A recent Benicar lawsuit was filed in Washington federal court against Daiichi Sankyo Pharmaceuticals and Forest Laboratories, alleging the blood-pressure drug, Benicar, causes serious gastrointestinal complications.

Plaintiff James M., a Tacoma resident, was prescribed Benicar to treat his high blood pressure. James alleges that Benicar side effects caused him to develop serious injuries, including sprue-like enteropathy and chronic diarrhea.

According to the Benicar lawsuit, James lost over 60 pounds and was hospitalized for three weeks where he underwent invasive testing, including an endoscopy, as doctors tried to determine the cause of his debilitating symptoms. Doctors then determined that his use of Benicar allegedly caused his intestinal injuries. James ceased taking the medication, which eventually resolved his sprue-like enteropathy and chronic diarrhea symptoms after a few months.

The Benicar lawsuit further alleges that Daiichi Sankyo knew or should have known about the risk of dangerous Benicar side effects like sprue-like enteropathy, but failed to disclose the risk until after independent Benicar studies were released and the FDA issued a drug warning in 2013.

Benicar Side Effects

Benicar (olmesartan) is a prescription medication for high blood pressure. It was developed by Daiichi Sankyo, approved in 2002, and is currently sold in the United States by Forest Laboratories. Nearly 2 million people received a prescription for Benicar in 2012.

Benicar gastrointestinal side effects include a condition called sprue-like enteropathy, which can lead to severe chronic diarrhea and subsequent extreme weight loss. The popular blood pressure medication has also been linked to symptoms of celiac disease.

Based on research identifying “clear evidence of an association between olmesartan and sprue-like enteropathy,” the FDA issued an order on July 3, 2013, requiring that the makers of Benicar to revise warning labels on this drug to reflect the risk of this gastrointestinal side effect.

Sprue-like enteropathy is a gastrointestinal condition that causes the following symptoms:

• Extreme weight loss
• Vomiting
• Severe diarrhea
• Electrolyte imbalance

The correlation between sprue-like enteropathy and Benicar was first discovered in June 2012 by researchers from the Mayo Clinic. These researchers documented 22 cases of Benicar patients who were experiencing symptoms similar to those with celiac disease between 2008 and 2010. When blood tests did not support a diagnosis of celiac disease, these patients’ gastrointestinal problems were attributed to Benicar-induced sprue-like enteropathy. In October of that same year, researchers from the American College of Gastroenterology identified 40 more cases of patients using olmesartan who were diagnosed with sprue-like enteropathy.

Based on these studies, the FDA launched an investigation into 23 cases documented in the agency’s Adverse Event Reporting System, in which patients using Benicar reported suffering from late-onset chronic diarrhea and excessive weight loss. In all the cases studied, patients said their gastrointestinal side effects stopped when they stopped taking Benicar, leading the FDA to suppose a link between Benicar and sprue-like enteropathy.

Benicar Lawsuits

Individuals who have suffered personal injury as a result of Benicar gastrointestinal side effects, including sprue-like enteropathy, may have the right to pursue compensation for medical bills and other damages. Many Benicar patients, like James, and their families are seeking justice against the drug’s maker by filing Benicar lawsuits for compensation.

The Benicar Lawsuit is Case No: 3:15-cv-05273-KLS, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.