Class action lawsuit filed against heparin manufacturer Baxter

January 8th, 2009 by Jennifer Walker-Journey

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Baxter Healthcare Corp., claiming the company began substituting ingredients in its anti-coagulant heparin with a dangerous counterfeit to “reap greater profits as a result of utilizing cheap component parts,” according to The Madison St. Clair (Illinois) The Record.

Joyce Ann Osteen filed the suit in St. Clair County, Illinois, and claims Baxer purposefully added a contaminant, over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate, or OSCS, to heparin manufactured in its plant. The tainted was distributed to the U.S., where hundreds of allergic reactions occurred. More than 80 people died and hundreds more were sickened by the tainted before an investigation led to a recall of batches of manufactured at Baxter’s facility. The later issued an announcement saying that the contaminant was an inexpensive and unapproved ingredient that mimics .

OSCS costs only $9 to produce compared to $900 for , the suit contends.

“The recalled was adulterated, misbranded, defective, unreasonably dangerous and unfit for its intended uses,” the suit states. “Baxter placed tens of thousands of patients, including the Plaintiff at unnecessarily risk of serious injury and/or death.”

The suit states Osteen and the class members who purchased the “suffered actual damages as a proximate result of Baxter Healthcare Corp.’s deception in that they were deprived of the benefit of their bargain.” According to the complaint, Osteen is asking the court to certify the complaint as class action. She also is seeking damages of less than $74,999 per plaintiff or class member.

  • Roy
    2/19/10 post--my dad had heart sugury in spring 08, what was tobe a routine 4 day event turned out to be a nightmare. During surgury he went into heparin induced shock. I flew to see him right away it didnt look good. When i arrived , he was on heart pump and ventialor for 12 days and then woke up. They reverssed the heparin. While still in a coma he has no pulse in his legs L/R. Month later they amputated both. Heres a 77 yo man with chest wounds and 2 legs off. OMG what a nightmare. He had Months and Months of therapy, lost all bone mass and lost 50 pounds. Hes doing great now but WOW what a nightmare. Thank you blessed jesus.
  • Tina Kreske
    I had vascular surgery in Jan 2008 for steal syndrome. I almost died I had multi blood clots in my left arm and neck. I ended up having 4 emergency surgeries. I am losing parts of my fingers on my left hand to gangrene. I was supposed to be out of the hospital in 2 days. Instead I was in the hospital for almost 2 weeks. My doctor wanted me to stay there longer. But I insisted in leaving.

    Right after surgery the doctors tried to take my whole hand off. My family refused to let them. Of these 2 weeks, almost a week of it. I was put in a coma and since I had stopped breathing I was put on a respirator. I was given heprin flushes in my Iv lines after I was woken up until I took out the IV line. I did not know this but my surgeon had already taken me off of heprin after the first or second day because he suspected that I had HIT syndrome. Apprentlty the nurses at that hospital can't read. My lawyer only wants to try to go after baxter. He doesn't think that It can be proved that I got heprin that long after I had surgery. But I know I did. I even talked to several of my nurses about it as they gave it to me. Everytime they flushed out my IV it was like I had a hot flash and I could taste and smell it too..

