A Nevada woman filed a lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. for negligence and wrongful conduct with manufacturing, labeling and selling Lipitor, a drug used to decrease “bad” cholesterol. Plaintiff Doris Bosma alleges she developed type 2 diabetes in 2003 as a result of taking Lipitor.

Bosma claims in the Lipitor lawsuit that she was prescribed Lipitor to lower her levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and, as a preventive measure, to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. She took Lipitor from approximately 2000 until 2009, according to the complaint.

The Lipitor lawsuit states that the plaintiff “agreed to initiate Lipitor treatment in an effort to reduce her risk of developing heart disease.” She was described as “very healthy prior to taking Lipitor.”

The Lipitor diabetes lawsuit contends that Bosma and “her prescribing and treating physicians relied on claims made by Defendant that Lipitor has been clinically shown to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and was generally safe and effective.”

Because of her diabetes, Bosma must now undergo regular testing of her blood glucose levels, adhere to a restrictive diabetic diet, and take medication to control her diabetes. She is at a higher risk of heart disease, blindness, neuropathy, and kidney disease.

The Lipitor lawsuit contends that had Pfizer properly disclosed the risks associated with Lipitor, Bosma would have avoided the chance of getting diabetes by either not using Lipitor at all or by closely monitoring her blood glucose levels to see if the drug was adversely affecting her metabolism.

“Despite its knowledge of data indicating that Lipitor use is causally related to the development of type-2 diabetes and/or blood glucose levels diagnostic for type-2 diabetes, Defendant promoted and marketed Lipitor as safe and effective for persons such as Plaintiff, throughout the United States.” the lawsuit states.

On Aug. 11, 2011, the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requested Pfizer make labeling changes for Lipitor based upon the agency’s comprehensive review, including clinical trial data.

In February 2012, Pfizer complied with the FDA request and added the following language to its Warnings and Precautions: “Increases in HbA1c and fasting serum glucose levels have been reported with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, including Lipitor.”

Despite the February 2012 label change, Lipitor’s label still does not specifically warn consumers of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes when using Lipitor.

Bosma is seeking general damages in a sum to be determined by the court. She is also asking for compensatory, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees.

This Lipitor lawsuit is Doris Bosma v. Pfizer Inc., Case No. 2:2014cv01614, In The United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.