Lawsuits Linking Low T Drugs with Heart Attacks Proceed

Low T drugs have become increasingly popular in recent years among men who suffer from low testosterone levels. However, evidence of a link between low T drugs and heart attacks and strokes has spurred hundreds of lawsuits.

Now more than 20 men who say they were harmed by AndroGel testosterone replacement therapy will have their day in court with trials against drug manufacturer AbbVie scheduled through early next year.

As well as two cases set to go before juries in May and June, a federal judge in Chicago set 19 trial dates for lawsuits involving AndroGel.

These are bellwether cases which will have a bearing on more than 6,000 lawsuits that have been organized into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of Illinois.

The lawsuits linking low T drugs with heart attacks follow increased concerns about testosterone replacement therapy.

The lawsuits claim testosterone replacement therapy (also known as TRT) causes a greater risk of heart, attack, stroke, and deaths in men.

Two years, ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning over low T products. The watchdog said the safety of low T products has not been established and improved warnings on boxes should include warnings about the elevated stroke and heart attack risk.

Testosterone therapy includes popular treatments like Androgel, Testim, and Axiron. These drugs are meant to help boost testosterone levels in men who have a deficiency of the male hormone. Symptoms of low testosterone may include a decrease in libido and low energy.

More than 25,000 lawsuits have been filed against AbbVie, Eli Lilly & Co., Pfizer Inc., Endo International and other manufacturers of low T products, over testosterone therapy products.

The lawsuits accuse the manufacturers of these products of making inaccurate claims about the seriousness of the “Low T” condition when their treatments were approved only for a specific condition called hypogonadism.

Hypogonadism is linked to a problem in the testicles or parts of the brain that produces testosterone.

Multidistrict litigations (MDLs) are the process by which federal courts often handle large numbers of lawsuits involving similar issues and defendants.

In a case last year in Chicago, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly said the plaintiffs were not able to support their claim the drugs were defectively designed. However, the judge denied AbbVie’s effort to dismiss more serious off-label marketing claims that contend the drugs not only failed to work but increased patients’ risk of heart attack.

Kennelly ruled:

“Plaintiffs here have presented evidence sufficient to permit a reasonable jury to find that AbbVie had knowledge that its advertisements contained false or misleading statements.”

Evidence linking low T drugs with heart attacks and strokes is extremely worrying. While low testosterone can be an embarrassing and a debilitating condition, there is considerable evidence that Low T therapy is ineffective.

Worse, the big drug manufacturers appear again be putting the safety of people who use their drugs behind profits.

If you have been harmed by a dangerous drug or a medical device, you should act fast. Contact our Virginia injury lawyers at (757) 333-3333.