Bridging the Gap Between Science and the Law

In a recently published article, Pizzurro and colleagues report several important interspecies differences in perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) toxicokinetics. These data represent some of the first evidence for variation in absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of PFAS across different species. For PFAS defendants, this paper provides support that pharmacokinetics must be taken into consideration when

This post was co-authored with Tova Werblowsky, Ph.D., a computational physical chemist and associate professor of chemistry at Touro College What are PFAS? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of chemical compounds that resist degradation in the environment. Because PFAS are impervious to water and heat, these compounds have been used in

On May 6, 2019, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that several sunscreens used under maximal conditions resulted in plasma concentrations of active ingredients that exceeded the threshold limit established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The fact that an ingredient is absorbed through the skin and

Manufacturers, retailers, and distributors of e-cigarettes are likely to be defending themselves in against a variety of claims involving these products. The e-cigarette litigation landscape is evolving quickly with several high-profile lawsuits or investigations launched over the past several months by Attorneys General of Massachusetts, Connecticut and North Carolina, a State Prosecutor in an Illinois

Recently, both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate held separate legislative hearings to address potential health and environmental impacts of pre-/polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). On May 15, 2019, the House Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change held a hearing to consider a series of bills aimed at reducing potential environmental and health risks associated with

The causal relationship between smoking and lung cancer is one of the strongest and most well established in all the health sciences. Asbestos defense attorneys have therefore been eager to determine if there is a causal relationship between smoking and mesothelioma. If such a relationship were identified, in certain cases with the right case-specific facts,

Poly- and per-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthesized chemicals that have been used for more than 50 years across many types of industries. For instance, PFAS compounds are widely used in non-stick products (e.g., Teflon), water- and/or stain-proof fabrics (e.g., clothing, furniture), food contact materials (e.g., certain types of cardboard), firefighting foams,

Genetic knowledge continues to increase at a rapid pace, transforming not only the practice of medicine but also toxic tort litigation. See our previous posts on this topic (e.g., here and here), our webinar, and our comprehensive white paper titled The Litigator’s Guide to Using Genomics in a Toxic Tort Case for more detailed information

In a recently published article, Guarrera and colleagues report differential DNA methylation between malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients and cancer-free controls. These data represent some of the first evidence of detectable differences in DNA methylation in asbestos-exposed individuals with and without MPM. For asbestos defendants, these results provide support for the potential use of DNA

The volume of newly published scientific literature continues to grow at a staggering pace. A recent PubMed statistic indicates that the database hosts almost 29 million citations, with more than 1.3 million added in 2018 alone; a number that increased by 35% since 2013! And this accounts only for journals that are indexed by PubMed,