April 3, 2023
Traditionally, asbestos surveying and detection has been reliant on samples of suspected asbestos-containing materials being sent to laboratories for analysis or consultants collecting samples on-site and performing a manual count of fibers. Collecting samples to test for asbestos is very risky. However, a recent innovation in technology has enabled workers to test for asbestos fibers in the air without having to be in the room. The Alert PRO 1000 is a portable warning device for airborne asbestos fibers that alerts anyone nearby of asbestos in the air. This allows workers to evacuate the area and instigate safety procedures without delay. […]
March 14, 2023
CIMAvax-EGF is a new lung cancer treatment that “harnesses the body’s immune system to fight lung cancer.” They began testing the drug in 2017; another trial is testing the drug for the prevention of lung cancer in patients who are at high risk. CIMAvax-EGF blocks a certain protein (epidermal growth factor (EGF)) that cancer cells need to grow. The drug works by starving the cancer cells by preventing EGF from attaching to the cell. If the cancer cell cannot multiply, it dies. They have treated more than 5,000 lung cancer patients so far with this unique immunotherapy. Several international studies […]
March 1, 2023
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers and health care practitioners in early February 2023, not to purchase and to immediately stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears due to potential bacterial contamination. Using these contaminated products increases risk of eye infections that could result in blindness or death. Later in the month, the FDA recommended that Global Pharma recall Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment, and the firm agreed to initiate a recall of all unexpired lots of EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears. The FDA recommended this recall due to the company’s current good manufacturing […]
February 27, 2023
President Biden’s administration is working with Congress to finally ban asbestos. However, they may face pushback in the form of “legal questions, political fights, funding shortfalls and other bureaucratic delays.” Congress passed the Toxic Substances Control Act in 2016, but the EPA has yet ban the toxic substance. Asbestos was one of the driving forces of the 2016 act, with decades of scientific research confirming its deadly nature. Asbestos fibers can stick to skin and clothing and be inhaled or ingested causing mesothelioma to those originally exposed and their families. Chrysotile asbestos, which the EPA proposal would ban, is currently […]
February 13, 2023
We celebrate Black History Month every February. Below are some groundbreaking African American attorneys in U.S. History: Macon Bolling Allen is believed to be the first African American to become a lawyer in 1844 and the first to argue before a jury. He was the second to hold a judicial position in the U.S. Jane Bolin graduated from Yale Law School to become the first African American female judge in the U.S. at the age of 31. Eunice Carter was one of New York’s first female African American lawyers. She was also the first to work as a prosecutor for […]
February 2, 2023
A U.S. appeals court ended Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to get out of paying recompense for lawsuits related to their talc products. It was found that Johnson & Johnson was not in financial distress despite fraudulently filing bankruptcy in a move known as the Texas Two Step. The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia dismissed their Chapter 11 petition which they had filed to address more than 38,000 lawsuits from plaintiffs. Several major companies, like Johnson & Johnson have fraudulently turned to bankruptcy court to shield them from their mass tort liabilities. The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court found that Johnson […]
January 31, 2023
A new study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine found that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) had more lung inflammation than cigarette smokers. The study is one of the first to show that e-cigarettes may carry their own set of side effects separate from traditional cigarettes. Participants in the study were grouped into three groups of the same age and sex which consisted of e-cigarette users, cigarette smokers, and those who had never smoked or vaped. In the study, E-cigarette users showed greater pulmonary inflammation than cigarette users and those who have never smoked or vaped. Many falsely assume e-cigarettes are […]
January 10, 2023
Base editing is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of mesothelioma. This technology allows scientists to make precise, targeted changes to a patient’s genetic code, without introducing any foreign DNA into the patient’s body. This technology has the potential to be used to treat cancer and other genetic diseases. A young patient with leukemia is now clear of the cancer after base editing therapy. In the future, base editing could be used to create personalized treatments for mesothelioma. By analyzing a patient’s genetic code, doctors could determine the best approach to treating their mesothelioma. This […]
January 3, 2023
Volkswagen was found liable for exposing Thomas Sorrentino to asbestos through his work as a mechanic for Volkswagen in Spokane, WA. The jury awarded $5 million to the estate of Mr. Sorrentino, and $750k to his son. Sorrentino was exposed to asbestos through Volkswagen brake parts. Sorrentino also used a grinding machine for the brake parts that sent asbestos fibers flying into the air. He also used compressed air to clean asbestos dust from parts. Volkswagen admitted that they did not put warnings about asbestos on their brakes, brake boxes or in any bulletins from 1972-1975. Sorrentino was diagnosed with […]
