Today and yesterday, patients from Arizona, Connecticut and Ohio filed lawsuits against Zimmer Inc., the nation’s largest producer of orthopedic devices, for alleged defective hip implants manufactured and sold by Zimmer under the name Durom Cup.

The New York Times reported this week that GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Avandia, a prescription drug intended for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, undertook a secret study in 1999 that it has attempted to keep unknown for the past 11 years.

Bloomberg News has reported that GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of the antidepressant prescription drug Paxil, has entered into settlements with nearly 200 families for a total of $1 billion. The families charged in lawsuits that Paxil caused birth defects.

The lawsuit charges that Ms. Mercado sustained a severe lung disease after consuming microwave popcorn containing the butter flavoring chemical diacetyl. The chemical is used for the aroma and taste in butter, some cheeses and snack and bakery products.

Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals has agreed to change its warning labels on their oral contraceptive drugs Yaz and Yasmin to alert users to the risks of developing blood clots while using the oral contraceptives.

In March 2009, Medtronic disclosed that at least 13 Sprint Fidelis patients may have died, including four patients whose deaths were related to efforts by doctors to surgically remove the product. In February 2010, the Wall Street Journal reported that the FDA database includes at least 12 additional deaths allegedly linked to the recalled device.

Toyota’s recall troubles continue to grow, with the total number of vehicles affected by two recalls involving gas pedals growing to at least 5.3 million

Personal injury lawsuit filed against Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceutical Corporation for severe and lasting injuries caused by Bayer’s prescription drug Yaz

Bloomberg News reports that Bayer AG’s Yaz contraceptive is part of an investigation by a Swiss health regulator into the death of a young woman who took the pill.

As noted in our Medtronic heart lead recall blog, the New York Times has issued a story that the U.S. FDA “has revealed that four New Jersey congressmen and its own former commissioner unduly influenced the process that led to its decision last year to approve a patch for injured knees,” an approval it is now revisiting.