An Indiana resident filed a Benicar lawsuit against drug manufacturers Daiichi Sankyo Pharmaceuticals and Forest Laboratories LLC., alleging the companies failed to adequately test their hypertension medication Benicar (olmesartan) and exposed consumers to a defective and dangerous drug.

Plaintiff Olean R. claims in the Benicar lawsuit that he was injured as a result of using olmesartan, a medication prescribed to treat hypertension. According to Olean, Benicar side effects caused him to develop serious gastrointestinal injuries including sprue-like enteropathy and chronic diarrhea.  These injuries allegedly sustained by the plaintiff required multiple hospitalizations.

The Benicar sprue-like enteropathy lawsuit further alleges the drug companies engaged in falsely advertising and promoting misleading information on Benicar side effects despite knowing that the drug was inefficiently tested and that its harmful side effects outweighed any potential benefits.

The Benicar lawsuit filed by Olean is seeking compensatory, exemplary, and punitive damages, due to the defendants’ alleged negligence in marketing olmesartan as a safe and effective treatment for high blood pressure.

Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories developed and marketed the popular prescription medication Benicar to treat high blood pressure and hypertension. The drug is designed to block angiotension II, allowing a patient’s blood vessels to expand, thereby reducing blood pressure.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Benicar for sale in April 2002. Since then it has become the most widely-prescribed blood pressure medication in the United States.

Benicar Sprue-Like Enteropathy

In 2012, researchers at the Mayo Clinic published a case study identifying 22 other people who took olmesartan and developed sprue-like enteropathy. Of the 18 patients who had follow-up biopsies of their intestines performed after discontinuing Benicar treatment, all of them showed signs of improvement.

A year later, the FDA issued a drug safety communication that Benicar side effects may include sprue-like enteropathy after investigating over 20 adverse event reports of patients who had been diagnosed with the condition after using the drug. The agency found that symptoms of sprue-like enteropathy can develop months or years after the start of treatment.

Some of the Benicar consumers involved in the FDA investigation required hospitalization, but when these same patients discontinued use of the drug all reported improvement almost immediately.

Benicar Lawsuits

A growing number of patients who were injured after taking Benicar have filed lawsuits against Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories, claiming these companies had a duty to protect the public by properly conducting testing before releasing the drug.

More than 200 of these Benicar lawsuits alleging the blood pressure drug caused serious gastrointestinal side effects have been consolidated in New Jersey federal court under U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler.

In addition to the growing number of federal lawsuits included in this MDL, there are also at least 59 Benicar lawsuits pending at the state level in New Jersey. Like the claims in the MDL, these lawsuits were filed based on allegations that patients suffered the effects of sprue-like enteropathy, including chronic diarrhea, as a result of Benicar side effects they were not sufficiently warned about.

Many Benicar users were misdiagnosed with celiac disease because Benicar side effects were not made known. That allegedly caused many to suffer for a prolonged period, and for some led to permanent intestinal damage.

If you or someone you love suffered Benicar side effects such as  sprue-like enteropathy after using the hypertension drug, you may be eligible to join a Benicar lawsuit to obtain compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages.

The Benicar Lawsuit is Case No: 1:15-MD-2606, in the U.S. District Court District of New Jersey. The Benicar MDL is In Re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606.