The family of Alvin Harris, from Virginia have recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Androderm patch manufacturers. The plaintiffs claim that warnings about the risk of heart attacks, strokes and blood clots side effects with the testosterone replacement therapy were insufficient.
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah against Actavis Pharma, Watson Laboratories, Inc. and Anda, Inc.
Harris used the Androderm testosterone patch from 2005 to 2012. Harris developed deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the leg, in 2011 and developed strokes in 2012, which caused his death.
Plaintiff Allegations
The lawsuit alleges that Androderm manufacturers had an aggressive direct-to-consumer marketing for the testosterone patch. The ad program was so successful that it led to millions of men to use the medication to combat the natural effects of aging.
Testosterone Side Effects Concern
Androderm patch was introduced in 1995 for treatment of low testosterone or “low T” and caused by a specific medical condition, known as hypogonadism. Sales for Androderm exceeded $87 million in 2011, making it one of the blockbuster testosterone drugs in the U.S. Sales of testosterone replacement medications, including AndroGel, Axiron, and Testim, exceeds $2 billion per year.
Testosterone Side Effect Lawsuits Mounting
Men are filing lawsuits against popular testosterone gels AndroGel, Testim and Axiron alleging that warnings were not provided about the risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and death.
Medical Studies Highlight Side Effects
According to a study published in JAMA, side effects of low T drugs may increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and death among older men with pre-existing heart problems.
Another study published in the medical journal PLOSOne, indicated that low T treatments may double the risk of heart attack for younger men with heart disease and men over the age of 65.
FDA Warnings
The FDA launched a safety review of all testosterone replacement therapy earlier this year and a FDA advisory panel is scheduled to meet in September to evaluate the testosterone drug risks and side effects.
Federal Multidistrict Litigation
In June 2014, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has consolidated all federal low T drug lawsuits as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL). The MDL has been centralized before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly in the Eastern District of Illinois to coordinate all testosterone lawsuits against the different manufacturers.
According to most recent court documents there are at least 156 product liability lawsuits centralized before Judge Kennelly. According to legal experts, several thousand lawsuits will be filed against the different manufacturers.
Shezad Malik is an Internal Medicine and Cardiology specialist, a Texas Medical Doctor (retired) and Defective Medical Device and Dangerous Drug Attorney. Dr. Shezad Malik Law Firm has offices based in Fort Worth and Dallas and represents people who have suffered catastrophic and serious personal injuries including wrongful death, caused by the negligence or recklessness of others.
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