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Bayer has certainly struck out this week with negative information concerning Essure being released which was long overdue. First, the FDA released its Interim Results from a required Essure Post Market Surveillance Study,

Johnson & Johnson announced that it discontinued its talc-based baby powder products in the United States and Canada after being hit with thousands of lawsuits alleging asbestos contaminated the product causing cancer in thousands of users. The decision to cease sales of the product is a huge concession for Johnson & Johnson, which has promoted the product as pure and gentle enough for babies since 1893.

According to recent studies the widely used bladder drug Elmiron may cause eye damage. Recent studies strongly suggest that the drug — known as pentosan polysulfate sodium and used by hundreds of thousands of people for decades — may be highly damaging to the retina, the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye.

It is hardly surprising given the history of the complicit relationship between Bayer and the FDA, that the FDA has acquiesed yet again to Bayer by allowing Bayer to reduce some of its responsibilities regarding the reporting of adverse events to the FDA as required by law. As part of its post market safety monitoring and reporting,

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced yesterday that it is requesting Sanofi, the manufacturer of Zantac, to remove and withdraw all prescription and over-the-counter Zantac (ranitidine) drugs immediately from the market. This comes after a lengthy investigation which revealed that a contaminant known as N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is prevalent in these medications (Zantac).

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus. The disease causes respiratory illness (like the flu) with symptoms such as a cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing.

In the California Essure litigation, the court held a case managment conference on February 27, 2020 before the Honorable Winifred Smith. The court determined that due to the numerous pre-trial motions pertaining to the first Essure case to be tried, George v. Bayer, that the case required a continuance to give adequate time for briefing and oral arguments.

Bayer's First Quarter Report released last week shows that Essure lawsuits continue to be filed, although at a much slower rate than previous years. According to the most recent report as of February 6, 2020, there were 33,100 lawsuits filed.

After a long and hard fought battle, thousands of women are getting ready to celebrate the end of Essure. As the new year rings in, Essure will be forever gone. On December 31, 2018, Bayer stopped selling and distributing the Essure device in the United States.

The FDA Immunology Device Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee held a two day meeting to discuss the adverse events relating to metal-containing implants, including metal hip components, the Essure device and spinal fusion implants. The panel heard from over 50 presenters including physicians, patients harmed by metal-containing medical devices, as well as from industry touting the safety of their products.