A Benicar lawsuit is joining the pending multidistrict litigation involving Daiichi Sankyo Pharmaceuticals and Forest Laboratories over allegations that the companies’ failed to disclose the full nature and extent of the risks and side effects associated with using the drug.

Plaintiff William T. of Michigan claims that he began taking Benicar to treat his high blood pressure in December 2005 and was injured as a result.

According to William, Benicar side effects caused him to suffer dangerous, personal injuries including severe chronic diarrhea, extreme weight loss, severe malnutrition, nausea and vomiting along with the serious gastrointestinal complications sprue-like enteropathy and villous atrophy.

The Benicar lawsuit further alleges Daiichi Sankyo knew and, in fact, advertised and promoted the use of Benicar despite its failure to test or otherwise determine the safety and efficacy of such use.

What is Benicar?

Benicar is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It is sometimes given together with other blood pressure medications.

It lowers high blood pressure in patients by helping the blood vessels in the body to widen and prevent constriction of the vessels.  This blood pressure drug is one of eight marketed ARB drugs, and the only one linked to sprue-like enteropathy, according to the FDA.

Benicar Side Effects and Complications

Benicar may cause a severe adverse event affecting the gastrointestinal system known as sprue-like enteropathy in some patients. Sprue-like enteropathy causes severe symptoms that are similar to Celiac disease but the patient does not have and will test negative for Celiac disease. GI symptoms caused by Benicar include:

• Severe abdominal pain
• Severe and chronic diarrhea
• Nutrient malabsorption
• Significant weight loss

Doctors will often test for Celiac disease when a patient reports these symptoms. Unfortunately, in some cases even if Benicar is discontinued, the patient will continue to suffer from the gastrointestinal illness and they will not respond to traditional Celiac regimens.

Some patients have suffered with the illness for multiple years, seen multiple physicians and may have been hospitalized for the illness.

In addition, some patients may have permanent injury to the gastrointestinal system with a condition known as “villous atrophy” which results in a permanent lack of ability in the GI system to absorb nutrients.

Some cases of villous atrophy may be so severe that the small intestine allows larger undigested food particles to pass into the blood stream. These particles can cause a severe immune reaction, resulting in body-wide inflammation and a number of food sensitivities

Benicar Lawsuits

The number of Benicar lawsuits has surged to more than 1,000, according to statistics released by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML). The cases are coordinated in federal court in New Jersey for pretrial proceedings (MDL No. 2606), overseen by U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler.

The litigation, established in April with just 35 Benicar lawsuits, now stands at 1,067 filed complaints as of September 2015.

All of these Benicar lawsuits accuse drug-makers Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories of failing to adequately study Benicar or warn about the risk of sprue-like enteropathy and other serious Benicar side effects.

Some plaintiffs also claim that marketing materials for Benicar were misleading.

If you or someone you love was diagnosed with Celiac disease or sprue-like enteropathy after using Benicar, 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-cv-07922-RBK-JS in the U.S. District Court District of New Jersey Camden Vicinage and the Benicar MDL is In Re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606.