Heading into the new year, here’s a look back at takeaways from 2018, including the Top Mass Tort list, and overall breakout of top practice area spend. We’ll also look at trends heading into 2019. Based on media spend at CAMG, there are 4 new additions to the Mass Torts List. Valsartan, Attune Knee, Gadolinium, and Hip have all made a big presence in the past quarter. Talc and Invokana have also made big news. Reuter’s uncovered Johnson & Johnson documents that reveal the company has been aware of asbestos in its talc products as far back as 1971 – and has hidden test results from regulators and the public. Amidst dropping shares, Johnson & Johnson continues to assert its talc products are safe but stay tuned for a possible impact on future verdicts.
January 2018 - December 2018
- IVC
- Meso / Lung Cancer
- Taxotere
- Hernia Mesh
- Talc
- RoundUp
- Invokana (Amputations)
- Valsartan Recall
- Tasigna
- Hip
- Gadolinium
- DePuy Attune Knee
- Opioids
- Onglyza
- Invokana (Ketoacidosis)
On the bad drug front, the latest injury linked to diabetes medication Invokana is necrotizing fasciitis, also known as “genital gangrene.” 39% of Invokana callers have responded “yes” to experiencing this potentially life-threatening bacterial infection.
2018 Breakout of Top Practice Areas by Spend
Mass Tort Trends Heading into 2019
- IVC went up from #7 to #1
- Taxotere went up from #5 to #2
- Talc stayed at #4
- Roundup went down from #3 to #6
- DePuy Attune Knee stayed at #9
- Meso/Lung Cancer went down from #1 to #7
- Hernia mesh went up from #8 to #3
- Valsartan went up from #13 to #6
- Gadolinium MRI went down from #13 to #11
- Invokana (Amputations), Opioids, Invokana (Ketoacidosis), Onglyza and Xarelto/Pradaxa/Eliquis were not previously on the Top Mass Tort list.
*Q4 (October 2018 – December 2018) compared to Q3 (July 2018 – September 2018)
Whether your 2019 plans include improving your existing mass tort campaigns or starting with new ones, contact CAMG today.
