Daiichi Sankyo Pharmaceuticals and Forest Laboratories LLC face a new Benicar lawsuit that alleges the companies concealed the dangers of the blood pressure drug.

Plaintiff Pamela B., an Ohio resident, claims in her Benicar lawsuit that she was injured as a result of her use of Benicar, a medication prescribed to treat her high blood pressure. Benicar is manufactured, marketed, and distributed by Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories.

According to Pamela, Benicar caused her to suffer from a serious intestinal disorder called sprue-like enteropathy, chronic diarrhea, malnourishment and severe weight loss that required hospitalization on multiple occasions.

The Benicar lawsuit further alleges Daiichi Sankyo knew and, in fact, advertised and promoted the use of Benicar despite its failure to test or otherwise determine the safety and efficacy of such use. Allegedly as a direct and proximate result of Daiichi Sankyo’s widespread promotional activity, physicians began commonly prescribing Benicar as safe and effective.

Benicar Overview

Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo Inc. developed the popular prescription medication Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil) to treat high blood pressure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Benicar for commercial sale in April 2002. Since then it has become the most widely prescribed blood pressure medication in the country.

Benicar is an angiotension II receptor blocker (ARB). Many patients can trace their high blood pressure to the effects of angiotension II, which can cause blood vessels to narrow. Benicar is designed to block angiotension II, allowing a patient’s blood vessels to expand. This can reduce blood pressure.

Side Effects of Benicar

There are more serious injuries associated with Benicar as well. Some patients who took Benicar report developing serious intestinal problems. Chronic diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, severe weight loss, and malnutrition are signs that something may be wrong.

Many patients require hospitalization, and some develop more serious complications. Both patients and doctors have reported cases where stopping Benicar use caused patients to recover.

A 2012 article published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings concluded that Benicar is associated with a serious intestinal condition called severe sprue-like enteropathy.

In July 2013, the FDA announced Benicar would receive a label update to reflect the risk of sprue-like enteropathy. According to the FDA’s drug safety communication, this GI disorder can cause symptoms that include severe, chronic diarrhea with substantial weight loss. The condition may take months or years to develop and may require hospitalization, the agency said.

Benicar Lawsuits

A growing number of patients who were injured after taking Benicar have sued the manufacturers, Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories, claiming these companies had a duty to protect the public and properly conduct research and testing before making Benicar available to the public.

The Benicar lawsuit, which was filed on Dec. 5, is seeking all compensatory, exemplary, and punitive damages, along with court fees for Daichii Sankyo’s alleged negligence in failing to provide proper warnings regarding the severity of Benicar’s side effects. The Benicar lawsuit indicates a demand for a jury trial for this case.

The Benicar Sprue-Like Enteropathy Lawsuit is Case No. 5:14-cv-02671-JRA, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.