Maria Mena
Defective Drug Recalls Lawyer
Attorney Maria Mena is a seasoned criminal defense attorney, who is licensed to practice law in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and in Federal Court. She was born in Cuba, and after entering the U.S., she devoted her life to helping those in need of competent and affordable legal services personal injury law.
Attorney Mena is fluent in both English and Spanish and is zealously dedicated to helping anyone in need of legal help regardless of color, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation.
She believes strongly that developing an honest and comfortable relationship with her clients is a key factor in achieving a successful case result. She does not judge her clients and anything you tell her is absolutely confidential. From the moment you meet Attorney Maria Mena, you will immediately recognize a genuine concern for your issue and the level of professionalism that is rare among lawyers.
Megan L. Meier
Defective Drug Recalls Lawyer
Megan L. Meier is one of only six attorneys recognized by Chambers & Partners as among the best in the United States for First Amendment Litigation (Mainly Plaintiff) and High Net Worth: Defamation / Reputation Management. Hailed as “a powerhouse,” “an extraordinary advocate” and “a shaper in her industry,” Megan won an $8 million jury verdict on behalf for the chairman of a private investment firm in libel litigation over a defamatory dossier.
Megan has served as an expert on U.S. defamation law in foreign proceedings. She is regularly tapped to speak at conferences and has guest lectured on defamation and media law at the University of Michigan Law School, Harvard Law School, New York University School of Law, George Washington University School of Media & Public Affairs, University of North Carolina School of Law, William and Mary Law School, and Barnard College.
Megan loves musical theater, cheap white wine, cancelled stand-up comedians, friendships with people across the aisle, and living in the heart of Washington, D.C. with her family and Bernese Mountain Dog, Samson.
Ira Sherman
Defective Drug Recalls Lawyer
Trial lawyer Ira Sherman has built his reputation on aggressive and creative litigation strategies to successfully represent injured victims and victims of discrimination. Known for his dedication to the cause, Mr. Sherman has established himself as one of the area’s leading advocates.
Ira Sherman has been an active member of the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America). He was co-chairman of the Embolization Devices Litigation committee, a committee dedicated to educating lawyers regarding the dangers in the utilization of cyanoacrylates, the chemical equivalent of Superglue®, as an embolization device.
Mr. Sherman is also an active member of the Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice. Mr. Sherman is on the Board of Directors of the Brain Injury Association of the District of Columbia. Mr. Sherman remains active as a member of the Leader’s Forum of the Trial Lawyers’ Association of Metropolitan Washington, DC.
Arren Waldrep
Defective Drug Recalls Lawyer
Arren Waldrep handles medical malpractice, premises liability, personal injury, and general complex civil litigation in Price Benowitz’s downtown DC office. She is an experienced trial attorney, with over 200 trials in courts of multiple jurisdictions.
She is originally from South Carolina, where she attended the University of South Carolina Honors College and the Charleston School of Law. Arren has practiced law in the DC metropolitan area for over a decade. As a member of the Prince George’s County Bar Association and DC Women’s Bar Association, Arren enjoys being an active member of the legal community. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time traveling and riding horses.
K. Lawson Wellington
Defective Drug Recalls Lawyer
Attorney Wellington’s DC and Maryland practice is focused on personal injury, family law, DUI and criminal defense. A zealous advocate with vast courtroom and trial experience, he is passionate about clients’ rights.
Mr. Wellington was also a partner at Williams and Wellington, a general practice law firm in Washington, DC where he represented clients in criminal and civil cases.
He has represented clients in the courtroom, administrative hearings, and/or alternate dispute resolution matters in Washington, D.C. and Maryland.
Attorney Wellington is licensed in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia and is admitted to practice in the following courts:
Maryland State Court of Appeals and its lower Courts
District of Columbia Court of Appeals and its lower Courts
Mr. Wellington earned his juris doctorate in 1995 from Howard University School of Law. He also received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, with a Minor in English Literature, from Howard University, Washington, DC in 1992
DAVID BENOWITZ
Defective Drug Recalls Lawyer
The National Board of Trial Advocacy has certified David as a Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate, which indicates that he meets their exceptionally high standards of professionalism and experience. He is currently the only attorney in the Washington, D.C., area to carry this distinction. David is a faculty member at Harvard Law School’s renowned Trial Advocacy Workshop and NITA’s Building Trial Skills Seminar at Georgetown Law School, and he has been interviewed on national television regarding high-profile cases.
David obtained his Juris Doctor from George Washington Law School, where he was involved in the D.C. Law Students in Court Program. He was also a member of the George Washington Law Review and Moot Court Board. David went on to Temple University, where he received an LL.M. in Trial Advocacy in 2006. Upon graduation from school in 1995, he worked as a Staff Attorney for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia recognized as the top public defender’s office in the nation, until 2001.
Daniel Braverman
Defective Drug Recalls Lawyer
When you’ve been wronged, you need results quickly. At Braver Law, we move fast and get things done. We understand the complexities of legal battles, so we simplify the process for you while fiercely protecting your rights.
Our team doesn’t back down from a challenge. We have a proven track record of success, even against powerful corporations. Additionally, we leverage our network to collaborate with the nation’s leading attorneys whenever your case demands it.
