Daiichi Sankyo is being hit with another Benicar lawsuit alleging the blood pressure drug causes extreme weight loss and chronic diarrhea symptoms.

The allegations made in this lawsuit are similar to many other Benicar claims, which have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) —a process that prevents repeat discovery and conflicting rulings from different judges.

Plaintiff Charmaine J., a Mississippi resident, was prescribed Benicar in January 2010, to treat her high blood pressure. Ideally this medication would have lowered her blood pressure, which would greatly reduce her chances of heart disease.

Instead, she claims she suffered permanent gastrointestinal damage and other long-term impairments as a direct result of using the medication.

According to the Benicar lawsuit, shortly after she was prescribed Benicar, Charmaine started experiencing serious side effects including weight loss, chronic diarrhea, vomiting, diverticulitis which led to severe intestinal damage.

Charmaine insists that she never would have agreed to take the drug had she known the risks of Benicar side effects. So for being allegedly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous product, Charmaine is suing Daiichi Sankyo.

The charges include negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

Benicar Side Effects and Complications

Under ideal circumstances Benicar would encourage the patient to live a healthier and more active lifestyle, while drastically lowering the chances of other major health impairments.

However, concerns over Benicar side effects became prevalent in 2012, when the Mayo Clinic notified the FDA of their research findings that indicated a connection between Benicar and certain gastrointestinal conditions.

Benicar works by keeping the blood vessels dilated and belongs to a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB). ARB is a naturally occurring protein that affects the cardiovascular system in several ways including controlling blood pressure.

This protein increases the amount of sodium and fluid in the body so by blocking ARB, Benicar lowers the body’s blood pressure levels.

Between 2008 and 2011, the Mayo Clinic observed 22 patients who had been prescribed Benicar and had suffered chronic diarrhea, sprue-like enteropathy, and significant weight loss.

Each of the patients were tested for Celiac disease but that was soon eliminated, which led the researchers to believe that Benicar could be causing these problems.

Following the Mayo Clinic’s findings, the FDA added these symptoms to Benicar’s prescription information in July 2013. Further research eventually led the FDA to add gastrointestinal concerns to Benicar’s warning label in April 2014, after repeatedly finding connections between Benicar and chronic diarrhea symptoms.

Benicar has been one of America’s most popular hypertension medications since its release in 2002, with over 11 million prescriptions written up per year. The lack of warnings on the drug’s previous warning labels, has left many patients to suffer chronic intestinal damage and other dangerous Benicar side effects.

The Benicar Lawsuit is filed in the larger multidistrict litigation known as In re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606, in the U. S. District of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage District.