U.K. Health Agency Issues Updated Guidelines for Metal Hip Recipients

Nadrich & Cohen, LLP reports that the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued new health guidelines for patients with metal hip implants.

Los Angeles, CA, February 29, 2012 – National law firm Nadrich & Cohen, LLP reports on new health guidelines issued by the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regarding patients who received a metal hip implant, including those fitted with a DePuy ASR hip. After launching an investigation into potential metal poisoning and other side effects associated with the all-metal hips, the MHRA is now recommending that patients fitted with one of these devices seek lifelong monitoring to safeguard their health. Specifically, the MHRA is urging patients who received a metal hip replacement to undergo regular blood testing and MRI imaging to check for elevated levels of metal in the blood.

The new guidelines were issued on the same day that the British Medical Journal (BMJ) announced the results of an investigation of metal hips that was conducted in partnership with the BBC. According to a report in the Daily Mail, the British Medical Journal claims that complications associated with metal poisoning caused by artificial metal joints have been documented for decades and that device manufacturers should have been aware of the potential risks. The investigation specifically looked at ASR hips manufactured by DePuy Orthopedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson.

DePuy issued a recall of approximately 93,000 ASR hips worldwide in 2010 after research data from the U.K. National Joint Registry indicated that the devices were failing at an alarmingly high rate. Specifically, approximately 12 to 13% of patients who were fitted with an ASR hip required revision surgery to correct problems within the first five years. An internal email recently revealed by the New York Times suggests that DePuy executives were aware of the potential problems with the ASR hips for as long as a year before the devices were ever recalled.

In the U.S., a number of lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson and DePuy in connection with the ASR hips and another hip manufactured by the company under the Pinnacle brand. The plaintiffs allege that the metal hips failed, causing numerous side effects, including pain, swelling, inflammation and loss of mobility. The lawsuits also allege that DePuy and Johnson & Johnson were aware of the problems associated with these devices but did not adequately warn the public of the potential dangers.

Patients who suffered complications after being implanted with a DePuy hip are urged to seek legal representation to discuss their rights. The DePuy hip replacement attorneys at Nadrich & Cohen, LLP are currently offering confidential, no-cost, no-obligation consultations to patients who experienced pain, loss of mobility or required revision surgery after being implanted with a DePuy ASR hip. Help is available by calling the firm’s injury hotline at 1-800-718-4658 or by completing an online case evaluation 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 ASR hip claims, the firm is also investigating cases involving Yaz, Actos, Avandia, Fosamax, Paxil, Zoloft, Vaginal Mesh, Wright Conserve Hips, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Benzene, Reflex Sympathy Dystrophy, Fen Phen and PPH and Depakote. For more information, visit www.personalinjurylawcal.com.

Jennifer Poole
National Client Intake Coordinator
Nadrich & Cohen LLP
12100 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 1250
Los Angeles, CA 90025
800-718-4658
info@personalinjurylawcal.com
www.personalinjurylawcal.com

This release was published on openPR.