Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

An estimated 250,000 to 400,000 people in the United States have Tardive Dyskinesia, a disfiguring and debilitating involuntary movement disorder involving symptoms such as lip smacking, tongue thrusting and protruding, eye blinking and bulging, head jerking, facial grimacing, and puckering and pulsing of the lips. The muscle spasms can become painful and embarrassing and often are permanent. But what is most disturbing is that in many cases, the condition could have been prevented.

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You can’t turn on the TV these days without hearing that the heartburn medication Reglan, also known by the generic name metoclopramide, has been linked to the serious involuntary movement disorder, Tardive Dyskinesia. But the drug also carries another serious warning – it can cause depression and suicidal thoughts.

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An Atlanta woman is suing Pliva, Inc., makers of the prescription heartburn medication metoclopramide, alleging that the drug company failed to adequately warn physicians of the long-term risks involved with taking metoclopramide. Susan Swicegood says metoclopramide caused her to suffer from a debilitating neurological disorder known as Tardive Dyskinesia, which involves involuntary muscular movements. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, and will be heard by a jury next week.

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Tranzyme Pharama says its new treatment for diabetic gastroparesis, a disabling disorder in which the stomach takes too long to empty its contents, has shown positive results in phase II clinical trials among diabetic patients with the digestive disorder. The pharmaceutical company was granted “fast-track status” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for TZP-102, a designation that is typically reserved for drugs that treat serious and unmet medical needs. The designation is designed to speed up the review and approval process.

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Lindsey C. Whitener was seven weeks pregnant with her second child when her physician prescribed Reglan (metoclopramide) to ease her nausea and vomiting from morning sickness. She took it for four weeks. A few months later, Whitener began having problems with her pregnancy and gave birth to her son prematurely at 36 weeks gestation. Her son, Lucas, was born with extensive physical disabilities and medical problems and spent the first six months of his life in the hospital. Doctors said they did not know the cause of Lucas’ birth defects.

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