Antibiotic Cases: Ketek and Levaquin

Birmingham, Alabama

An antibiotic is considered defective when it either fails to perform as represented, or has serious side effects and potential risks not revealed to the FDA, to doctors, and to you. Although the FDA is supposed to approve drugs based on their effectiveness and safety, the design, monitoring, and reporting of studies testing effectiveness and safety are overseen by the company that hopes to market the drug. Manufacturers have been known to downplay the possible side effects of drugs and overstate their effectiveness in order to obtain FDA approval, sometimes going so far as to have research papers ghostwritten by company officials, then published under doctors' names.

Once approved, drug manufacturers offer incentives and kickbacks to doctors and hospitals that use the drugs, often leading to the use of incentivized drugs in situations where an unincentivized drug would be more appropriate.

At the Burke, Harvey and Frankowski law firm in Birmingham, Alabama, we are committed to fighting for the rights of our clients who have been injured by dangerous prescription drugs.

Two antibiotics that are under current scrutiny and involved in major lawsuits are Ketek and Levaquin.

Ketek
Ketek was approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in 2004 for treatment of adults eighteen and older who suffer from bacterial infections in the lungs and sinuses. It is prescribed for the treatment of chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, throat or sinus infections and other infections that are resistant to typically prescribed antibiotics.

Common side effects
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Vision problems — when quickly looking from one object to another at any distances or interfering chronically with normal daily activity

Liver failure
Ketek has been linked to liver failure (in several cases, some of which were fatal), and with progressive liver damage that began after a few doses. Two years after Ketek was approved for marketing, the FDA recommended that a "black box" warning be placed on the label stating that liver toxicity causing fatal results may occur as a result of its use.

The battle continues as to whether its dangers outweigh its benefits. Meanwhile Ketek is still on the market and is under congressional scrutiny as to whether it should remain there.

Levaquin
Levaquin is an antibiotic in the fluoroquinolone family prescribed for gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urinary tract infections. It has been associated with tendonitis, tendon injury, and tendon rupture — often the Achilles tendon. It is the subject of a petition filed by Public Citizen in 2006, requesting that stronger warnings of tendon side effects be placed on Levaquin bottles.

The present tendon warnings are at the bottom of the list of possible side effects. The petition is now part of a federal lawsuit asking the court to require the FDA to take action against manufacturers of Levaquin and other similar products.

Consumer Action
Injured persons may be able to file a wrongful death or personal injury lawsuit against those responsible.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured by the dangerous side effects of defective antibiotics such as Ketek and Levaquin, you may be entitled to compensation. Please contact Burke, Harvey and Frankowski, LLC in Birmingham, Alabama today for a free case evaluation.

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