AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb are facing a new Farxiga lawsuit from a West Virginia couple alleging the medication caused further complications to the plaintiff’s health.

According to the Farxiga lawsuit, the woman ingested the diabetes medication without any previous knowledge of the drug’s link to diabetic ketoacidosis. This alleged concealment may have resulted in the woman’s development of diabetic ketoacidosis, as she was not aware of all the drug’s potential side effects.

Plaintiffs Louella D. and Jonathan D. are filing this Farxiga lawsuit together, with Louella alleging she developed diabetic ketoacidosis as a result of using the medication. Louella was prescribed Farxiga to help control her blood sugar levels, as well as other type-2 diabetes symptoms.

Farxiga is supposed to reduce blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c levels, which would ultimately prevent diabetic attack. Farxiga was approved by the FDA in Jan. 8, 2014, making it one of the most recent additions to the SGLT2 (Sodium-Glucose Contransporter 2) inhibitor medication class.

These medications work by lowering blood sugar levels in adult patients by expelling excess sugar through urination. Combined with diet and exercise, Farxiga and other SGLT2 inhibitors are supposed to give patients an uninterrupted lifestyle.

Overview of Farxiga lawsuit

Louella says she was prescribed Farxiga in June 2014, and used the medication according to her doctor’s advice and medication instructions. Even with this diligence, it was not long before Louella began experiencing odd symptoms that were not mentioned on the medication’s warning label.

Louella was eventually diagnosed with severe diabetic ketoacidosis on Sept. 5, 2015, and had to be hospitalized for several days. Even though Louella was discharged from the hospital, she still continues to contend with the symptoms of type-2 diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis.

The plaintiffs are filing this Farxiga lawsuit alleging the companies either knew or should have known about the potential complications their medication could cause.

The FDA warned the general public and medical community that Farxiga and other SGLT2 inhibitors may cause diabetic ketoacidosis and kidney failure on May 15, 2015, after receiving a troubling amount of reports of injuries.

The FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) reportedly received 20 cases of SGLT2 inhibitor ketoacidosis or ketosis between March 2013 and June 2014. Each of the patients was hospitalized or had to go to the emergency room for ketoacidosis treatment.

Ketoacidosis occurs when the blood becomes too acidic due to insufficient insulin amounts in the body. Without insulin, the body is forced to metabolize fat instead of sugar and makes the blood too acidic for the kidneys to handle. This is a potentially deadly condition that should be treated promptly and can lead to kidney failure.

At all times relevant, Louella used the medication for its intended purpose and did not deviate from prescription instructions. Louella and Jonathan are filing this Farxiga lawsuit citing multiple counts of negligence and failure to warn.

Louella states she never would have used Farxiga if she had known about the drug’s alleged link to diabetic ketoacidosis.

This Farxiga Lawsuit is  Case No. 1:17-cv-06750, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.