Ashley Milano  |  October 24, 2014

Category: Legal News

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benicarA Benicar lawsuit was filed in a Montana court against Daiichi Sankyo Pharmaceuticals and Forest Laboratories LLC alleging the companies disregarded the public’s safety by not disclosing the full nature and extent of the risk and side effects associated with using Benicar.

Plaintiff Doris Van Dyke claims that she was injured as a result of her use of Benicar, a medication prescribed to treat her high blood pressure. According to Van Dyke, Benicar caused her to suffer dangerous and debilitating gastrointestinal problems, including severe dehydration, weight loss, nausea, and acute kidney injuries, for which she was hospitalized twice.

The Benicar lawsuit further alleges Daiichi Sankyo knew and, in fact, advertised and promoted the use of Benicar despite its failure to test or otherwise determine the safety and efficacy of such use.

What is Benicar?

Benicar is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It is sometimes given together with other blood pressure medications. It lowers high blood pressure in patients by helping the blood vessels in the body to widen and preventing constriction of the vessels. Benicar is one of eight marketed ARB drugs, and the only one linked to sprue-like enteropathy.

An estimated 1.9 million people received prescriptions for Benicar or a related drug in 2012, and about 10.6 million prescriptions for Benicar products were dispensed altogether that year. It is the third highest selling ARB blood pressure medication on the market.

FDA Warns Benicar Use May Cause Enteropathy, GI Side Effects

In July 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Benicar would receive a label update to reflect the risk of sprue-like enteropathy. According to the FDA’s drug safety communication, this GI disorder can cause symptoms that include severe, chronic diarrhea with substantial weight loss. The condition may take months or years to develop and may require hospitalization, the agency said.

The link between Benicar and enteropathy was first uncovered in 2012. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic found that over a three year period, 22 patients taking Benicar displayed symptoms suggestive of celiac disease. However, blood tests for the patients did not support this diagnosis.

When patients stopped taking the drug, their GI symptoms improved, according to one of the authors of the study. Several months later, researchers from the American College of Gastroenterology noted that olmesartan, the active ingredient in Benicar, had been linked to an additional 40 cases of sprue-like enteropathy.

The Benicar GI Disorder Lawsuit is Doris L. Van Dyke and Willis E. Van Dyke v. Daiichi Sanko Inc. et al., Case No. 1:14-cv-00137-SPW-CSO, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, Billings Division.

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 Benicar class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Benicar lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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