FDA Schedules Advisory Panel Meeting to Discuss Metal Hip Safety

March 29, 2012 - PRLog -- National law firm Nadrich & Cohen, LLP has learned that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a scheduled an advisory panel meeting to discuss the safety of metal hip implants and all-metal hip resurfacing systems.

The two-day panel, which is expected to include input from scientists, metal hip recipients and doctors, will meet in June to discuss failure rates, metal ion testing, patient risks factors, revision surgeries and health complications associated with these devices. FDA officials will use this information to determine whether new testing standards and review requirements should be imposed before medical devices are allowed to reach the market. Dr. William Maisel, deputy director of science at FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, issued a statement which read, "We are asking outside scientific and medical experts to discuss recent information on these devices so that the agency can continue to make reliable safety recommendations."

Concern over the safety of metal hip implants has continued to mount since Johnson & Johnson and DePuy Orthopedics announced a recall of their ASR hip implants in August 2010. The recall was issued after data from joint registries in the U.K. and Australia indicated that the all-metal hips were failing at a rate of 12 to 13 percent. Patients who received a DePuy ASR hip have reported numerous complications, including pain, swelling, joint damage and loss of mobility and many patients have required additional revision surgery to correct the problems.

In addition to these complications, concerns have been raised over possible metal poisoning caused by the artificial hips. Health officials in the U.K. have issued updated health guidelines for patients who received a metal hip implant. The recommendations include lifetime testing for the presence of increased metal ions in the blood and regular MRI scans to detect complications. Earlier this month, a group of British researchers published a study in The Lancet medical journal calling for a full-scale ban on metal hip implants.  

Attorney Jeffrey Nadrich believes that the number of DePuy hip lawsuits will continue to mount as more patients are made aware of the recall. Patients who experience complications caused by a metal hip implant may be eligible to file a claim for compensation. These individuals are encouraged to seek the aid of an experienced personal injury lawyer to discuss their legal rights.

Nadrich & Cohen LLP is offering confidential, no-cost consultations to patients who believe they were injured by a DePuy metal hip. Help is available by calling the firm’s injury hotline at 1-800-718-4658 or by completing an online contact form at www.depuyhipreplacementlawyers.net.

Nadrich & Cohen LLP is a national law firm with offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and other cities throughout California specializing in handling mass tort actions and representing individuals in cases involving pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers. The firm is committed to achieving the best outcome possible in every case and has recovered over $200 million in settlements on behalf of its clients.

In addition to handling DePuy hip injury claims, the firm is also investigating cases involving Yaz, Actos, Zoloft, Fosamax, Paxil, Wright Conserve Hips, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Benzene, Reflex Sympathy Dystrophy, Fen Phen and Asbestos exposure. All cases are handled on a contingency basis.