Friday, August 05, 2011

Texas Lawsuit Against Abbott - Claiming Humira-Induced Leukemia In Young Patient. Do The Benefits Outweigh The Side Effects With This Med?

Article about 11 year old boy who was diagnosed with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia after taking the drug Humira for psoriasis, a skin condition. Lawsuit filed in Texas against Abbott Labs.
What do people think about in regards to the conditions that the drug Humira treats vs the possible life-threatening side-effects Humira causes? What's worse: (disease being treated, such as) arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, crohn's disease, plaque psoriasis OR (Humira side-effects like...) cancer, possible serious allergic reactions, Hepatitis B virus reactivation, nervous system problems, serious infections, heart failure, blood issues and certain immune reactions? Just wondering what other people's take is on this. For me, I'd rather have Crohn's than Cancer. Even although Crohn's Disease is extremely painful and debilitating, so is cancer. When people choose to say "Yes" to a treatment like Humira or Remicade, do the people have all the knowledge (good & bad) about the medication to make the right decision on which treatment option is the best and healthiest for them?
I feel like most patient's leave it up to their doctor's to make that decision and put too much trust in them. People hear "this medication works and will get rid of your symptoms" from their doctors and automatically jump on the Humira Train/Remicade Bus ect.
Despite what our doctor says, we need to do adequate research so we can know what's necessary about the treatment we agree to. Just my personal opinion.


Perdue Kidd & Vickery Files Lawsuit Against Abbott Laboratories for Inadequate Leukemia and Cancer Warning

Drug Humira Blamed for Boy's Leukemia Diagnosis
DALLAS, July 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Humira defect lawyers filed a lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories in Texas state court claiming Abbott's blockbuster drug, Humira, caused a life-threatening disease, leukemia.
"Eleven year-old Bo Anderson was prescribed Humira for a skin condition, psoriasis. After taking the drug for approximately ten months, Bo's parents noticed unusual bruising covering his body while on a family vacation," says drug defect attorney Andy Vickery.
"Bo immediately underwent various tests and was diagnosed with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia; a dangerous side effect Abbott Laboratories knew could affect Humira users but failed to warn them about."
Vickery says because of the Humira-induced leukemia, Bo now must continue to undergo intense treatment that could potentially cause long-term and serious side effects, and could possibly develop secondary cancers as he matures.
Prior to the launch of Humira in 2003, other similar drugs had been linked to lymphoma and other forms of cancer, and clinical trial data suggested that there was a very significant epidemiological "signal" about the risk. Once Humira was launched, many adverse event reports were submitted regarding cancers, however Abbott did nothing to warn about this. Bo was diagnosed with Leukemia on January 8, 2009, over seven months after the FDA said that physicians and patients should be warned about this side effect, and nearly ten months before a Black Box warning was finally issued regarding Humira-induced leukemia in pediatric and adolescent patients.
Humira (Adalimumab) is a class of biologic drugs known as TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) blockers. It works by blocking naturally occurring proteins that cause inflammation. However, research has shown that taking drugs like Humira can compromise the immune system and can have a devastating and even deadly effect resulting in serious infections, cancer, allergic reactions, Hepatitis B virus reactivation, nervous system problems, heart failure, blood issues and certain immune reactions. Humira is used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, crohn's disease, and plaque psoriasis. With 2010 sales of $6.5 billion, Humira is Abbott's flagship drug.
Perdue Kidd & Vickery is a national law firm of Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyers. The law practice is based in Houston, TX. Further information is available at http://www.HumiraJustice.com. View an educational video about Humira fungal infections.
SOURCE Perdue Kidd & Vickery

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