, penned by his cousin Caroline Kennedy. Kennedy, 71, who is Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, is a hypocritical 'predator' who is 'addicted to attention and power', his cousin warned senators ahead of the confirmation hearing in the senate - which will confirm his control over a $1.7 trillion budget as the top health official. The bombshell letter reveals a number of shocking accusations about Kennedy's life, from putting mice in a blender to leading his family members down a path to drug addiction. 'I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together,' said Kennedy, a former U.S. ambassador to Australia and Japan, in a letter and accompanying video statement. Here are the five key bombshells from Caroline Kennedy's blistering criticism of her cousin… 1. 'Predator' Kennedy enjoyed putting chicks and mice in a blender Kennedy, the son of liberal political icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 at 42 as he appeared set to clinch the Democratic nomination, is a licensed master falconer who has trained hawks since he was 11. 'It's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator,' Caroline Kennedy said in the letter. Kennedy loved to display one of his bizarre and gruesome habits in caring for his birds of prey, she said. 'He enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in the blender to feed his hawks,' Ms Kennedy alleged. 'It was often a perverse scene of despair and violence.' 2. Pushed his loved ones into a life of drug abuse Kennedy, who struggled with addiction to heroin, led his family members 'down the path of drug addiction' simply through the 'strength of his personality.' The former Democrat's basement, garage and dorm room were the centres of the drug-fuelled action, she alleged. 'Siblings and cousins who Bobby encouraged down the path of substance abuse suffered addiction, illness, and death while Bobby has gone on to misrepresent, lie, and cheat his way through life,' she claimed in the letter. But she did praise her cousin for 'pulling himself out of illness and disease.' Kennedy says his 14 years of heroin abuse - which began soon after his father's death when he was 15 years old - ended after he was convicted for possession in 1984 and attended rehab. 3. 'Dangerous' vaccine views - which he is using to make himself rich While avoiding most political topics about her cousin, she unleashed a stinging criticism of his 'dangerous' vaccine-sceptic views - which she says are serving him financially. Kennedy's financial disclosures show he intends to receive legal fees from Wisner Baum, a firm suing the producer of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil. The company is accused of failing to warn customers about its risks. Through his 'crusade against vaccination,' she said, "he is willing to enrich himself by denying access to a vaccine that can prevent almost all forms of cervical cancer and which has been safely administered to millions of boys and girls." His views on vaccines are not reflective of the views of 'most Americans' and the rest of the Kennedy family, she added. 4. Preying on desperate parents of sick children - while vaccinating his own As he discourages frightened parents from vaccinating their sick children due to alleged risks, Kennedy continues to vaccinate his own, Ms. Kennedy said. 'Bobby is addicted to attention and power,' she wrote. 'Bobby preys on the desperation of parents and sick children — vaccinating his own children while building a following by hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs.' 'His constant denigration of our health care system and the conspiratorial half-truths he has told about vaccines… have cost lives," she added. Kennedy has previously maintained that he is not anti-vaccine. 5. Kennedy used his name to boost his career - before he 'grovelled' to Trump Caroline Kennedy slammed Trump's health secretary pick for using the image of her father - former president John F. Kennedy - to boost his own political career. 'Bobby expropriated my father's image and distorted President Kennedy's legacy to advance his own failed presidential campaign — and then grovelled to Donald Trump for a job,' she wrote. He continues to 'grandstand off my father's assassination, and that of his own father', she added. 'It is incomprehensible that someone who is willing to exploit their own painful family tragedies for publicity would be in charge of American life-and-death situations.' Her father would be 'disgusted' by his actions, she added.
