In the midst of the current obesity epidemic in America, more and more people are turning to weight loss drugs as a way to shed unwanted pounds. Medications such as Alli and Xenical are advertised as miracle drugs that can help people slim down. Unfortunately, these particular medications are considered dangerous drugs that have been linked to serious health conditions.

Research done by disability lawyers in Milwaukee, WI has discovered that the over-the-counter weight-loss drug Alli and its prescription form Xenical have been associated with liver failure, acute pancreatitis, kidney stones and even death.

Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen recently petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pull these medications from the market. It noted that the drugs were linked to 47 cases of acute pancreatitis and 73 cases of kidney stones. Public Citizen found that at least three people taking these drugs developed acute kidney failure and at least one needed dialysis and ultimately died.

Both Alli, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, and Xenical, made by Hoffman-LaRoche, contain orlistat, which is used to help overweight people lose weight. Orlistat essentially works by blocking the enzymes that break down fat.

Despite much media hype, both of these drugs have shown minimal benefits to overweight and obese users. Research indicates that people taking Xenical while dieting and exercising for one year lost only five and a half additional pounds than those who only dieted and exercised. Many feel this meager weight loss benefit is not worth potential damage to multiple critical organs.

The current petition to the FDA marks the second time Public Citizen has sought to have Xenical removed from the market. In 2006, it requested the medication be banned after research revealed that orlistat caused pre-cancerous lesions in the colon.

While the FDA failed to pull Xenical from the shelves, it did issue a warning of rare “severe liver injury” caused by orlistat in 2010. The FDA identified 12 foreign reports of severe liver toxicity linked to Xenical and one domestic case linked to Alli. Of these users, two died of liver failure and three needed liver transplants.

Alli and Xenical have clearly been linked to various health problems. Anyone suffering from health conditions after taking these dangerous drugs should consider speaking to an attorney about their rights and options.

Life Sciences

Illinois debt settlement law firms understand exactly what needs to be done to help settle debt.

Our qualified’s Life Sciences and Technologies lawyers are experienced in the complex issues related to biotechnology, genomics, and proteomics, and are well equipped to meet our clients needs in this rapidly expanding technological environment.

Many of these lawyers have extensive experience as general counsel for established Life Sciences companies and high-technology start-ups.

We understand the issues that Life Sciences companies face at the ever-evolving intersection of advanced technology, public policy and business development. We counsel and advise our clients on matters such as disclosure requirements, protecting intellectual property and assets, licensing technology, resolving disputes and managing corporate reputation. Because of our broad-based technology expertise, we can counsel clients addressing sophisticated issues in bio-informatics and related technology merging software and hardware concepts.

We are adept at forming alliances and multi-disciplinary practice groups with entities outside the practice of law, to better arrive at the breadth of services required by companies in this complex area.

Corporate and Securities

Our Corporate attorneys advise clients on the formation, acquisition, financing and development of businesses in the Life Sciences industries. We have represented these companies in both the private and public markets.

We advise Boards of Directors regarding acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships with an eye to protecting company assets with a proactive intellectual property approach, leading to more integrated acquisitions and development strategies. Our qualified lawyers assist our clients with forming alliances, joint ventures, and outsourcing arrangements in the operations of their businesses. We are familiar with the issues in determining rights to gene sequences and the impact on company decision making in acquisitions and other related alliance formation.

We are especially familiar with Regulation FD and have assisted our clients with a number of disclosure issues that have arisen since the regulation became effective. We also have worked with Life Sciences clients and their independent auditors with respect to the SEC’s interpretations of revenue recognition for collaborations and licenses and the impact of those interpretations on company reporting.

We advise our clients on the many aspects of running genomics and biotech businesses, both in the U.S. and in cross-border circumstances.

Last week, we blogged about a tragic and fatal car accident that was caused by texting and driving. A teenage driver was driving and texting at night. The teenage driver spotted a pedestrian crossing the road but recognized the pedestrian too late. The driver’s attempt to swerve failed and killed the pedestrian. Had the driver not been texting, the car accident may not have happened. This week we have another story that illustrates the dangers of texting and driving. Two guys from Car and Driver magazine tested the thesis of whether texting while driving was more dangerous than drinking and driving. According to Car and Driver, which was more dangerous?

Car and Driver found that texting and driving was more dangerous than drinking and driving. The creators of the experiment used GPS and a data logger to record the speed of the test vehicle, brake-pedal position, and steering angle. A faux brake light was installed on the windshield of the car to imitate a breaking car. Every time the fake brake light turned on, the driver was supposed to apply the brakes. Car and Driver tested two drivers; one young and one old. Both drivers ran test routes that measured their reaction times without interference and then routes that measured their reaction times texting and driving and drinking and driving. The drivers’ texting and driving results were compared to their own original results.

