Clinical Trial Injuries
As companies conduct more clinical trials - up to 50,000 per year according to Center Watch in Boston - the chance that a participant in the trial will suffer a serious reaction increases. Despite having the participating patients sign waivers, the drug and device companies may still be responsible for the injuries suffered by clinical trial members. For example, one court has ruled that researchers could be sued for exposing children to hazardous levels of lead paint during a research project aimed at determining the effectiveness of varying lead abatement procedures.
Clinical trials are conducted by drug and medical device companies as a method of determining whether new medications and other products are safe and effective for patients. Federal regulations require clinical studies to be ethical, that researches disclose any financial conflicts of interest, and that the rights of patients must be protected by informing them about the purpose of the study, and the benefits and risks of participating.
Unfortunately, not all clinical trials are conducted or designed properly or ethically. There are also situations in which the pharmaceutical or device manufacturers will continue to conduct clinical trials when they know that the product being tested is either unsafe or ineffective, or both. At other times, drug and device manufacturers may present the results of clinical trials in a way that hides serious side effects or makes it difficult for U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials to determine the drug's hazards - thus trying to gain approval to market a drug that may be dangerous or even fatal to many patients. In these situations, the companies are placing profits ahead of patient safety.
It can be very expensive to develop new medications and medical devices. Consequently, there is a lot of pressure on drug and other companies to convince the FDA to allow them to market these new items so that they can recover the costs of development and generate profits for shareholders. When it turns out that the drug or device was unsafe - as in Fen-Phen, Propulsid, Baycol, Vioxx, Ephedra, PPA, Lotronex, Kugel Hernia Mesh Patches, and others - patients suffer, or die.
At Pogust Braslow & Millrood, we believe that unethical or improper clinical trials must be stopped. We also believe that patients injured in these trials are entitled to be compensated for the injuries they have suffered, and that the heirs of participants who died while in clinical trials should be compensated for their loved ones' deaths. That is why if you or a loved one has suffered a serious reaction while participating in a clinical trial, and experienced any complications, you should immediately call the attorneys at Pogust Braslow & Millrood, whose primary goal is protecting our clients. We will evaluate your case, explain all of your options, and work to assure that the appropriate parties are held responsible for the injuries or deaths resulting from clinical trial misconduct.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or death as the result of participating in a clinical trial, you should immediately contact the attorneys at Pogust Braslow & Millrood, where Protecting Consumers Is Our Primary Goal. Just fill out this form, click here to send us an email or call us at (610) 941-4204.
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