Plaintiff Nora Savley of the Commonwealth of West Virginia has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer, alleging that their drug Lipitor caused her to develop type-2 diabetes.

Lipitor is a type of statin, a type of drug designed to lower the levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and the total level of cholesterol in a patients’ blood. This can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, several studies and hundreds of lawsuits have alleged that the drug can also cause some patients to develop type-2 diabetes.

Type-2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder wherein patients lose the ability to control the amount of sugar in their blood stream. This can lead to serious complications, including blindness, weight gain, and gangrene. Studies have indicated that Lipitor side effects increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, especially in postmenopausal women and women over the age of 50.

According to her Lipitor lawsuit, Savley was prescribed Lipitor in 1997 and took it through 2010 in accordance with her prescription to lower her risk of cardiovascular disease. The Lipitor lawsuit states that both Savley and her physician made this decision based on marketing campaigns and drug information provided by Pfizer assuring them of the drug’s safety and efficacy.

In 2010, Savley was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. This diagnosis means that Savley will have to manage this condition for the rest of her life, and faces the risk of life-threatening complications like blindness and cardiovascular disease.

Her Lipitor diabetes lawsuit alleges that Pfizer was aware of the risks associated with Lipitor. The lawsuit further alleges that not only was Pfizer aware of these risks, but failed to warn the general public and medical community, preventing patients like Savley and doctors like her prescribing physician from having the information they needed to make informed medical decisions.

Savley’s Lipitor diabetes lawsuit seeks medical expenses, legal costs, and lost wages and other costs associated with her diabetes. The lawsuit also seeks the costs of future medical care, since diabetes is a lifelong, chronic condition.

The case is Nora Savley v. Pfizer Incorporated, Case No. 2:14-6977, filed in the United States District Court for the District of West Virginia.