An Illinois woman recently filed a Lipitor lawsuit in federal court, alleging she developed type-2 diabetes after using Lipitor, the popular Pfizer-manufactured cholesterol managing drug. It is one of thousands of similar Lipitor type-2 diabetes lawsuits consolidated in South Carolina Court as part of the Lipitor multidistrict litigation.

Plaintiff Alva W., age 63, is suing Pfizer Inc. for her personal injuries related to her development of Lipitor type-2 diabetes. According to the Lipitor lawsuit, Alva began taking the cholesterol medication in 2007 and continued to take the drug as prescribed until 2010.

Sometime during March 2010, Alva was allegedly diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, which she claims is a direct result of her use of Lipitor. According to the Lipitor lawsuit, “As a direct, proximate and foreseeable result of Defendants actions or inactions, Plaintiff suffered grievous bodily injury and consequently economic and other losses, including but not limited to pain and suffering, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life.”

Alva brings several allegations against Pfizer in this type-2 diabetes lawsuit, including claims of negligence, failure to warn, breach of implied warranties, fraud and misrepresentation, constructive fraud, unjust enrichment, and punitive damages.

Alva has asked the court for a jury trial for this Lipitor type-2 diabetes lawsuit.

The Lipitor Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-01967-RMG, in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Charleston Division.

It is part of the Lipitor Type-2 Diabetes MDL known as In re: Lipitor (Atorvastin Calcium) Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2:14-mn-02502-RMG, in the same U.S. District Court.

Type-2 Diabetes and Lipitor Users

According to reports, over 4,000 women thus far have reported developing Lipitor type-2 diabetes after taking the Lipitor cholesterol treatment. As a result of this alleged Lipitor side effect, many of these women have filed Lipitor lawsuits against Pfizer, seeking compensation for injuries and damages incurred by their Lipitor type-2 diabetes diagnosis. The majority of these Lipitor lawsuits have been consolidated in the Lipitor MDL in South Carolina federal court, which should facilitate more efficient coordination of pretrial proceedings for these cases.

Back in August 2011, the FDA issued a notice requiring Pfizer to include new type-2 diabetes risk warning on their Lipitor marketing and labeling to be included with other Lipitor side effects. A year later, the agency also published a general mandate to all statin drug manufacturers besides Pfizer to include a type-2 diabetes warning. Pfizer delayed complying with the FDA marketing and labeling mandate until February 2012, at which time Lipitor products finally featured the type-2 diabetes risk.

While this Lipitor labeling action benefits current and future Lipitor consumers by informing them of the type-2 diabetes risk, it does not reverse the Lipitor side effects many women consumers allegedly developed before the 2012 update. As a result, many of these consumers have filed Lipitor lawsuits, seeking justice for their personal injuries related to their development of type-2 diabetes.