Daiichi Sankyo is facing a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL) as a new lawsuit alleging chronic diarrhea caused by Benicar has been added to the pile.

The Benicar lawsuit alleges the Japanese pharmaceutical company failed to warn the plaintiff against the drug’s potential complications, with many patients alleging chronic intestinal damage.

Texas plaintiff Sondra C. and her husband Donald are filing this Benicar lawsuit, claiming their lives and marriage were permanently compromised due to the drug’s side effects.

Sondra started using Benicar in 2002 to treat her hypertension or high blood pressure, to lower the chances of heart disease or cardiac attack. However soon after starting the medication, Sondra alleges she developed serious intestinal damage and chronic diarrhea caused by Benicar.

Other complications mentioned in the Benicar lawsuit include villous atrophy, intestinal malabsorption, rapid weight loss, malnutrition, nausea, dehydration, anemia, and cataracts.

Sondra had been hospitalized in result of these complications, and has had to monitor her weight.

Overview of Benicar Complications

Chronic diarrhea caused by Benicar has been claimed by numerous patients throughout recent years, after the FDA first announced the alleged correlation.

The warning came in July 2013, after a 2012 study had been submitted to the agency by the Mayo Clinic. The study had consisted of 22 Benicar patients, with 14 reportedly hospitalized allegedly due to weight loss and chronic diarrhea caused by Benicar.

According to the researchers of this study, they noticed a significant correlation between Benicar patients and serious gastrointestinal complications. Additional studies have found similar results, with scientists noticing that severe cases often result in chronic intestinal damage.

Oftentimes in these cases, patients will have to contend with long term nutritional absorption problems. Before the Mayo Clinic study was published, it was initially thought that these many Benicar patients were suffering Celiac disease due to the similar symptoms.

This celiac diagnosis, however, was proven wrong in the study, as none of the Benicar patients tested positive for the condition.

Since the drug’s release in 2002, Benicar has been prescribed to millions of patients suffering from hypertension and high blood pressure. This drug works by blocking the naturally occurring protein Angiotensin II, which helps blood vessels remain open and prevents them from tightening. By doing this, the stress on the cardiovascular system is greatly reduced.

Even though this medication has helped many people, Benicar has been allegedly causing serious gastrointestinal complications since its release.

Sondra’s Benicar lawsuit is being filed in MDL No. 2606, where it will stand alongside similar claims alleging chronic diarrhea caused by Benicar. Sondra states that she never would have taken Benicar, if she had known of gastrointestinal complications.

The Benicar lawsuit is Case No. 1:33-av-02606, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage.