Lipitor, the popular drug that treats high cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes by up to 50 percent, was recently pulled off shelves in Canada because it increased patients’ risks for diabetes. Patients have filed a lawsuit against Pfizer Inc., alleging they were not warned about this side effect before marketing lipitor as safe.
The “lipitor lawsuit update 2020” is a law suit that has been filed against Pfizer, the maker of Lipitor. The plaintiff in this case is a woman who was diagnosed with diabetes after taking Lipitor for many years.
Pfizer, Inc.’s cholesterol treatment Lipitor (atorvastatin) is the all-time best-selling drug, with $130 billion in sales.
It belongs to the statin class of medicines, which reduce cholesterol synthesis in the liver. Lipitor has helped a lot of people manage cardiovascular risks including heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, but research reveals that it may also boost blood sugar levels and cause type 2 diabetes.
Pfizer has been sued by hundreds of Lipitor patients who got type 2 diabetes as a result of the drug.
Lipitor received a new warning label for this adverse effect in 2012, but many people say it arrived too late and is inadequate.
As a consequence, hundreds of Lipitor patients who acquired type 2 diabetes have sued Pfizer, claiming that the corporation should have put harsher warnings on Lipitor labeling.
Diabetes and Lipitor
Researchers aren’t sure how statins may cause diabetes. Statins may enhance a patient’s insulin resistance, according to one hypothesis. Another is that statins reduce the pancreas’ capacity to release insulin.
While the exact mechanism by which Lipitor raises diabetes risk is unknown, research published in BMJ, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Journal of General Internal Medicine, Diabetologia, and JAMA have all confirmed the link.
Statins have been shown to raise the risk of diabetes by 10% to 25% in most studies, but emerging evidence reveals that statin medications like Lipitor increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 46%.
Statin medications like Lipitor raise the risk of type 2 diabetes by 46%.
A second study based on Tricare health-care participants found that statin medicine users were 87 percent more likely to acquire diabetes. This research is notable since it was the first to look at the relationship among people who were in pretty good condition. Patients using statins were also shown to be 250 percent more likely than non-statin users to acquire diabetes with complications.
According to some research, statin-related diabetes is more frequent in women, the elderly, and Asians. Women have made up the majority of the thousands of individuals who have sued Pfizer.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic illness that can be controlled but not cured.
Lipitor: FDA Issues Warnings
In 2012, the FDA issued a statement saying that it has authorized statin medicine label modifications. According to the updated labelling, statins may induce high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and diabetes. (The FDA also reported on a Lipitor labeling update pertaining to probable brain-related symptoms such memory loss, disorientation, and memory impairment in the same statement.)
Lipitor, on the other hand, was authorized by the FDA in 1996. Pfizer did not notify Lipitor patients about the elevated risk of diabetes for 16 years (from 1996 to 2012).
During this time, many patients acquired diabetes, and many have opted to pursue legal action.
Litigation involving Lipitor
Patients started bringing lawsuits against Pfizer after hearing that the FDA was changing Lipitor labels to warn about the risk of acquiring diabetes. They claimed that the corporation was aware of this dangerous side effect but neglected to adequately notify the public. As the number of claims filed against Lipitor for diabetes grew, they were consolidated into a single federal docket in Charleston, South Carolina.
Approximately 3,000 cases have been filed in the Lipitor MDL (multidistrict litigation). Since 2006, about 30 million patients in the United States have been given Lipitor, implying a large number of prospective litigants.
Plaintiffs that join the MDL retain their own lawyers and keep their individual litigation going.
The Lipitor MDL’s first trials are expected to commence in 2016.
Settlements for Lipitor
Though the Litigation involving Lipitor have not yet gone to trial, and there have been no settlements, similar cases suggest enormous rewards for plaintiffs:
- Pfizer paid $468 million to resolve a shareholder lawsuit accusing the corporation of inflicting financial losses by concealing the dangers of consuming Celebrex and Bextra pain medications (which were linked to an increase risk of heart attacks and strokes).
- AstraZeneca paid $647 million in 2011 to resolve over 30,000 claims alleging that the company’s Seroquel drug caused diabetes and other health problems.
- Bayer paid $1 billion to resolve 3,000 claims claiming that their own statin, Baycol, caused rhabdomyolysis (about the same number as Pfizer) (a condition that erodes muscle tissue).
Pfizer may wish to try its luck in court (at least at first) to see if it can overcome these claims and avoid the type of massive payment mentioned above. However, the diabetes warning added to Lipitor by the FDA in 2012 is rather damning, and Pfizer is facing so many lawsuits that a settlement would save the corporation a lot of time and effort. As a result, Pfizer is expected to settle the majority, if not all, of these complaints.
Did Pfizer Provide Enough Information About the Diabetes Risk?
Lipitor diabetes lawsuits allege that Pfizer knew or should have known about the drug’s diabetes risk and failed to adequately warn the public about it.
This case is especially compelling for individuals who took Lipitor before the 2012 labeling revision that included a diabetes warning. Others, though, say that the revised label does not go far enough.
“Increases in HbA1c and fasting blood glucose levels have been documented with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, including Lipitor,” says the new Lipitor diabetes warning. Some litigants believe that this notice is inadequate since it does not expressly convey the diabetes risk in plain English.
What Can a Lawsuit Do for You?
If your medicine caused problems or severe side effects, you may be able to collect damages for medical expenditures (including future medical bills), as well as lost income or diminished earning potential, via a lawsuit. Physical pain, emotional agony, and a lower quality of life may all be covered by a lawsuit settlement.
For a free, no-obligation legal assessment, contact the experts at ClassAction.com immediately. It is free unless and until we get a jury award or a settlement on your behalf.
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The “atorvastatin lawsuit 2019” is a lawsuit that was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The plaintiff, an individual who took atorvastatin, claims that the drug caused her to develop diabetes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a class action suit against Lipitor?
A: This is a rather complicated question, so I will give you the answer in several parts.
First of all, there are two lawsuits against Lipitor from 2009 and 2018. The first lawsuit was filed by 10 different plaintiff groups on behalf of their respective members who had been prescribed Lipitor between 2006-2009 for cardiovascular problems related to cholesterol that later led to myocardial infarction or stroke. The second set of plaintiffs were individuals who claimed they developed diabetes after taking Lipitor for high blood pressure as well as other vitamin supplements such as folic acid and iron sulfate; these people also claim complications with heart disease cells which lead them to have a coronary artery bypass graft surgery or die via sepsis due to infection at an open abdominal wound caused by the surgical procedure.
The verdicts came out in favor of Pfizer (the company responsible for making the drug) because both cases were dismissed without prejudice under Federal Rule 12b2(b)(3). A dismissal without prejudice basically means that either party can re-file again if it wanted too but no new evidence could be introduced before this point since it would not make sense according to 2nd Circuit Judge Debra Livingstons ruling based on grounds that hadnt been met like that Plaintiff has not shown any causal connection between continued use and risk. For further information about these suits please consult your local library/university media resources websites– it might be worth looking up whether individual states offer class action lawsuits over pharmaceutical drugs because some do while others dont allow filing until many years down the line when necessary damages have already occurred according
Has the Lipitor lawsuit been settled?
A: The Lipitor lawsuit was settled in 2018. There is no more litigation or any ongoing proceedings from the settlement.
How many lawsuits are against Lipitor?
A: There are currently 2 lawsuits against Lipitor.
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