Ohio plaintiff Vicki C. is suing Japanese pharmaceutical giant, Daiichi Sankyo, for the injuries she allegedly suffered from using Benicar. Vicki claims that in direct result of using Benicar, she suffered severe intestinal damage, sprue-like enteropathy, and other long-lasting consequences.

Vicki was prescribed Benicar by her physician, after being diagnosed with hypertension and high blood pressure. Like millions of Americans, Vicki was susceptible to heart disease from high levels of tension or stress induced by high-blood pressure. Benicar is one of several treatment options available to treat these symptoms.

At all times relevant, Vicki followed prescription instructions and the advice of her physician regarding Benicar use, and tried to look out for any side effects mentioned on Benicar’s warning label. Despite this diligence, Vicki allegedly started experiencing dangerous side effects in the form of chronic diarrhea, sprue-like enteropathy, and extreme weight loss. Vicki’s condition deteriorated to the point where she had to be hospitalized and had to be on continuous fluids, her Benicar lawsuit alleges.

Upon being hospitalized, doctors discovered that Vicki suffered severe intestinal malabsorption, colonic disease manifestations, dehydration, severe anemia, weakness, weight loss, and acute renal failure. Vicki was hospitalized several times for these side effects, as medical care providers had not initially made the connection between Vicki’s side effects and Benicar. It is important to note that in many similar cases, physicians misdiagnosed these Benicar symptoms with Celiac disease.

The FDA issued several warnings and televised advertisements warning patients and the medical community of Benicar allegedly causing chronic diarrhea, sprue-like enteropathy, and other related symptoms. After learning of these Benicar side effects, Vicki decided to take legal action against Daiichi Sankyo for allegedly misleading her about the product’s safety and for failing to protect her against the dangers of their product.

In direct result of Benicar use, Vicki claims that she suffered completely avoidable injuries, and must remain on the look out for persisting Benicar complications. Vicki states that never would have taken Benicar if she had known about the possibility of chronic diarrhea, sprue-like enteropathy, and other such Benicar side effects. Vicki’s lawyers state that Daiichi Sankyo had the civil responsibility of protecting their client and other Benicar patients against their drug’s side effects because these consumers rely on the accuracy of the given information.

So for being allegedly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous drug, Vicki is suing Daiichi Sankyo. The charges include: negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

Overview of Benicar Complications

Benicar was first approved by the FDA on April 25, 2002, as a treatment option for hypertension and to prevent cardiac attack in high risk patients. It is manufactured by the Japanese pharmaceutical giant Daiichi Sankyo and has proven to be a successful venture in breaking into the hypertension treatment market. This is a massive target audience, with hypertension affecting nearly 72 million people, with a number of patients opting to use Benicar to manage their symptoms. Many experts believe that Daiichi Sankyo’s success was due to heavy and aggressive marketing, which also led to the company now facing mass criticism.

According to Benicar lawsuits, Daiichi Sankyo spent over $1 billion in promoting the drug in the United States between 2002 and 2008. Records indicate that the company relied heavily on face-to-face meetings with physicians, meeting events, and providing clinical samples to promote Benicar. In Benicar advertisements, the drug was described to be more efficient and faster-acting than most other hypertension treatment options. Unfortunately, none of the advertisements mentioned the severe intestinal damage that could occur when taking Benicar.

In many cases, patients have reported that their diarrhea symptoms persisted even after stopping Benicar, and had to keep themselves hydrated and be watchful of any significant weight loss. In more extreme cases, patients reported developing intestinal malabsorption, a condition in which the intestine is unable to absorb nutrients, which leads to severe weight loss and dehydration. None of these side effects were mentioned on Benicar’s label, which has led to public scrutiny and numerous Benicar lawsuits for Daiichi Sankyo.

This Benicar Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-02495-RBK-JS, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.