A Maryland couple is suing AbbVie Inc. for injuries the husband allegedly sustained from using the testosterone supplement AndroGel. William Blades and his wife allege that as a direct result of using AndroGel, he suffered multiple blood clot injuries to his lungs and legs.

Blades was prescribed with AndroGel to treat his fading testosterone levels, and had used it according to the prescription’s instructions and doctor’s approval.  Blades had requested AndroGel because of the advertisements he had seen, describing the product to be ideal treatment for his problem.  Blades said he had taken multiple doses of AndroGel in two settings: one on December 28, 2007 and the other on June 9, 2008.

From both these instances, he formed multiple blood clots and suffered injury to his lungs and legs.  It was not until January 2014 that Blade became aware that AndroGel had caused his blood-clot injuries when he saw televised commercial about their association.  Prior to this commercial, Blades and his wife were unaware of any connection that the testosterone supplement had with blood-clot injuries; he now has pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.

Before being prescribed AndroGel, Blades had no history of cardiac complications, but is now prescribed blood-thinners to help control the clotting.  Due to this need for medical assistance, Blades medical bills have increased significantly, his AndroGel lawsuit says.

There were no warnings or indications on the drug’s label, nor had the defendant company notified the couple in any way of these potential consequences, the AndroGel lawsuit continues.  Blades asserted that if he had known about the possibility of blood-clot injuries, he never would have taken the medication.

So for being directly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing an allegedly dangerous drug, Blades and his wife are suing AbbVie Inc.  The charges include negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

Overview of Testosterone Complications

AndroGel  was first approved by the FDA in 1999, when it was still being developed by Unimed Pharmaceuticals Inc.  The parent company of the defendant, Abbot Laboratories, acquired the company and the rights to their products in 2010.  Abbot then created AbbVie, which is comprised of the company’s pharmaceutical products. AndroGel was marketed, sold, and prescribed as testosterone replacement therapy.  The advertisements for this product described the product as a quick and simple solution for men with diminishing testosterone levels.

Testosterone is a primary androgenic hormone responsible for the growth and development of sex organs, and the upkeep of secondary sex characteristics.  This hormone is vital in the role of sperm production, fat distribution, maintenance of muscle strength and mass, and sex drive. Medical experts state that men past the age of 30 begin to lose testosterone.   Abbvie and several other pharmaceutical companies have invented various remedies for that.  However, some of these testosterone supplements come with potentially serious side effect that patients and physicians were not told about.

AndroGel has been found to cause severe blood-clot injuries including myocardial infarction, stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis and death.  Alarmingly, in some patient populations, AndroGel use may increase the likelihood of complications and death by more than 500 percent.  Additionally, since the approval of AndroGel, AbbVie has tried to convince primary care physicians that low testosterone levels are widely under-diagnosed, and that some conditions unrelated to hormone lowering, could be caused by low testosterone levels.

Testosterone Litigation Movement

This case is labeled as: William and Catherine Blades vs. AbbVie Inc., Case No. 1:14-cv-01471, in the United States District Court of Northern Illinois, Eastern Division.