Crafting the perfect medical device is never an exact science—but a patient should never suffer because of defects in a product that was intended to improve their quality of life. Determining whether a device manufacturer or...more
MASSACHUSETTS - First Circuit Holds Failure-To-Warn Claims Against Drug Manufacturer Preempted By Federal Food, Drug, And Cosmetic Act Because Animal Studies Cited By Plaintiffs Did Not Demonstrate Risks Beyond Those In...more
MASSACHUSETTS - Massachusetts Federal Court Holds State Law Claims Alleging Misleading “Rapid Release” Labeling Of OTC Acetaminophen Tablets Preempted By Federal Food, Drug, And Cosmetic Act, As Tablets’ Dissolution Rate...more
From pharmaceuticals to toothpaste, preemption to public health, New York state and federal courts issued decisions in 2022 that further shaped the landscape in the medical and life sciences legal world. To prepare the best...more
As we ring in the new year, it is time once again to reflect on some of the most significant legal developments for drug and device companies this year. The list below is by no means exhaustive (who could forget the Rule 702...more
A recent Second Circuit preemption decision illustrates the importance of a clear-eyed approach to medical device preemption issues. In Glover v. Bausch & Lomb, Inc., 6 F.4th 229 (2d Cir. 2021), the district court...more
In the game of “20 Questions,” one player secretly chooses an object and the other players are allowed 20 questions to identify it. In that spirit, answering the following 20 questions may identify a defense strategy that...more
Massachusetts federal and state courts issued several important product liability decisions in 2021. Nutter’s Product Liability practice group reviewed these cases and report on their significant holdings as follows...more
By the time the COVID-19 pandemic began, society was well into the so-called “Digital Age,” relying heavily on electronic communications, apps, websites, and the like to go about daily activities. Everything from ordering...more
After two years of consideration, the FDA has restricted the sale of breast implants to healthcare providers that use an FDA-approved patient-decision checklist to discuss the benefits and risks of the implants with patients....more
Foley Hoag LLP publishes this quarterly Update primarily concerning developments in product liability and related law from federal and state courts applicable to Massachusetts, but also featuring selected developments for New...more
Earlier this year, the California Court of Appeals in Mize v. Mentor Worldwide LLC, 51 Cal.App.5th 850 (2020), reversed a trial court’s dismissal of failure to warn and other claims against a medical device manufacturer,...more
Welcome to 2019! We hope that your New Year’s resolutions included time to sit down and enjoy our latest edition of Pro Te: Solutio. We have three intriguing articles in this edition, which are sure to provide useful...more
On December 18, 2018, the Arizona Supreme Court issued an opinion clarifying manufacturers’ duty to warn consumers under Arizona common law. The Court held that the federal Medical Device Amendments (“MDA”) impliedly...more
Due to a failure to warn doctors and patients of the complications of IVC filter usage, Houston firefighter Jeffrey Pavlock was awarded $1.2 million in a jury verdict against Cook Medical after experiencing blood vessel and...more
Massachusetts Federal Court In Multi-District Litigation Holds Under Six States’ Laws That Manufacturer Of Brand-Name Pharmaceutical Is Not Liable For Injuries Caused By Generic Equivalents Whose Manufacturers Were Required...more
In the Southern District of West Virginia, Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Ethicon, Inc., were sued for defective design and failure to warn for their transvaginal mesh TVT-O, in addition to a loss of consortium claim....more
Massachusetts Federal Court Dismisses Putative Class Action Because Defendant’s Unconditional Checks for Named Plaintiff’s Maximum Damages, Even Though Uncashed, Mooted Suit - In Demmler v. ACH Food Companies, Civil No....more
Earlier this year Olympus Corp. (“Olympus”) announced that it would recall and redesign its TJF-Q180V duodenoscope following its link to deadly patient infections in the United States and abroad. This situation presents an...more
Power morcellators are electric surgical devices used to cut tissue has been used in recent years as an alternative to traditional, abdominal surgical hysterectomies, laparotomies and myomectomies. In April 2014, the...more
Summer is in full swing and certain topics are (staying) hot—especially regulatory issues, from new proposed rules to challenges to case law to strategic considerations. Generic preemption remains a hot topic. In Storm...more
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds Failure-to-Warn Claim Against Drug Manufacturer Not Preempted Because There Was No “Clear Evidence” FDA Would Not Have Approved Plaintiffs’ Suggested Warning; Also Holds...more
Mesh products have been regularly used to repair abdominal hernias since the 1950s. In the 1970s, gynecologists used surgical mesh products designed for abdominal hernia repair to repair prolapsed organs....more