Rezulin Lawsuit News
Recent Rezulin Developments
April 22, 2003
Rezulin fraud suit surfaces again
Rezulin Type II diabetes drug was seen as progress in treatment
options when it was first introduced to the market in 1997. Forced
to make Rezulin labeling changes several times, Rezulin was associated
to liver failure and liver injury, leading up to the March 2000
announcement of a Rezulin recall.
A fraud suit was brought against Rezulin drug makers by health
insurance companies that charged the Rezulin company continued to
claim it was safe despite reporting to the FDA that 31 Rezulin users
had died in a 6-month period in 1998 and that the Rezulin company
continued to lie as more and more adverse Rezulin reports were made.
A Southern District of New York judge had dismissed the Rezulin
case in October 2001. Now, the 2nd U.S. circuit Court of Appeals
has reversed the decision. The 2nd Circuit court disagreed with
the previous judge’s decision, a victory for Rezulin users
that had suffered serious and deadly Rezulin side effects.
April 18, 2003
Hispanics informed of Rezulin lawsuit rights
A high number of diabetic patients that used Rezulin prior to the
March 2000 recall have been filing Rezulin lawsuits for the deadly
and serious effects Rezulin caused. A June 2002 L.A. Times article
was written stating legal documents exist showing that Warner Lambert
targeted Latinos while marketing Rezulin, as well as paying doctors
to have their diabetic patients switch to using Rezulin. Now, Hispanic
Rezulin patients are becoming better informed of how the judicial
system can help recover damages for the serious Rezulin side effects
suffered.
April 3, 2003
Manhattan jury rules against Rezulin company
A $2 million verdict favored a former Rezulin patient that suffered
Rezulin side effects, unanimously deciding there was “clear
and convincing” evidence showing Warner-Lambert misrepresented
or omitted Rezulin material information to physicians. At the time
of the Rezulin recall there had been around one hundred people that
either died or suffered from acute liver failure that required liver
transplant because of Rezulin diabetes drug. Pfizer (which acquired
Warner-Lambert in June 2000) is appealing the Rezulin decision.
The world’s largest drug maker, Pfizer has had thousands of
Rezulin lawsuits filed against the company.
March 31, 2003
Rezulin class action lawsuit denied
In September 2002, U.S. judge denied a nationwide Rezulin class
action lawsuit and now a California appeals court denied a Rezulin
class action lawsuit for California residents as well. Although
this may appear a small victory for Pfizer, the world’s largest
drug company has had thousands of Rezulin lawsuits filed against
them, paying $11.5 million, $23.6 million, and $2 million for Rezulin
lawsuits the company lost, in addition to paying $43 million to
settle.
Rezulin News Articles
From CNN
February 8, 2001
General Accounting Office finds Rezulin fatalities more common
amongst women patients.
The GAO found that eight out of ten of the prescription drugs FDA
recalled since January 1, 1997 may have greater health risks amongst
women than men. Two thirds of the Rezulin deaths due to liver
failure were women, but this may be attributed to the fact that
Rezulin was prescribed to more women than men. For more information,
please contact
us to speak with a Rezulin attorney.
October 16, 2000
New medication for type-2 diabetes reported by the MayoClinic.
Rezulin was pulled from the market
in March 2000 due to the Rezulin liver failures resulting in death
that was occurring. Since then rosiglitazone and pioglitazone that
offer the same benefits as Rezulin without the same risk. Rezulin
is linked to at least 60 deaths.
For more information, please contact
us to speak with a Rezulin attorney.
March 22, 2000
Diabetes drug Rezulin recalled.
Rezulin is linked to at least 63 liver poisoning deaths and has
been used by at least 750,000 Americans when the FDA ordered the
Rezulin recall. The FDA is urging
all Rezulin patients to see their doctors before completely discontinuing
the use of the drug. Two new drugs Avandia and Actos are said to
offer the same benefits as Rezulin without the dangerous Rezulin
side effects. The manufacturer
of Rezulin, Warner-Lambert removed the diabetes drug after the FDA
requested it but continued to say they are confident in the safety
of their drug. Currently, there have been numerous Rezulin lawsuit
settlements because of the liver failure deaths associated to the
drug. For more information, please contact
us to speak with a Rezulin attorney.