The performance of the young driver showed he was a more dangerous driving while texting. His reaction time traveling at 35 miles per hour without interference was 0.45 seconds. His reaction while reading a text was 0.57, and his reaction time while writing a text was 0.52. His reaction time while impaired was 0.46 seconds. The pattern of the older driver was similar. His base reaction time was 0.57 seconds. His reaction time while reading a text was 1.44 seconds, and his reaction time while texting was 1.36 seconds. When impaired, the older driver’s reaction time was 0.64 seconds.

The reaction numbers can also be calculated to demonstrate how much further the driver’s traveled before stopping. According to Car and Driver, it would take both drivers longer to stop while texting. The lesson? To prevent car accidents, drivers should be clear of distractions while behind the wheel, and should obviously not drink and drive.

Car accidents in Flint, Michigan can occur at any time and it’s important to receive help with them.

A Dakota County, Minnesota, man who is charged with child abandonment after he allegedly moved to California in July, leaving his 11-year-old son behind, was sent to jail on $6,000 bail by a district court judge on Sep. 12. The judge also barred the defendant, 60, from having visitation with his son unless social services workers approve. Who will take custody of the boy is still undetermined following his mother’s recent reemergence.

We have been closely following this case in this blog, most recently posting about it on Sep. 2. On July 18, the son awoke in his Lakeville to find his father gone and a pair of letters telling him that he should go to live with a neighbor family. The letters also asked the neighbors to take custody of the child, though he had not discussed it with them beforehand. Child services placed him in the custody of an aunt following a July 27 child-protection hearing.

Authorities said the father left due to financial problems, including the impending loss of his house to foreclosure. He was found working in a deli in California and arrested on Aug. 29. He waived extradition and was taken back to Minnesota.

In his first court appearance on Sep. 12, the Dakota County District Court judge handling the case set bail at $6,000, but said the father could post bond based on $5,000 bail if he pledges not to leave the state again and not try to contact his son until social services approve the meeting. His next court appearance has been scheduled for Oct. 19.

Shortly after the defendant’s arrest, his former wife called county officials and indicated she might fight for custody of her son, whom she had not seen since 2002, when her visitation rights were terminated. The father reportedly told the boy that his mother had died, though he revealed the truth in one of the letters.

The New Year began tragically for a man that seemed to have the world at his fingertips. On Wednesday night, a fatal three car accident in Toledo occurred in Jacksonville on Sunbeam Road. The three car accident left one person dead and five other people injured. The man that was killed in the Wednesday evening crash was a popular manager at Gator’s Dockside in Jacksonville. The successful manager had been out with his girlfriend when the accident occurred.

According to a detective with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, one of the three vehicles was traveling west on Sunbeam Road when the vehicle suddenly moved to the left. The sudden movement of the vehicle caused it to strike another traveling vehicle. The two car accident collided into a third motor vehicle. The fatal car accident occurred around 8:00 p.m. this past Wednesday night.

The driver of one of the vehicles was a popular manager at Gator’s Dockside, and the man was killed in the accident. The manager had been traveling with his girlfriend in a new Land Rover the man recently purchased. The gregarious manager’s girlfriend was severely injured in the accident, and she suffered a broken neck, back and pelvis. She was taken to a local hospital.

Friends describe the former manager as a great guy and people person that made friends as he did his job. The man worked at the restaurant for four years, and the restaurant closed upon hearing the news of the car accident and will be closed during the man’s funeral to honor him.

The number of fatal car accidents that occurred in Florida last year has dropped in comparison to previous years. According to preliminary numbers from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 2,430 people died from car accidents in Florida in 2010. The statistic is the lowest number in over 20 years and comes at a time when Florida’s population is 50 percent larger than it was two decades ago. Counties across Florida are also reporting lower numbers of fatal car accidents for 2010 as well.

While preliminary fatal car accident numbers have not been issued for Jacksonville and Duval County, statistics from Hernando County in West Florida near Tampa reflect the downward trend seen across much of the state. Official numbers for last year will be released in March. According to the Florida Highway Patrol a combination of factors has contributed to the decrease in traffic fatalities. Technological advances in vehicles, education and law enforcement have all played roles in bringing down the number of fatal car accidents on Florida’s roads. The Florida Highway Patrol says that technological innovations have had the biggest impact on safety improvement.

The Florida Highway Patrol cites advanced braking systems, hands-free devices and warnings that alert drivers. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles believes the downward trend of car accident fatalities will continue because of a continuation in improved vehicle engineering and a safer fleet of vehicles that will continue to come online. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles also credits state and local law enforcement and believes that the downward trend will continue for another five years.