Benicar Lawsuit

Benicar is a hypertension drug prescribed to treat high blood pressure. It is manufactured and sold by Forest Laboratories and Daiichi Sankyo, and was approved for consumer use in April 2002 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Commonly, high blood pressure is caused by excess amounts of angiotension II in the blood. Simply put, angiotension II causes blood vessels to contract, and thereby increases blood pressure. Benicar blocks angiotension II and thus allows blood vessels to expand and reduces blood pressure.

However, Benicar has caused severe gastrointestinal problems in many patients, resulting in chronic diarrhea, severe weight loss, nausea, and vomiting. These patients have required hospitalization to treat their intestinal problems and long-term medical care. In 2012, as more patients taking Benicar developed these intestinal problems, the Mayo Clinic conducted a study that found 100% of the 22 patients in the study taking Benicar developed severe and chronic diarrhea. When instructed to stop taking Benicar, all of the patients’ symptoms improved.

In 2013, the FDA required Benicar to revise its drug label and add a warning about the risk of spruelike enteropathy, a serious intestinal disorder. Although Benicar was promoted and sold as drug superior to its competitors in terms of safety and effectiveness, no other angiotension II receptor blocker drugs have caused these sorts of gastrointestinal side effects.

A growing number of Benicar patients who have developed intestinal disorders have begun to file lawsuits against Benicar’s manufacturers and distributers. These individuals claim that they are entitled to compensation under products liability law. Makers and distributers or all products have a duty to only put reasonably safe products into the marketplace for consumer use. Or, if a product is unsafe, they have a duty to warn consumers of the product’s risks and dangers. If a consumer is injured by a defective product, all entities in the chain of distribution are liable to the consumer for his or her injury.

Benicar patients are claiming that Forest Laboratories and Daiichi Sankyo knowingly made and sold a defective product because Benicar is either not reasonably safe, or that when it was initially made and sold, it should have been issued with a warning to patients of the risks of severe intestinal conditions. If successful, Benicar patients can recover damages for their lost wages, medical expenses, long-term care, and pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has taken Benicar and experienced negative gastrointestinal side effects, you should speak to an attorney immediately. You may be able to file a Benicar lawsuit and receive compensation for your injury. It is also important to keep a thorough record of your symptoms, doctors visits, test results, and hospitalizations.

The attorneys at the law firm of Altman & Altman are ready to assist you in this process. We are monitoring the development of Benicar lawsuits across the country and we would like to meet with you to discuss your case. All initial consultations are free and confidential. We can review your medical history and the symptoms you have experienced, and determine whether you have a case. We will then discuss the best way to proceed with your claim and get you the help and compensation you deserve.

The process of filing a lawsuit while trying to deal with an on-going and serious health condition can be stressful on you and your family. Our expert attorneys will take care of your case from start to finish so that you can focus on your recovery. Contact us at any time – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.