How Many Drugs Are Pulled From the Market? A Comprehensive Look at Withdrawals and Recalls
Every year, headlines announce that a medication or pharmaceutical product has been removed from pharmacy shelves. Whether it’s a well-known cholesterol drug, a blood pressure medication, or an over-the-counter remedy, these market withdrawals—sometimes temporary, sometimes permanent—raise vital questions for both patients and healthcare providers. How many drugs are actually pulled from the market each year? And what does this process look like?
Understanding “Pulled From the Market”: Withdrawal vs Recall
Before diving into the numbers, it’s crucial to clarify the terminology:
Withdrawals refer to the permanent removal of a drug from the market, almost always due to significant safety concerns.
Recalls may be temporary or limited to specific batches (lots) and often cover problems like labeling errors, contamination, or other manufacturing issues.
While both actions involve removing drugs from consumer access, withdrawals are typically more serious and less common than recalls.
Global and U.S. Drug Withdrawals: The Big Picture
Historically, the number of drugs entirely withdrawn from the global market for safety reasons is relatively small. A 2016 analysis in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety reported that between 1953 and 2013, 462 medicinal products had been withdrawn worldwide due to safety risks. These withdrawals were prompted by grave side effects including:
Severe liver toxicity (hepatotoxicity)
Heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias)
Sudden cardiac death
Fatal allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)
Cancer risk
Examples include drugs like Vioxx (rofecoxib), withdrawn for increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, or Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), once used in cold medicines and diet pills, withdrawn due to hemorrhagic stroke risk.
Though 462 is a significant number, it spans across global markets and a 60-year period. This demonstrates that while drug withdrawal for safety is a serious matter, it is relatively rare compared to the vast number of medications developed and approved.
Drug Recalls: A More Common Event
In contrast, drug recalls are far more frequent. These are typically initiated by the manufacturer, sometimes in concert with regulators like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Recalls may be classified by severity:
Class I recalls: Reasonable probability that use will cause serious adverse health consequences or death
Class II recalls: May cause temporary or medically reversible health consequences
Class III recalls: Unlikely to cause adverse health consequences, but still violate FDA standards
From 2012–2023, the FDA reported an average of 1,284 drug recalls per year. In peak years, this number climbed even higher; for instance, 1,877 recalls were issued in 2019. These figures include both prescription and over-the-counter drugs, addressing issues such as:
Questions about sterility (especially for injectables)
Potential contamination with bacteria or unexpected substances
Incorrect dosing information or labeling errors
Unintentional inclusion of impurities (such as the NDMA contamination that caused recalls of blood pressure and antacid drugs in recent years)
Packaging defects
The vast majority of these recalls are limited: they may affect a particular lot, manufacturing run, or distribution region. It’s critically important to understand that a recall does not necessarily mean the drug itself is inherently dangerous under all circumstances—it often means there’s a specific, preventable problem in certain units or batches.
Why Are Drugs Pulled from the Market? Most Common Reasons
Both withdrawals and recalls usually result from reports of unexpected adverse effects, manufacturing problems, or discoveries during post-market surveillance. The most frequent reasons include:
Adverse effects not discovered during pre-market trials: Clinical trials, while extensive, are not large enough to catch all rare side effects—particularly those that may only occur after drug approval.
Manufacturing flaws: Even well-tested drugs may suffer from contamination or improper labeling during production.
Failure to report risks: Occasionally, pharmaceutical companies are found to have withheld safety data or underreported risks, eventually leading to withdrawal.
New science: Updated research sometimes reveals links between drugs and serious health risks only after years of use by the public.
FDA Monitoring and Public Safety
The FDA maintains an up-to-date, searchable database of all drug recalls and withdrawals, accessible to the public, which is a crucial tool for patients and providers. When issues are spotted, risks are assessed carefully, and swift action is taken to recall products or remove them from the market when warranted. Typically, recalls are publicized via FDA MedWatch alerts and manufacturer notifications to healthcare providers and pharmacists.
The Scope: Annual Numbers and Trends
Looking at recent decades, between 1,000 and 2,000 drug recalls are reported in the U.S. annually. In total, the FDA documented more than 14,000 drug recalls over the last decade. In comparison, the number of complete market withdrawals remains in the hundreds worldwide over a period of several decades.
It’s also worth noting that when you expand the lens to include medical devices and other related products, about 4,500 drugs and devices are pulled from U.S. shelves each year.
What Does This Mean for Patients and Providers?
Most drugs are safe and effective, with ongoing post-market monitoring ensuring continued safety for the public. Recalls are a sign of a vigilant system that aims to spot problems before they become widespread. Complete market withdrawals are rare, but when they do occur, they generally follow documented evidence of unacceptable risk.
If you are concerned about a medication you use or hear about a recall, consult your healthcare provider. Pharmacists and doctors have access to reliable, up-to-date recall notices and can answer questions about risks, replacements, or next steps.
In Conclusion
While thousands of drug recalls occur annually—reflecting a proactive safety system—complete withdrawals affecting all patients are rare but significant. Both are crucial tools for protecting public health, and highlight the importance of ongoing drug regulation, surveillance, and communication with healthcare providers.