A Pennsylvania woman has joined the litigation over allegations that Benicar can cause “sprue-like enteropathy,” which can mimic the symptoms of celiac disease.

So many Benicar lawsuits have been filed over sprue-like enteropathy that the legal system has created a multi district litigation, or MDL, to coordinate them.

Plaintiff Veronica S.’s Benicar lawsuit claims that she took Benicar in 2006 and developed serious side effects from it. Her Benicar lawsuit also alleges that her symptoms were diagnosed as IBS.

The Benicar alleges that Benicar can cause sprue-like enteropathy, and that the makers of Benicar did not sufficiently warn the public of this side effect.

According to the master Benicar lawsuit, Benicar can cause sprue-like enteropathy, but most patients did not have any way of knowing this until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) demanded label changes for Benicar in 2013. The Benicar lawsuit alleges that many Benicar patients took Benicar for years, despite chronic diarrhea and dangerous weight loss.

Sprue-like enteropathy is a constellation of symptoms that mimic celiac disease symptoms, including chronic diarrhea and dangerous weight loss. In celiac disease, an allergic reaction to certain foods inflames certain tissues in the small intestine. This causes painful diarrhea and makes it harder to get nutrients and energy out of food.

Most patients who have celiac disease can control the condition with a strict exclusion diet. But a significant minority suffer from celiac disease symptoms even while avoiding foods that can cause the reaction. Because of this, Benicar lawsuits allege that many patients could not have discovered that their sprue-like enteropathy was alleged caused by Benciar.

The Benicar lawsuit cites case studies and alleges that patients taking the blood pressure medication suffered for months, in some cases years with sprue-like enteropathy from Benicar. This included patients who allegedly suffered from dramatic, dangerous weight loss.

One of the cited case reports stated that a patient lost 35 pounds. Another of the case reports in the Benicar lawsuit states that a patient had to be fed by IV due to sprue-like enteropathy.

On top of this, Benicar lawsuits allege that the makers of Benicar, a Japanese drugmaker called Daiichi Sankyo, has sunk billions into marketing Benicar, despite the risk of sprue-like enteropathy. The master Benicar lawsuit states that Daiichi Sankyo spent more than a billion dollars promoting Benicar between 2002 and 2008.

This Benicar lawsuit seeks compensation due to the painful and debilitating symptoms of sprue-like enteropathy, diagnosed as IBS, as well as money lost from medical downtime, compensation for severe pain, and other costs allegedly stemming from Benicar side effects.

The Benicar Lawsuit is Veronica S. Vs. Daiichi Sankyo Incorporated, et al, Case No. 8612, filed within the larger Benicar MDL In Re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606,  in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage.