In a 5-4 ruling today the Supreme Court ruled that generic drug manufactures can not be held liable for failing to properly warn about known adverse reactions to their generic versions of brand name drugs.

The ruling was prompted by a lawsuit from two women (Gladys Mensing and Julie Demahy) who developed tardive dyskinesia after taking a generic form of Reglan(metoclopramide). Tardive dyskinesia is a severe neurological disorder that causes degradation of motor skills & tremors. The symptoms are similar to those found in Parkinson’s Disease. Reglan is a motility drug that goes beyond the blood brain barrier & is used in the USA for treatment of things like Gastroparesis & acid reflux. While safer alternatives are available outside the USA, such as Domperidone, there aren’t really any viable alternatives in the USA besides the herbal Iberogast or Erythromycin(which has it’s own risks). Continue reading “Supreme Court’s Reglan Ruling Detrimental To Patient’s Rights” »