Abbott Laboratories and its subsidiary, AbbVie Inc., are facing mounting litigation pressure from numerous allegations regarding their testosterone gel and testosterone replacement (TRT) products.

A new Androgel lawsuit was recently filed by a New York couple, whose claim is joining the multidistrict litigation (MDL) against these manufacturing companies. Husband and wife plaintiffs Stephen and Patricia L. are suing the companies for failing to protect the husband from the adverse side effects of AndroGel.

The couple claims that as a direct result of using the testosterone gel, Stephen suffered a heart attack on April 11, 2013. He began using AndroGel in 2005 in order to help prevent the deterioration of his testosterone levels.

Stephen claims he used AndroGel according to the product’s label and his physician’s instructions and had no reason to believe he was at any risk for a heart attack. There were no warnings or indicating on the AndroGel label, nor had the manufacturing companies notified him or his physician, according to the claim.

Stephen had discontinued using the testosterone gel in August 2014 when he learned that TRT products could potentially cause cardiac complications in patients. This is when he filed his AndroGel lawsuit and joined the federal litigation movement.

Testosterone Gel Complications

In January 2014, one of the most significant testosterone replacement therapy studies was published in the  journal PLOS One. Conducted by Harvard researchers, the study analyzed the medical records of 55,000 men who had been prescribed low testosterone (low-T) products and were observed during the first 90 days of therapy.

The study found that young men with certain cardiac conditions were vulnerable to cardiovascular attacks, while older men were at risk regardless of the state of their cardiac health. While this study was inconclusive, it spurred numerous patients and doctors to become concerned over the potential cardiac risks associated with testosterone therapy.

Testosterone replacement therapy is used by millions of men in the United States, who often request the drugs after experiencing signs of lowering testosterone levels. These symptoms include: fatigue, weight gain, loss of muscle mass, and loss of libido.

However, it is important to note that these symptoms are also associated with aging. For the past decade, low-T manufacturing companies have been advertising these symptoms as signs of testosterone depletion to convince men to buy their products. The strategies have worked, as the low testosterone product industry is worth millions.

Unfortunately, this popularity has allegedly caused numerous men to suffered blood clot injuries, including heart attacks and stroke. These risks have spurred several consumer advocacy groups to call for a black box warnings to be added to these product labels.

The FDA now recommends that physicians only prescribe low-T products to patients who either have very low amounts of testosterone or are unable to produce their own.

AndroGel is one of the most commonly prescribed low-T products in America, and has been named in numerous low-T lawsuits. These AndroGel lawsuits allege that the topical testosterone product, had caused them to suffer blood clot complications.

The AndroGel Lawsuit is Case No. 1:116-cv-01907 and is part of the Testosterone MDL In Re: Testosterone Replacement Therapy Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2545, in the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois.