Class Action Roundup – September 9

Mylan Faces Class Action Over EpiPen Pricing

Mylan Pharmaceuticals has been facing plenty of scrutiny over the dramatic price increase for its EpiPen devices. Now, it’s facing a class action lawsuit to go with all that scrutiny. According to the lawsuit, Mylan’s price hike is nothing more than price gouging and it violates Ohio consumer protection law. The device (which is used to treat potentially life-threatening allergic reactions) went from less than $100 in 2007 to more than $600 in recent days. For more information on the suit, check out this Reuters article by Brendan Pierson.

St. Jude Medical Hit With Suit Over Hackable Pacemakers

St Jude Medical is facing a proposed class action claiming that its pacemakers are incredibly susceptible to cyberattacks. Wait, so the device that people need to regulate their heartbeat can be hacked? According to the complaint, that is exactly the case. Allegedly, due to the lack of standard security features, the radiofrequency telemetry used by the devices to send medical data can be hacked – potentially allowing the hacker to rapidly drain the power or make the device “pace” at a dangerous rate. Thanks to Andrew Blake from The Washington Times for the coverage. For more info, check out his article.

Similac Organic Lawsuit Dismissed

A lawsuit claiming that Similac Advance Organic Infant Formula shouldn’t be considered organic has been dismissed. Judge Pamela Chen found that the case was preempted by the Organic Foods Production Act and that because a USDA-accredited agency certified the product as organic, it is allowed to be advertised as such. For a more in-depth rundown, check out John O’Brian’s article over at Forbes.

Pop Warner Faces Concussion Lawsuit

The most popular youth football league in the country, Pop Warner is facing a class action lawsuit over concussions. According to the lawsuit, the organization ignored the risk for head trauma and knowingly put its players in danger. The complaint also attacks the group that creates football safety standards and the NFL’s youth division, USA Football. For a closer look and a link to the complaint, be sure to check out Ken Belson’s article from the New York Times. It’s definitely worth reading.