Former Patriots Football Coach Sues Over Botched Surgery

Charlie Weis, former offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, will go to trial next month in a lawsuit against two Massachusetts General Hospital physicians. The former coach underwent gastric bypass surgery that was followed by serious complications. Weis has made efforts to prevent the ordeal from gaining publicity.

Jury Finds Kerr-McGee Liable in Oil Royalty Lawsuit

The Kerr-McGee Corporation was found to have cheated the government out of millions of dollars in royalties on oil it produced in publicly owned waters. The whistleblower lawsuit was brought on by the former top auditor for Interior Department after he was ordered by the agency to drop his audit findings. The jury determined that Kerr-McGee underpaid the government $7.5 million in royalties.

BioPerformance Penalized for False Gas-Mileage Booster

The TX Attorney General filed an agreed judgment against BioPerformance, a company that manufactured a fake gas-mileage booster. The company claimed their pills could increase a vehicle’s gas mileage by as much as thirty percent if placed in the fuel tank. The state’s investigation revealed the pills consisted of an ingredient used in making mothballs, and were not consistent with the company’s claims.

Cell Therapeutics Settles Inquiry Into Leukemia Drug

Cell Therapeutics agreed to a $10.5 settlement to resolve a federal investigation into their marketing of the leukemia drug, Trisenox. The government had been reviewing allegations that the drug was marketed for unapproved uses. The claims were brought on by an individual in a whistleblower lawsuit.

Bayer Settles Numerour States’ Drug Risk Claims

Thirty states agreed to an $8 million settlement with Bayer Corp. over allegations that the company did not adequately warn consumers of Baycol’s health risks. Baycol, a cholesterol-reducing drug, posed risks including a severe muscle reaction that could cause kidney failure. The drug was voluntarily withdrawn from the market in August 2001.