US Drug Watchdog Recommends Blood Test to DePuy Pinnacle Metal Hip Implant Recipients to Determine Implant Failure

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The US Drug Watchdog is extremely concerned that at the end of the day most recipients of a DePuy Pinnacle all metal hip implant will not be compensated for a premature failure of this specific type of all metal hip implant, because they did not get a very specific blood test that has been designed to measure for elevated levels of cobalt, and chromium ion's in a recipient's blood stream. The US Drug Watchdog does not want to leave one DePuy Pinnacle metal on metal hip implant recipient behind holding the bag, stuck with an expensive hip replacement surgery, or other medical complications without doing everything possible to get the word out about this major issue. For more information about the DePuy Pinnacle hip implant, and a blood test that measures cobalt, and chromium levels in a recipient's blood please call the US Drug Watchdog at 866-714-6466. http://USDrugWatchdog.Com

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The US Drug Watchdog says, "While we are extremely focused on helping recipients of the DePuy Pinnacle all metal hip implant, we are just as eager to help all recipients of any type of all metal hip implant. The sad fact is in our humble opinion the US FDA has been no-where to be found on what we consider to be the metal on metal hip implant disaster in the United States, and we consider this an insult to the taxpayers, who support this federal agency. According to court records there are about 500,000 US citizens with a all metal hip implant, and the last time the US FDA updated their information on this mess is coming up on a year and a half ago. We believe the taxpayers, and the recipients of all metal hip implants deserve much better." http://USDrugWatchdog.Com

Updates on litigation involving metal on metal hip implants manufactures that are being sued for premature failures from the US Drug Watchdog:

* DePuy Pinnacle Case Number U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas MDL#2244. Legal sources are now telling the US Drug Watchdog that in order to be compensated for a DePuy Pinnacle all metal hip implant a failure must have occurred that required revision surgery, or a medical doctor now must be recommending revision surgery because the device has failed, or because of metallosis has been diagnosed.
* Stryker Rejuvenate Modular & ABG II-recalled June 2012.  
* Biomet M2a Magnum Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. (Case No. 3:12-cv-3476) filed on July 2nd 2012. The US Drug Watchdog says, "For some recipients of the Biomet M2A, and M2 Magnum there may be a looming statute of limitations issue of April 15th 2014 to get identified by the court if your hip implant has failed. Please call us for more information."  
* Wright Medical Technology, Inc., Conserve Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation ("MDL No. 2329"). This is now pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

The US Drug Watchdog says, "If you have a friend, or loved one who is a recipient of a metal-on metal hip implant that has already failed, or is showing symptoms of a failure, or if a recipient is concerned about a premature failure, please call us anytime at 866-714-6466. We want to make certain all metal-on-metal hip implant recipients get meaningful help, and assistance." http://USDrugWatchdog.com

For additional attribution purposes please refer to the January 2013 notification by the US Food and Drug Administration about all metal hip implants: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/
MetalonMetalHipImplants/ucm241766.htm

Media Contact:
M. Thomas Martin

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SOURCE US Drug Watchdog