Another complaint was added to the ongoing low-t drug MDL ( low testosterone multidistrict litigation). Plaintiff Larry S., a Kentucky resident, alleged that Pfizer misrepresented the safety of Depo-Testosterone. The low-t drug lawsuit claimed the testosterone treatment led to serious testosterone side effects.

Larry is a 68-year-old man who asked for low-t treatment “based upon the representation and medical information provided to him by Pfizer through direct-to-consumer … campaigns,” according to the low-t drug lawsuit. Larry allegedly used Depo-Testosterone from April 4, 2012 through sometime in February 2014.

In February,  the plaintiff began to experience alleged testosterone side effects such as left arm weakness, nausea, vomiting, and chest pain. He was diagnosed with myocardial infarction and underwent serious surgery to treat his condition.

Larry used Depo-Testosterone and allegedly experienced serious testosterone side effects as a result of the Pfizer low-t drug. The plaintiff claimed in the low-t drug MDL that Pfizer “misrepresented” the injection’s safety and “fraudulently concealed facts and information” that could have prevented Larry’s injuries.

Testosterone Side Effects

Depo-Testosterone is a testosterone injection manufactured by Pfizer which is used to treat hypogonadism and low-t levels. Many men might believe that they need to begin low-t treatment in order to combat symptoms such as sleepiness, trouble having an erection, among others. However, many medical experts believe that these are part of the natural aging process and that testosterone treatment would not be effective for these patients.

When Depo-Testosterone was first approved, Pfizer Inc. originally told the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it would only sell the drug to men diagnosed with hypogonadism. However, one study published in 2013 suggested that men who use Depo-Testosterone and other testosterone treatments did not show signs of hypogonadism. Some patients did not even have testosterone levels tested to determine a low-t condition before being prescribed testosterone products.

In this testosterone lawsuit and the other lawsuits consolidated in the low-t drug MDL, Pfizer has been accused of marketing and selling “testosterone as a lifestyle drug meant to make men feel younger and increase libido.” Because Pfizer allegedly markets its testosterone products to men who did not truly need it, thousands may have been put at undue risk of developing testosterone side effects.

Testosterone side effects may include heart attack and other cardiovascular events. One study published in 2013 suggested that men who used testosterone treatments increased “the risk of death, heart attack, and stroke by about 30%,” according to the low-t drug MDL. While the warning label of Depo-Testosterone was updated in June 2014, Pfizer did not include any warnings about the increased risk of heart attacks or strokes when undergoing testosterone replacement therapy.

In spite of these medical opinions, testosterone use has increased dramatically over the past years, potentially putting thousands of men at risk for testosterone side effects. Because of these dangerous testosterone side effects, many patients have filed testosterone product lawsuits or joined testosterone product class action lawsuits.

The Low-T Drug MDL is In re: Testosterone Replacement Therapy Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 14 C 1748 in MDL No. 2545, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.