Paragard Dangers

The ParaGard T-380A IUD Birth Control Device has been quite popular. Manufactured by Teva Pharmaceuticals until the fall of 2017, and by CooperSurgical since that time, it is a small, T-shaped device that uses copper to prevent pregnancy as opposed to hormones; the only hormone-free IUD currently on the market. However, “arm-breakage” issues, particularly during removal of the device, have caused thousands of women to undergo surgery to remove the broken arm(s) and repair any associated damage caused by them.

If you were implanted with a ParaGard T-380A IUD and required surgery due to an “arm breakage”, contact us online or call us at 1-866-252-3535.

Beovu Dangers

Beovu® (brolucizumab) is a prescription drug injected directly into the eye for the treatment of “wet”, Age-related Macular Degeneration; a leading cause of blindness. Manufactured by Novartis, the drug was first approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in October of 2019. Patients treated with Beovu usually receive an injection once a month for the first three months of treatment, with subsequent injections every 8 to 12 weeks thereafter.

However, instead of improvement of their Macular Degeneration, Beovu users have developed Retinal Vasculitis (RV) and/or Retinal Vascular Occlusion (RVO), inflammatory eye conditions that cause loss of vision and can lead to blindness. In essence, the retinas become inflamed and symptoms such as redness, blurred vision, onset of color-blindness or light sensitivity, or an increase in “floaters” (small dark spots and strings in one’s field of vision) begin to develop. In June of 2020, after this frightening association was reported by the American Society of Retina Specialists, the FDA approved a label change to warn of the newfound danger.

More recently, in November of 2020, the American Academy of Ophthamology also noted the association between Beovu use and development of RV and RVO. Even Novartis suggests people who have received Beovu injections to seek immediate care from a physician if they develop symptoms of RV or RVO.

We are currently investigating Beovu cases Nationwide. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with Retinal Vasculitis (RV) and/or Retinal Vascular Occlusion (RVO) after treatment with Beovu, contact us online or call us at 1-866-252-3535.

Do not stop taking any medication without consulting your healthcare provider.

Elmiron Dangers

Elmiron®, also known as Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium (“PPS”), is the only oral medical approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to treat Interstitial Cystitis (“IC”), commonly referred to as PBS (“Painful Bladder Syndrome”) or IC/PBS. IC/PBS is a condition that largely affects women more than men. The patient suffers from a swollen bladder wall causing significant pain and discomfort in the bladder and pelvic area, urinary frequency, urgency, reduced bladder capacity, and nocturia. It is estimated that more than one-million people in the U.S. are affected by the condition.

Elmiron Maculopathy Lawyers Scientific studies have established that long-term Elmiron use can cause Maculopathy – a major cause of blindness. A 2018 article published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology addressed a study of six patients who took Elmiron for IC/PBS for at least 15 years. The researchers determined that all six chronic Elmiron users had Maculopathy. A 2019 follow-up by one of the researchers revealed an additional 32 out of a total of 38 patients probably had Maculopathy from chronic Elmiron use, warning of a “potential severe toxicity”. Other studies have corroborated these findings.

Elmiron established a reputation among physicians as a safe, virtually ‘risk-free’ treatment for IC/PBS. As such, doctors became comfortable increasing the doses of their patients; the standard starting dose is 300mg, but physicians sometimes prescribed up to 5 times that amount, not knowing the dangers involved. Unfortunately, the science indicates that as the dosage increases, so does the toxicity causing vision loss.

Elmiron induced eye damage worsens over time, often long before any symptoms begin. The damage caused by the drug masquerades as Age-related Macular Degeneration, resulting in misdiagnosis for many patients. Thus, many patients never pursue further comprehensive retinal exams that could correct the misdiagnosis and correctly diagnose PPS-associated Maculopathy. So if you have taken Elmiron, it would be prudent to have your eyes examined by an Opthamologist.

“Given the emerging evidence linking PPS to macular disease, ophthalmologists have a new role in protecting patients at risk for this vision-threatening condition. Many of us may unknowingly follow affected patients. Many patients harboring this condition may either be undetected or misdiagnosed with similar-appearing conditions.“

Adam M. Hanif, MD, and Nieraj Jain, MD, Atlanta – Review of Opthamology (July 10, 2019)

Compounding the problem of Elmiron‘s risks of permanent eye damage is the fact the product’s labeling contained no warnings of the risk of developing Maculopathy until June of 2020. Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals now recommends that Elmiron users should have their eyesight tested regularly.

While the scientific and medical community only recently learned of the connection between chronic Elmiron use and PPS-associated Maculopathy, it appears Janssen may have known of the link for over 20 years – early clinical trials of the drug reported eye-related adverse events of patients who took the drug.

Signs and syptoms of Elmiron-associated Maculopathy include:

Difficulty reading or adapting to dim lighting
Blurred vision
Vision loss
Dark spots in one’s center of vision
Distorted vision (such as straight lines appearing curvy)
Less vivid color vision
Change in eye color

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with Maculopathy after taking Elmiron contact us online or call us at 1-866-252-3535.

Do not stop taking any medication without consulting your healthcare provider.

Belviq & Cancer

On February 13, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requested the popular weight loss drugs Belviq and Belviq XR (the ‘extended release’ version) be recalled from the U.S. marketplace. The recall comes after clinical studies uncovered an unacceptable increased risk of developing pancreatic, colon, rectal, and/or lung cancer.

Available only by prescription, Belviq was first approved for weight loss and weight-related medical problems in 2012. Now the FDA believes the risk of developing cancer outweighs the purported benefits of the drug.

Our firm is currently investigating cases Nationwide where individuals took Belviq before being diagnosed with one of the following types of cancer:

Lung Cancer
Colorectal Cancer (including colon and rectal cancer)
Pancreatic Cancer

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with one of these forms of cancer after taking Belviq, contact us online or call us at 1-866-252-3535.

Do not stop taking any medication without consulting your healthcare provider.

Valsartan & Cancer

Beginning in July of 2018, numerous pharmaceutical drug manufacturers have all issued voluntary recalls of blood pressure and heart failure drug Valsartan. The recalls began after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined potent carcinogens, NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine) and NDEA (N-Nitrosodiethylamine), had been found in Valsartan. The recalls were expanded in August of 2018 and again in March of 2019.

The recalls include virtually every generic version of Valsartan, but do not include the brand name, Valsartan-based drugs Diovan, Entresto, Exforge, or Exforge HCT.

Our firm is currently investigating cases where individuals took Valsartan before being diagnosed with one of the following types of cancer of the digestive tract:

Liver Cancer
Stomach Cancer (including gastric cancer)
Colorectal Cancer (including colon and rectal cancer)
Intestinal Cancer
Esophageal Cancer
Kidney Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Uterine Cancer

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with one of these forms of cancer after taking Valsartan, contact us online or call us at 1-866-252-3535.

Do not stop taking any medication without consulting your healthcare provider.