    The really fustrating thing is that I am still fighting with Social security for diability. bene. I have had serious back problems for most of my adult life. I can no longer work standing or walking all day.I switched to a sit down job. 5 years later this happens. Social security says I am not diabled. they say I can get a job. Even funnier unemployment origanally said that I was disabled and there for I couldn't get bene's either.
  • Charles Stark
    What are the reported dates of this Heprin Recall, and what are the symptoms? I was hospitalized in June 2005 and had 3 disks removed from my cervical spine and a bone graft put in. I was only in the Hospital for 4 days and went home. I had been eating breakfast sitting on a couch in my sitting room and had the wierdest feeling come over me like my arms, legs,hands and feet were going to sleep. I tried to stand up and could not I was rapidly losing the ability to move my arms and legs. I wiggled across the floor into the bedroom and when I got in the I was feet first and could not lift my legs. I was able to open a closet door that I was laying in front of and the was a piece of wood trim in there that I used to get the phone receiver down and was able to push in 911 and yelled thru the phone because by the only thing left working was my left hand. They came and got me into the ambulance and took me about 3 miles to the fairgrounds and loaded me into a Lifeflight helicopter and flew me to Vanderbilt Medical Center. When I got there I was in the most terrible pain it is like all your nerves are on FIRE and everyone is asking questions at once they could not give much for the pain yet and took me to the CT Scan and out it into the MRI and I had just made it all the way into the tube and the came in and said they had spotted it on one of the scans that bone graft had fallen out into the canal that had been carved out in my spine and was laying on the Spinal Cord after he said that he said rememenber me I was your Anesethetilogist last week and I am going to put you out now. I was in Icu after this for 3 days and then into CCU for a couple of Day then they sent me to a Rehab Hospital. I then had to learn how to get from the bed and into the wheel chair as my limbs slowly came back to use, and then how to walk with a walker. After I was sufficiently able to use a walker I was able to go home. All through this I was given Heprin shots twice a day until just about the time I went home. I have regained the use and can walk pretty well. My problem now is that I suffer from Chronic pain just about constantly all the time day and night it just never lets up. I had another back surgery in May of 2008 in hope of relieving some of the pain, only it did not work. The Pain is just as bad if not worse. Again following this surgery I was given Heprin injections to prevent blood clots. Heprin shots are easy to know what it is they are giving you because I either got them in the stomach or in the leg and they burn like hell.
  • Tracey Vincent
    My Mum sadly passed away July 16th 2009 she was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 and had massive radition she came through like a trooper only to start having breathing problems around March 2007 we thought the worst that the cancer had returned but after many hospital stays they couldnt find a cause for the lung problems mum had never smoked or worked in a high risk enviorment. Here is what is sad the radiation she had for the cancer destroyed her bowel so she had to have a colostomy which she did great with and she also had 2 haqve tpn treatments everyday which required heparin injections 2 times a day to flush her port now remember she was cancer free then in Feb 2008 the Cleveland Clinic called and told us to get rid of all the pre filled heparin syringes and they would send us new ones......... Mums condition got worse and the lungs were finally dying she was written off with COPD and it was when the recall was brought to out attention that this was probably the cause of my lovley mums death after she passed a lawyer wanted an autopsy but we refused she had been through so much!!! This lady fought so hard to stay with us beat stage 3 cancer only to be killed by a drug help us please to redeam her name. helpless in WV
  • susan31
    My mother underwent heart surgery June 10, 2009. I was told she had a reaction to heparin; now she is facing lifetime dialysis, we are scheduling amputation of both legs below the knees and most if not all of hands. Is that "tainted" heparin still out there? Should the family be following up on this?
  • angelog
    I was underwent two stem cell tranplants for cancer in September 2006 and January 2007. Throughout my treatment I was given heparin to "flush" pic-lines and a port that was placed in my chest. I don't recall the number of tubes of heparin used throughout my treatment, only to say that it was injected each time I was given something intravenously.

    I would like to be contacted at the email address provided if I should be concerned. Thank you.
  • Emily Ream
    I was in the hospital in may 2006.My due date was may 25.My ekg was normal but Dr jamall told me i was having a heart attack!The nurse gave me heparin.Shortly after it was given to me i felt sick my heart was beating very fast and i had extreamly low blood pressure.My baby got unusally hiper.I ask if i could have my baby monitered but they said no bacause i was in the ICU.They did an ultrasound on my heart the next day and said i didnt have a heart attack after all! When i was released from the hosp i had swelled up so much i could barely use my hands.My family Dr thought i had preclampsia but i tested negitive for it.
  • Alex
    My grandmother fell sick in December 2005 we took her to a nearby hospital where she was giving Heparin then suddendly she fell into a coma, my grandmother is now paralized, unable to communicate and she in a feeding tube. I am writing today to ask for help. Please anyone help !!!
  • Rafael
    Type your information so you can be contacted by an attorney, or find an attorney yourself! this is horrible, and I am sure they can do something about it. Don't wait too long!!
  • donnataylor
    Hello , my name is Donna . I live in ILLINOIS & I too think I'm a victim of Heparin . I was hospitalized in Decatur IL around 2002 - 2003 for " Endocarditis " ? ( so they say ) . I was running fevers of 100.5 & 100.6 the entire time i was there . I had a picc line that I was recieving the med through but , i felt like I was getting worse as the weeks went by . I was there a month , I have 2 kids they were babies at the time of this. I kept wondering if I was going to die there because I couldn't get better & I thought maybe I need a better hospital? At one point I sarted having leg pain ( in the calves ) , they did a test but said no clots were found but still I had leg pain & still do ! I was in the hospital for a month and was on Heparin the entire time. I eventually went home & was recieving home IVs of Heparin for another month maybe longer . My hair was falling out from it , my skin was horrible , I also had constant diareaha the entire time . I was in that hospital bed for 3 1/2 weeks of my 1 month stay , no mobility no range of motion & even now I want to run track but can't , the pain in my legs ( calves ) is horrible still today. Can someone help me? And I'de like to know if anyone else lost hair or had skin problems while using this? I also went from 160 pounds down to 128 pounds almost a 40lb weight loss in a month time . Any help ?
    Thanks ,
    Donna
  • Fe Gomez
    My dad used to do dialysis,he had a kidney transplant last year in May 2008...But when he use to do dialysis, he felt nausea, dizziness, weak and he had low blood pressure. There were times when he was good after dialysis, then times when he felt really sick and wanted to lay down all day, I'm wondering if my dad was a victim of heprin?
  • Michael Lee Staton
    I was given hepain while i had a picc line in my arm. after that i developed bloodclots. they gave it to me while i was taking IV antibios. and it was give to me at home. thay did it they said to clear the line. I do not have an e-mail or internet address. I have to use my x-wifes net access.
    the Dr. Christine Franden with St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Ok gave it to me and prescribed it while I was on home IV anitbios.
    This happened 09\01\06 thru apox. 11\1\06
    100 units \ 5 ml IV>
    provided by OptionCare ... Saffa Pharmacy
    Rx. # R6536

    My name is:
    Michael Lee Staton
    1203 S. Darlington Ave.
    Tulsa, Ok.. 74112-5338
    Ph# 918-407-2614
  • Hi Mr. Staton,

    Thank you so much for your comment with your concerns about Heparin. I
    have forwarded this information to the attorneys on our staff who
    evaluate these claims. Someone should contact you to answer any
    questions you have.

    We appreciate your comment, and I am happy that this site may have
    helped you find information you were looking for.

    Sincerely,

    Wendi L. Lewis
    Communications Director
    Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.
  • Gwen
    I had spinal surgery in oct.2008. I did have extremely low blood pressure ,swelling everywhere,nausea and was in ICU for 4 days after the surgery. Was this the allergic reaction to heparin? Went home after 6 days and and two days later back to another hospital with blood clots in both legs and 27,000 platlets. This was soon diagnosed as HIT/T. Is that an allergy or bad heparin or just bad luck? Spent 6 more days in ICU. took one month out of my life and I still have clots in both legs. Can someone tell me what happened?
  • daloha
    2007 I was in the hopital for lung infections. I was given Heparin. My mouth all my internal organs were just cooked. I thought it was just part of my lung problem and now I believe I was allergic to the heparin, My nose is still scarred from it. I was treated locally after getting out of the hospital for my mouth and throat. I believe I had used heparin in other hospital stays but nothing like this time.
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