Alfred Rava, Manhattan may need you

September 28th, 2009. By AbiK

All’s been relatively quiet on the Alfred Rava front. Only a bit of a hub-bub over his threatening ski resort Squaw Valley with a discrimination lawsuit because they were offering discounts to furloughed California state employees. Rava doesn’t like it when good-hearted folks try to do something good for those in perhaps a less fortunate situation. Case in point, the Mother’s Day breast cancer awareness promotion with the Oakland A’s.

At any rate, I was scanning this Sunday’s papers and as I was looking at all the super-processed and newfangled foods that had special deals in the weekly FSI coupon section, my eye caught a Dunkin Donuts ad. I don’t go to Dunkin Donuts. Ever. But none the less, there was this little parenthetical phrase on the DD coupons. This is what the one for “99¢ for any two (2) donuts” said: “($1.19 in Manhattan)”. Cough up another 20¢ for those “two (2)” donuts it you live—or just shop for your doughnuts—in the asphalt jungle.

(I would’ve included a pic of the actual coupon, but there in the small type it also said, “Internet distribution strictly prohibited” and well, this being a legal site and all, I didn’t want to risk anyone mass producing DD coupons. But the pic above is the lead promo folks in the NYC area saw this weekend in the paper.)

But that’s when I thought of him. That beacon of light in an unjust world—Alfred Rava. Here’s something he oughta be sinking his teeth into next. Why should New Yorkers—heck, we’re not even talking all boroughs—only “Manhattan”—not be included in the 99¢ deal? Isn’t that some form of discrimination?

Mom Alert – Infant & Children Tylenol Recall

September 25th, 2009. By AbiK

If you’re like me, you’ve already started to stockpile the usual meds for cold and flu and fever season. With kids back to school, back to daycare, and with all the frenzy over potential flu outbreaks, it’s almost a necessity. But check your medicine cabinets for this one: Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil division has voluntarily recalled 57 lots of infants’ and children’s liquid Tylenol products because of possible bacterial contamination.

According to J&J, an inactive ingredient didn’t meet internal testing requirements and B. cepacia bacteria were detected in a portion of raw material that went unused in the finished product. J&J went on to say that no bacteria were found in the finished product, and that the likelihood of a serious medical event is remote. However, in consultation with the FDA, the company decided to recall the products.

If you have questions, call the consumer call center at 1-800-962-5357.

Here’s the full list for the Tylenol Recall:

(source: Tylenol.com) Read the rest of this entry »

Avandia and Alzheimer’s…What If?

September 24th, 2009. By LucyC

So here’s an interesting twist. Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone, once GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) blockbuster diabetes drug that turned out to be not so good for you after all, has failed to prove benefit in clinical trials as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. 

Why was GSK testing Avandia in Alzheimer’s, you ask? Well, sales of Avandia plummeted after the now infamous Nissen study was published in 2007 showing a link between the diabetes medication and heart attacks. In fact, one source puts 2008 sales down by 40 percent from 2007. So, GSK was looking for a new indication that would generate some cash—up to $300 million one estimate suggests. 

So GSK must look for new ailments for Avandia. After all—product recycling applies to the pharmaceutical industry just as it does in other industries. 

But what if Avandia had proven beneficial in treating Alzheimer’s—whatever ‘beneficial’ was defined as being? It is unlikely that the risk for heart attack would have disappeared or not been an issue in this population. So I find myself wondering about the ethics of testing a drug with an established link to potentially fatal adverse events, such as heart attack, in a population that may not be able to articulate their health problems. Not only that, had Avandia made the grade, would the FDA have approved the indication, despite the health risks? 

Perhaps the most worrying element of all this is why Avandia is being tested at all for any additional indications, when there are very real concerns about it remaining on the market in the first place.

Strange Bedfellows: Botched Facelift Victim and…SunTrust?

September 23rd, 2009. By AbiK

If you love a bit of irony, this one’s for you.

Betty Nestlehutt has found herself in the news spotlight lately. Betty’s a septagenarian out of Marietta, GA who underwent facelift surgery back in 2006—she’s a realtor and, according to reports, she had the facelift to be able to compete with younger real estate agents. The facelift didn’t go so well, and so sued for malpractice. But then a strange thing happened at court—she not only won, she won big: to the tune of over $1.2 million. Probably small solace for all she’d been through.

Regardless, she’s the center of attention again in 2009 because her case has become the center of a new case—the one in which her attorneys have asked the Georgia State Supreme Court to overturn a state law that caps damages in medical malpractice lawsuits at $350,000. (If you’re doing the math, yes, Betty’s settlement was greater than the $350k cap).

Now, here’s the irony. As any curious blogger would do, I went to check out Betty online. And I found her real estate site—she’s with Prudential. And as I’m scrolling…ta da!…there it is: a nice-sized display ad for SunTrust mortgages.

And I’m thinking of another set of septagenarians and beyond who allegedly found their SunTrust HELOC accounts frozen. And I’m wondering if Betty knew about that situation. And I’m just thinking of the irony…older real estate agent feels potential age discrimination in the marketplace, has botched facelift, sues, wins, displays advertising from company that allegedly, sorta kinda may have engaged in a bit of age discrimination…

God bless Betty and all she’s been through; and God help all those folks still waiting on answers from SunTrust…

Can Anyone trust SunTrust?

September 23rd, 2009. By Kristine B

Maybe it’s just me, but it kind of seems like no one who’s put their trust in SunTrust can actually trust that they are being taken care of by SunTrust. Ok, that was a mouthful. But let’s do a little ‘splaining and it’ll all make sense.

First, there were the clients who said that their SunTrust HELOC accounts had been frozen or decreased with no justification or warning—sad, but unfortunately not the first time a company has been accused of treating its clients improperly (when will these companies learn?) Also not surprising is that these clients have taken to the courts in an attempt to tell SunTrust that they are just not gonna take this lying down. 

Now comes news that SunTrust faces a lawsuit, not from clients but from employees, saying the company violated ERISA laws by breaching its fiduciary duty to people involved in the company’s investment plans, profit sharing retirement plans or SunTrust Banks stock.  Read the rest of this entry »