A new lawsuit has joined the Benicar multidistrict litigation (MDL) in progress at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage.

The lawsuits against Daiichi Sankyo, manufacturer of Benicar, were consolidated in April of last year starting with 15 cases. As of the most recent report released on March 15, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation lists the total number of pending lawsuits in the Benicar MDL as 1,235.

Plaintiff Bonnie B., a Utah resident, is a 76-year-old woman who states she began taking Benicar (olmesartan) and/or Benicar HCT in March 2011. Bonnie claims she sustained both injury to herself as a result of her use of Benicar and Benicar HCT, as well as economic loss.

As a result of taking Benicar and Benicar HCT, Bonnie suffered from “Chronic and severe diarrhea; excessive weight loss, nausea; dehydration; vomiting; psychological damage; severe mental and/or physical pain; economic loss; abdominal pain; olmesartan-associated enteropathy; symptoms and problems diagnosed as diverticulosis; sprue-like enteropathy; electrolyte imbalance; need for medical monitoring; lost earnings and earning capacity; past, present and future medical expenses; impairment; pain and suffering; emotional distress; loss of enjoyment of life; all noneconomic damages available and established by the evidence; and all damages claimed in the prayer for relief portion of the Master Long Form Complaint.”

Bonnie brought forth 15 counts against Daiichi Sankyo including product liability for design defect and failure to warn, multiple counts of negligence, negligent design, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, multiple counts of fraud, breach of express and implied warranties, unjust enrichment, violation of Utah State Consumer Protection Law and punitive damages.

Bonnie is seeking a jury trial for her lawsuit.

The Benicar HCT Lawsuit is Case No 1:16-cv-00481-RBK-JS in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage and the Benicar MDL is In Re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606.

Side Effects of Benicar

Benicar and Benicar HCT are medications used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) in adults. The medication works by dilating the blood vessels in the body, allowing the blood to travel more freely in the vessels and reducing the strain on the heart.

Some patients report experiencing mild side effects from Benicar, such as joint pain, muscle pain, back pain, weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness, mild rash and upper respiratory infections.

However, other patients, such as Bonnie, have experienced severe and even life-threatening side effects of Benicar. These Benicar side effects are linked to gastrointestinal function, which in turn can have systemic effects.

Sprue-like enteropathy is one such Benicar side effect. It causes a condition that mimics Celiac disease, a severe allergy to gluten, the protein in wheat, barley and rye. Another side effect is villous atrophy, a condition that damages the villi, or finger-like projections of the small intestines, leading to malabsorption.

Chronic diarrhea is another severe Benicar side effect. More than an annoyance, the diarrhea associated with Benicar can cause severe malnutrition, weight loss, electrolyte imbalance and dehydration leading to the hospitalization of some patients.

A patient’s digestion can be permanently impaired with these conditions, and their overall health compromised due to the inability to receive proper nutrition.

Filing a Benicar Lawsuit

Patients who have taken Benicar or Benicar HCT and who have gone on to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer have alleged that the drug manufacturer did not sufficiently warn them about the serious side effects of the drug.

Filing a Benicar lawsuit such as this can assist patients in potentially receiving compensation for their injuries and losses, and also helps hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the products they sell.

If you have taken Benicar or Benicar HCT and developed severe gastrointestinal side effects, you can consult with one of our attorneys at no charge to see if filing a lawsuit is right for you.