Robert J. Boumis  |  September 2, 2014

Category: Legal News

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Benicar lawsuitsA study on Benicar side effects was recently presented at a major medical conference that bolsters claims in the rising number of Benicar lawsuits over “sprue-like enteropathy.”

The new study, yet to be published, was presented by researchers from the University of Paris and the French Health Insurance Fund. In the study, researchers analyzed data from between 2007 and 2012 from more than 4.5 million individuals, which amounted to more than 9 million patient-years of data. They found that users of the blood-pressure medicine Benicar had an almost 10-fold increase in hospitalizations for gastric problems. Additionally, the risk increased with the length of time a person used Benicar, strengthening evidence of a link. The research was presented at the Digestive Disease Week Conference in Chicago earlier this year.

The proposed mechanism is that Benicar interferes with the ability of the intestines to absorb food in some patients, causing symptoms similar to celiac disease. Once the alleged link between Benicar and irritable bowel syndrome/celiac disease symptoms came to light, some researchers have found a silver lining to the news. According to a case report published in the Case Reports in Gastrointestinal Medicine, the Benicar-celiac disease link could account for nearly a quarter of unclassified sprue-like illness, a general term for celiac disease-like symptoms that don’t quite match up with IBS or celiac disease. If these celiac disease symptoms are caused by Benicar, the normal treatments for celiac disease (e.g. avoiding gluten) usually do not improve the symptoms, leaving patients suffering.

In July, the FDA issued a warning that Benicar could cause IBS-like symptoms. For many patients, this was the first they were aware that the drug could have caused their symptoms, leading to Benicar lawsuits by patients who experienced IBS-like symptoms.

Benicar side effect lawsuits have been filed, alleging that the makers of Benicar had a duty to thoroughly test their drug and monitor post-market research and surveillance. These lawsuits have alleged that drug makers’ negligence in not alerting the public could have resulted in years of painful, debilitating symptoms that could have been resolved by switching to a different blood pressure medication. Since IBS/celiac disease have no specific medical test, physicians theoretically would have a hard time figuring out that Benicar was the real culprit in a patient’s illness.

In general, Benicar lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

Learn More

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.


Get Help – It’s Free

Join a Free Benicar Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one used Benicar for at least four months and were hospitalized for severe gastrointestinal problems, you may have a legal claim. Submit your information now for a free case evaluation.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

Oops! We could not locate your form.

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.