Lawsuit Alleges Lipitor Causes Type-2 Diabetes

Charlotte T. Kearnes has filed a Lipitor lawsuit against Pfizer Inc., alleging that the cholesterol medication caused her to develop type-2 diabetes.Kearnes began taking the Lipitor in March 2005. According to her Lipitor lawsuit, she took the drug as indicated and under the supervision of a physician. Kearnes was prescribed the drug as a preventative measure to lower her LDL (“bad cholesterol”) levels and prevent heart disease. Per the Lipitor lawsuit, part of her decision to take the drug was based on claims by Pfizer that Lipitor was safe and could reduce her risk of developing heart disease.

In August 2009, Kearnes was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, a disorder in which the body stops responding to insulin and begins to have trouble controlling blood sugar levels. Because of this diagnosis, Kearnes will have to undergo regular testing of her blood sugar levels, take medicine and adhere to an exercise regimen. Diabetes also has a risk of serious complications, including the risk of heart disease, blindness and a condition called neuropathy. In neuropathy, poor circulation in the extremities – a symptom of diabetes – causes nerves and other tissue in the fingers and toes to die. This dead tissue can rot and require amputation.

The Lipitor lawsuit alleges that the manufacturers of the drug were aware, or reasonably should have been aware, of the risk of developing type-2 diabetes associated with their drug. The Lipitor diabetes lawsuit further asserts that not only was Pfizer aware of these risks, but that they actively downplayed them, preventing patients and their prescribing physicians from having all of the information they needed to make informed medical decisions. To support this assertion, the Lipitor lawsuit states that a division of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) mandated changes to Lipitor’s labeling to advise patients of the risk of developing diabetes. In response, Pfizer added the phrase “Increases in HbA1c and fasting serum glucose levels have been reported with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, including LIPITOR.” Per the text of the complaint, the new language is unclear, and does not even use the phrase “diabetes.” The Lipitor lawsuit further asserts that Kearnes would have never used the drug had she been aware of the risk of developing diabetes associated with it.

The Lipitor diabetes lawsuit is formally titled Charlotte T. Kearnes v. Pfizer Inc., Case No. 3:13-cv-154, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.

Free Help for Women who Took Lipitor & Developed Diabetes

If you’re a woman who took Lipitor, or you know a woman who took Lipitor, and later developed type-2 diabetes, you have legal options. Please visit the Lipitor Diabetes Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a seasoned Lipitor lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation. You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees. The Lipitor attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.