How Can a Drug Injury Attorney Help Those Impacted by a Harmful Prescription Drug?
Prescription drug injuries are much more common than you might think. After all, we mostly feel safe knowing that the FDA approves prescription drugs, our trusted doctors prescribe them, and they are advertised on television—so they must be safe. Yet Consumer Reports found that more than half of all prescription drugs in the United States can cause adverse effects—some of which are fatal or extremely serious. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why we have potentially dangerous prescription drugs being given to Americans every single day. The FDA struggles to adequately assess safety, largely because the clinical trials submitted to the FDA may not have enough people in the trials to adequately spot potential problems, the trials are notoriously short, and let’s face it—clinical trials are conducted under less-than-realistic conditions.
To have their drug receive the FDA stamp of approval, the trials are conducted under scrupulously controlled conditions with carefully selected patients—far from real-world situations. Doctors also prescribe drugs off-label daily. This means that the drug is prescribed for a purpose not approved by the FDA. Drugs that are deemed “priority” may be approved much more quickly than others. While this does get them to market more quickly, there can be a significant cost—the health and lives of those who take the drugs. The faster the drug’s review, the greater the chance of dangers of the prescription drug emerging after FDA approval.
It is also important to note that while health professionals and patients are “encouraged” to report adverse drug reactions, this is strictly voluntary, leaving estimates of how many adverse incidents are reported at between 1 and 10 percent. The FDA often approves a drug but asks that the manufacturer do further studies. Many of the manufacturers simply put off doing these studies to avoid encountering any negative aspects of the drug. If you have suffered serious harm as the result of a dangerous prescription drug, your first step after seeking medical attention should be to find an experienced nationwide drug injury attorney. Carmichael Law Group believes that once you have spoken to an attorney in our firm, your choice will be clear. We are strong advocates for our clients, fighting for justice, and aggressively pursuing damages on behalf of our clients.
Current Prescription Drug Investigations and Lawsuits
You have probably heard of many dangerous prescription drugs, as well as the investigations and lawsuits concerning damages sustained by those who took the drugs. While there is a huge list of potentially dangerous prescription drugs, below you will find a short list.
- Insulin Overpricing—Despite insulin being over a century old—along with declining manufacturing costs—the price of insulin has soared over the past two decades, with the price climbing by more than 1000 percent during that time. About 14 percent of American insulin users spend “catastrophic” amounts on insulin—a drug that is necessary to keep them alive. Insulin overpricing lawsuits claim that insulin manufacturers have artificially inflated the price of insulin at the expense of American consumers. If you are forced to pay these highly inflated insulin prices, it could be time to speak to attorney Brian Carmichael to see if you have a claim for insulin overpricing.
- Ozempic is another diabetic drug that is being widely prescribed for weight loss as well. Ozempic lawsuits claim the drug can result in severe gastroparesis and intestinal blockage and that the manufacturers did not warn consumers of this risk. The first Ozempic lawsuit was filed in August 2023. In February 2024 a federal panel combined more than 55 lawsuits into an MDL. These numbers are expected to grow to as many as 10,000 within the next year. The FDA said in January 2024 that it was currently also evaluating reports of suicidal thoughts, aspiration under sedation or anesthesia, and hair loss among those taking Ozempic.
- Tepezza is a prescription drug that is meant to treat bulging eyes and double vision, as well as improve the symptoms of Thyroid Eye Disease. Unfortunately, many people who had Tepezza injections for TED subsequently suffered significant hearing loss and/or tinnitus. As of March 2024, 19 new cases were transferred into the Tepezza hearing loss class action MDL, bringing the total number of pending cases to 93. This is the largest number of cases added in any given month since the MDL was created in September 2023. In July 2023 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required Horizon Pharmaceuticals to update the warning label on Tepezza to include permanent or partial hearing impairment or loss. Other warnings on the label include infusion reactions, exacerbation of pre-existing inflammatory bowel disease, and hyperglycemia.
- Tylenol—According to drugwatch.com, relatively new Tylenol lawsuits claim the companies that manufacture and sell Tylenol did not warn consumers of the increased risks of ADHD and autism for children whose mothers took the drug during pregnancy. Even though in December 2023 a Manhattan federal court judge barred expert witnesses from testifying that taking Tylenol during pregnancy could potentially lead to autism, it is expected that Tylenol autism lawsuits will continue in state courts. The Manhattan decision effectively ended more than 560 federal lawsuits against Tylenol manufacturers barring a successful appeal to the ruling.
- Valsartan is used to treat high blood pressure, but according to Drugwatch, the drug could have some serious side effects. Some people taking Valsartan to treat their high blood pressure developed kidney problems while others found their existing kidney problems worsened considerably after taking the drug. Valsartan has also been found to increase the levels of potassium in the blood—to dangerous levels in some cases. There was a recall of certain batches of valsartan in 2018 after NDMA was found in them—a chemical that causes cancer and liver damage in humans. Since that time, there have been no known contaminations of Valsartan with NDMA, but the kidney risks are very real. As of March 2024, there were 1,231 pending Valsartan lawsuits, with a total of 1,398 Valsartan cases filed. At this point, there have been no jury verdicts or settlements, but Valsartan cases are currently being consolidated into an MDL in New Jersey.
How Drug Injury Attorney Brian Carmichael Can Help
If you’ve taken a prescription drug you believed to be safe and subsequently developed serious health issues, you could benefit from speaking to drug injury attorney Brian Carmichael. The goal of Carmichael Law Group is to fight for those who are unable to fight for themselves. We pride ourselves on advocating for our clients as we work to obtain justice on their behalf. When drug companies are raking in huge profits from a drug they know has serious side effects—yet they neglected to inform consumers of those risks—they need to be held accountable.
Carmichael Law Group will do just that. We will comprehensively gather all the evidence of your injuries while answering your questions in an easy-to-understand manner. Your free consultation will allow you to understand your potential claim while getting to know us in the process. You will find out that our firm has more than 400 positive Google reviews from highly satisfied clients. We serve clients nationwide and are ready to speak to you about your prescription drug injuries and your damages. Contact Carmichael Law Group today.