Fentanyl patches

duragesic

Fentanyl is the active ingredient in the brand name pharmaceutical product Duragesic, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, and is also available in generic form, manufactured by Mylan Laboratories.

Fentanyl is an extremely strong narcotic pain killer that can cause death from overdose and may be linked to 120 deaths being investigated by the FDA.

Signs of fentanyl overdose include:

• Trouble breathing or shallow breathing
• Tiredness, extreme sleepiness or sedation
• Inability to think, talk, or walk normally
• Feeling faint or dizzy
• Mental confusion

Patients exhibiting signs of overdose should be given medical attention immediately. These patches are normally prescribed for cancer patients, burn victims and others experiencing excruciating and continual pain.

Fentanyl gained notoriety in 2002 when Russian authorities attempted to end a hostage crisis at a Moscow theatre by pumping in a sleeping gas reported to contain fentanyl. Although the authorities meant to put the hostages and their Chechen captors to sleep, 120 of the 750 hostages died from breathing the gas.

Patients overdosing on fentanyl experience a decrease in the lung’s drive to breathe. Patients usually become comatose prior to death.

OVER 230 DEATHS REPORTED INVOLVING FENTANYL USAGE

Fentanyl is the active ingredient in Duragesic patches

Duragesic is the leading brand of a narcotic pain patch containing fentanyl, a drug under investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to reports of adverse respiratory events experienced by patients wearing the patch. Affected patients experienced severe shortness of breath and fatigue. In some cases their breathing seems to shut down entirely.

A November 2005 investigation by the Los Angeles Times reported that the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office alone had investigated more than 230 deaths involving fentanyl in the previous years. Of those 230-plus cases, 127 were classified as “accidental deaths,” suggesting that the victims had inadvertently received too much fentanyl through the pain patch.

Source: Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “FDA Slow to Sound Alarm on Pain Drug, ” Los Angeles Times, November 25, 2005.

Fentanyl injuries reported within one year of approval

Duragesic sales more than doubled between 2000 and 2004, with more than $1.2 billion in sales in 2004. Reports of adverse events related to the Duragesic patch began occurring as early as 2001, less than a year after the patch was approved for sale in the United States. Despite the reports, the FDA did not issue a safety alert on the Duragesic patch until July 15, 2005.

As of January 2007, there have been more than 4 million prescriptions written annually for the Duragesic patch. Will the FDA decide to recall Duragesic patch? Can a fentanyl overdose lawyer help you?

Source: Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “FDA Slow to Sound Alarm on Pain Drug, ” Los Angeles Times, November 25, 2005.

$5.5 MILLION AWARDED IN DURAGESIC LAWSUIT

Fentanyl overdose lawsuit may lead to Duragesic patch recall

On June 19, 2007, a federal jury awarded $5.5 million to Lee Hendelson after his 28-year-old son, Adam, died from using Johnson & Johnson’s pain-killing Duragesic patch. The patch contains the painkiller fentanyl, which can be lethal if a person is overexposed to the drug.

The Duragesic lawsuit came a year after a jury in Houston awarded $772,500 to the daughter of a woman who died while wearing the patch. The FDA said in 2005 it was investigating 120 deaths among people who used fentanyl.

Source: Birmingham Business Journal, “Gulas and Stuckey attorney wins $5.5 million.” June 20, 2007.

Do you need a Fentanyl Lawyer? – Free Call, No Obligation

If you or someone you know is using a Fentanyl transdermal patch to manage day-to-day pain and has experienced any of the symptoms listed below, please consider seeking emergency medical treatment immediately. Contact our personal injury law firm today.

These signs of a fentanyl overdose could lead to a potential life-or-death situation and medical treatment may be essential:

• weak, shallow breathing;
• severe weakness, feeling light-headed or fainting;
• cold, clammy skin;
• pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding;
• hives; or
• swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

If you have experienced any of these symptoms and sought medical treatment for same, a consultation with a product liability lawyer may be in your best interest. If Johnson & Johnson knew that the risks of using the Fentanyl patch were more dangerous than it claimed, you may be entitled to compensation for the injuries you may have suffered as a result. Our lawyers are investigating the circumstances of this case. Your information will be reviewed by our product liability lawyer who may be able to help you gain compensation from a fentanyl overdose lawsuit.

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