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March 22, 2000
FDA questioned about approving diabetes drug Rezulin knowing
the toxic side effects from the start.
The FDA finally convinced Warner-Lambert to pull
Rezulin from the U.S. market after the 63 Rezulin liver failures
resulted in death and 90 cases of liver
failure. The FDA is under scrutiny because people are wondering
why the FDA approved Rezulin with speed when they knew about the
toxic side effects the diabetes drug can lead to. For more information,
please contact us to speak with
a Rezulin attorney.
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June 17, 1999
Stricter controls on diabetes drug Rezulin is FDA placed.
The FDA placed stricter controls on the diabetes drug Rezulin saying
doctors should use the drug as only a last resort for patients who
do not respond to other therapies. The FDA also noted that Rezulin
should not be used alone but along with other diabetes drugs like
insulin. In March 1999, the advisory committee investigated the
link between Rezulin and 40 cases of liver
failure, including 28 deaths and until now has been considering
the stricter controls. The FDA indicated that Warner-Lambert must
send letters to doctors informing them of the new requirements regarding
Rezulin. For more information, please contact
us to speak with a Rezulin attorney.
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March 26, 1999
The FDA advisory committee recommended the continued use of Rezulin
despite the controversial diabetes drug that has been linked to
28 deaths.
The panel ruled Rezulin would stay on the market but with limitations
that include:
- Rezulin should be used only with other diabetes drugs, like
insulin, unless there is no other therapy that works for the patient.
- New labeling must be included, as well as new patient education
program designed to emphasize the risks of Rezulin liver damage
and/or death.
- Frequent monitoring of the liver in Rezulin patients.
The director of Public Citizen, Sidney Wolfe said that, "every
additional month on the market for Rezulin means longer duration
of therapy for hundreds of thousands of patients with concomitant
increased risk of liver damage and possible death or the need for
transplantation because of liver failure." Rezulin has already
been taken off the market in Britain in December 1997. The FDA committee
is under scrutiny because some of the scientific advisers that conducted
research were financed in some way by Warner-Lambert. For more information,
please contact us to speak with
a Rezulin attorney.
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March 26, 1999
FDA panel reviews Rezulin.
Rezulin diabetes drug has been under FDA review due to the risks
associated to Rezulin. The popular diabetes drug has been linked
to 28 deaths so far. Rezulin is
taken by 750,000 Americans that suffer from type-2 diabetes. For
more information, please contact us
to speak with a Rezulin attorney.
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March 25, 1999
The FDA panel reviews Rezulin diabetes drug linked to numerous
deaths.
The FDA advisory committee will meet to review the safety issue
of diabetes drug Rezulin that was seen as a wonder drug. Now linked
to 28 deaths a health researcher at George Washington University
thinks, "this drug simply does not show benefits to outweigh
its risks. As we focus on those risks,
it tells us that this drug does not belong on the market today."
Rezulin has been used by more than 1.5 million people and has been
one of Warner-Lambert's best selling drugs. In 1998 they had $750
million in sales from Rezulin alone. For more information, please
contact us to speak with a Rezulin
attorney.
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December 2, 1998
New diabetes drug Rezulin is linked to 33 deaths.
CNN confirmed the Los Angeles Times Sunday report on Rezulin's link
to 33 deaths. An FDA official said that Rezulin is a highly toxic
and potentially fatal drug that must be closely monitored. Rezulin,
manufactured by Warner-Lambert was FDA approved on the "fast
track" approval process in January 1997, allowing Rezulin to
be approved in just six months opposed to the years it normally
takes. The FDA felt the "fast track" approval process
was warranted because of the seriousness of the diabetes disease.
Other FDA officials that were involved in the Rezulin review process
noted the serious Rezulin side effects,
including nausea, fatigue, jaundice, and irreversible liver failure.
Recommendations to doctors were sent by the FDA to test Rezulin
patients for liver damage every month for the first eight months
and then every two months after the first year. While the FDA said
they stick to these recommendations, later on the FDA ended up changing
the Rezulin label four times, increasing the restrictions on liver
damage testing each time up until the Rezulin recall in March 2000.
For more information, please contact
us to speak with a Rezulin attorney.
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