A testosterone product lawsuit was filed by an Illinois resident against Pfizer, alleging the company’s product, Depo-Testosterone, caused him to suffer serious health problems.

According the Depo-Testosterone lawsuit filed by Plaintiff Joseph M., direct-to-consumer marketing convinced him to talk to his doctor about “low-T,” a condition in which males produce less testosterone as they age.

This interaction led to a prescription for a Depo-Testosterone, an injectable synthetic testosterone. After taking the drug, Joseph allegedly suffered from serious complications related to a blood clot that left him permanently disabled.

According to the Depo-Testosterone lawsuit, Joseph will require lifelong follow-up care.

The Depo-Testosterone lawsuit alleges that Pfizer aggressively promoted the drug, to the point of engaging in illegal marketing practices. Allegedly, Pfizer has resorted to a practice called “disease mongering,” drumming up the idea that common, minor symptoms are a part of a serious disease that needs treating with the company’s drugs.

Allegedly, Pfizer was involved in a campaign to promote the idea that declining testosterone levels, experienced by all males as they age, is a “syndrome” called “low-T,” allowing Pfizer to sell low-T drugs like Depo-Testosterone to this newly-created market.

However, the testosterone product lawsuit alleges that Pfizer and other companies selling testosterone products have gone beyond disease mongering, and have actively promoted the drugs for purposes beyond their U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Allegedly, these tactics were employed by the direct-to-consumer marketing campaign that convinced Joseph to talk to his doctor about Low-T, which led to his prescription for Depo-Testosterone.

According to the testosterone product lawsuit, Pfizer also failed to act on evidence that testosterone products like Depo-Testosterone may cause a variety of serious health problems related to blood clots. The testosterone drug lawsuit cites research that indicates that testosterone products like Depo-Testosterone can promote changes in blood chemistry, specifically in increased hematocrit level.

It is well-known that an increased hematocrit level can promote the formation of blood clots inside the body, where they can cause harm by blocking the blood supply to critical tissues like the lungs, brain, and heart. The Depo-Testosterone lawsuit cites research that found that Depo-Testosterone can increase the risk of death and myocardial infarction (a type of heart attack caused by an errant blood clot) by more than 500 percent.

Along similar signs, researchers have found that even a slight increase in hematocrit levels can cause a 2.4-fold increase in the risk of stroke.

The Depo-Testosterone Lawsuit is Case No. 1748, within the larger testosterone products MDL In Re: Testosterone Replacement Therapy Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2545, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.