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Testosterone lawsuits have been the source of a lot of buzz in the legal community this past year. As I have shared in previous blog posts, I am very passionate about my distrust and dislike of the pharmaceutical industry overall. So I am no longer surprised when I learn that a drug, such as testosterone therapy, might have been advertised, marketed, prescribed, and sold to patients without providing them with sufficient information about very serious potential risks and side effects.
Testosterone Therapy Lawsuit Criteria
There are now lawsuits alleging that prescription testosterone products, or drugs prescribed for “Low-T,” or low testosterone, may have increased the risk for heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis and even death. Testosterone lawsuits have been increasing as a result. If you or your loved one suffered one of these conditions within 90 days of last taking any prescription testosterone medication, then I urge you to call me today for a free consultation. You can call anytime, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
What Made Lawyers Grow Concerned About Testosterone Therapy?
One reason defective drug lawyers started looking more closely at testosterone therapy drugs is because the FDA issued a related consumer warning on January 31, 2014. A couple of studies gave the FDA concern that there might be significant, life-threatening side effects associated with testosterone. They promised to continue further studies.
Concerning Studies About Heart Risks Associated With Testosterone Therapy
The Journal of the American Medical Association published one study suggesting that men over 65, and men younger than 65 with a history of heart disease, had a two or three times greater risk of heart attack (that is, myocardial infarction/ MI) within the first 90 days of taking testosterone drugs. One really outrageous aspect of some reports is that a large percentage of men taking testosterone drugs never received routine blood tests to determine whether they suffered from hypogonadism, or low testosterone, which is the only condition for which testosterone therapy is even approved. Instead, many may have received the drugs only to combat vague symptoms, such as muscle loss, fatigue, loss of libido, or just to counteract the natural aging process. One lawsuit alleges that the maker of AndroGel encouraged off label uses of the product (which is what led to such high sales of the drug), including evaluating patients who were seeking Viagra for low testosterone therapy. However, unlike Viagra, the FDA never approved AndroGel for erectile dysfunction.
Any And All Testosterone Drugs May Have Caused Adverse Effects
Any and all testosterone therapy drugs are now under scrutiny by attorneys nationwide. This includes AndroGel (produced by AbbVie), Androderm (produced by Actavis, formerly Watson Pharmaceuticals), Axiron (produced by Eli Lilly), Bio-T-Gel (produced by Teva Pharmaceuticals), Depo-Testosterone (produced by Pharmacia & Upjohn), Fortesta (produced by Endo Pharm), Striant (produced by Columbia Laboratories), and Testim and Testopel (produced by Auxillium Pharm).
Testosterone Lawsuits & Allegations
One federal multidistrict testosterone lawsuit has been established in Illinois. This is basically one testosterone lawsuit to gather all related (testosterone) lawsuits into one place, to have similar issues reviewed and determined by one judge. Currently the pharmaceutical company defendants include Abbott, AbbVie, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, and Pharmacia & Upjohn. Thousands of testosterone lawsuits may be filed over the coming years. The allegations in these testosterone lawsuits will essentially be that consumers were not warned of the risks of taking testosterone therapy, including patches and pills.
For example, the testosterone lawsuit against AndroGel and drug manufacturer Abbvie alleged:
- The manufacturer misrepresented that AndroGel was safe and effective.
- The manufacturer claimed that AndroGel was a safe and effective treatment for “Low-T,” or hypogonadism, despite the fact that the drug caused serious side effects such as heart attacks, strokes and thrombolytic events.
- Marketing and advertising for AndroGel failed to mention potential risks.
- Despite lacking “any reasonable grounds” for believing AndroGel was safe, the drug manufacturer used “an aggressive award-winning direct-to-consumer and physician marketing and advertising campaign” to convince men to discuss testosterone therapy with their doctors.
- The drug manufacturer valued increasing sales over providing adequate warnings of serious risks.
- Rather than adequately warning consumers about AndroGel’s risks, the drug manufacturer engaged in “disease mongering” to increase sales.
If you or someone you love experienced a heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke, pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis within 90 days of last taking any prescription testosterone medication, I urge you to give me a call immediately. Testosterone lawsuits involve many important deadlines so you should not delay contacting me right away.
Text or Call 24 Hr Attorney Hotline (407) 803-2139