Politico
31-01-2025
- Business
- Politico
Trump vows to ‘love and cherish' Medicaid — while Republicans plot cuts for savings
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will give up his financial stake in an ongoing lawsuit over the HPV vaccine Gardasil if confirmed as President Donald Trump's health secretary — a reversal that follows pressure from Democratic senators. In a written response submitted to the Senate Finance Committee, Kennedy said he was amending his ethics pledge and planned to "divest my interest in this litigation." Any proceeds stemming from the suit will instead go to one of his sons, according to a copy of his correspondence obtained by POLITICO. The arrangement is still likely to face scrutiny from ethics experts, and the forthcoming amendments didn't appease Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who first pressed Kennedy on his financial ties to pharma litigation on Wednesday — a Finance Committee exchange in which he refused to commit to forgoing his stake in litigation against the drug company Merck. Kennedy initially stood to collect 10 percent of any fees awarded in the lawsuit over Merck's HPV vaccine, through a referral arrangement with the law firm Wisner Baum. Federal conflict-of-interest law forbids government workers from 'participating personally and substantially in official matters where they have a financial interest,' according to the Office of Government Ethics, the independent agency that oversees federal nominees' pledges. That prohibition also extends to the interests of their spouses, partners and minor children. Kennedy's promise to direct certain payments to an adult son exploits 'a loophole in this law that it's clear that this arrangement is designed to sort of fall into,' said Donald Sherman, executive director and chief counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group. The HHS nominee had already made roughly $2.5 million for referring cases to Wisner Baum over the last few years, according to his financial disclosures. While he promised to end that arrangement, Kennedy in an ethics agreement earlier this month said he planned to "retain a contingency fee interest" in cases where the U.S. was not a party to the lawsuit or didn't hold a direct or substantial stake. Democrats had blasted that decision as a conflict of interest, arguing that he would be responsible for regulating Merck as HHS secretary at the same time as he stood to benefit from an ongoing legal case against it. 'Kennedy can kill off access to vaccines and make millions of dollars while he does it,' Warren said Wednesday while questioning him. 'Kids might die, but Robert Kennedy can keep cashing in.' Kennedy has yet to receive any payments related to cases he referred to the firm for its Gardasil lawsuit, which claims that Merck concealed the risks of serious side effects from Gardasil when seeking FDA approval. The company denies the allegations. Should Wisner Baum's lawsuit be successful, it's unclear which of Kennedy's four sons would receive the fees owed to him. One of Kennedy's sons, Conor Kennedy, is an attorney in Wisner Baum's Los Angeles office. Kennedy has also referred cases to the firm pertaining to damages from the 2018 Woolsey fire in Los Angeles and from cancer cases that patients claim are linked to the weed-killer Roundup, according to his disclosures. A spokesperson for Kennedy did not respond to a request for comment. The pending amendment to his ethics pledge comes after Kennedy's statements during two confirmation hearings this week created confusion around his ethics disclosure, which contained promises that seemingly contradicted each other. An HHS ethics official signed off on Kennedy's initial agreement on Jan. 21. Warren said in a statement Friday that Kennedy's responses 'raise new questions about the scope of his conflicts' and should prompt Senate leadership to delay any nomination vote until his revised ethics pledge is 'thoroughly reviewed.' Kennedy told senators he steered 'many hundreds of cases' to Wisner Baum and that it was 'impossible' to disclose all details to the committee 'in the time allotted for my response.' He said that the federal government is a party to some of the cases he's referred to Wisner Baum and has 'a direct and substantial interest' in others. 'As provided in my Ethics Agreement, I am divesting my interest in all such cases,' Kennedy said in response to senators' questions.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. tells senators he will not keep fees from vaccine lawsuit
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, told senators Friday he will divest his financial stake in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Merck over its vaccine that protects against human papillomavirus. In a written response to questions from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kennedy said he is amending his ethics agreement and that, if confirmed, he will not profit from the litigation. 'An amendment to my Ethics Agreement is in process. It provides that I will divest my interest in any such litigation via an assignment to my non-dependent, adult son,' Kennedy wrote. Kennedy's answers to written questions came after he testified Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee. During the hearing, Democrats including Warren raised concerns about Kennedy's intention to keep a financial interest from major lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers. In the ethics statement, Kennedy said he would keep 10 percent of the fees awarded in cases that he referred to Wisner Baum, a personal injury firm. Democrats said it was a massive conflict of interest because he would be making money from lawsuits against the companies regulated by the Department of Health and Human Services. 'Kennedy can kill off access to vaccines and make millions of dollars while he does it,' Warren said during the hearing. 'Kids might die, but Robert Kennedy can keep cashing in.' In a statement Friday after Kennedy's answers were posted, Warren said there were still concerns. 'While he has now pledged in writing to fix his flawed ethics agreement, the answers he has provided to this committee also raise new questions about the scope of his conflicts,' Warren said, adding that the ethics agreement must ensure Kennedy 'cannot use his role as Health Secretary to open the floodgates to more anti-vaccine litigation and then cash in after he leaves office.' 'Given these ongoing questions, RFK Jr.'s nomination must not move forward to any Senate vote until the details of his revised ethics agreement can be thoroughly reviewed,' Warren said. According to public records, Kennedy has made about $2.5 million since 2022 in his work with Wisner Baum. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
