Ohio plaintiff Irene H. is suing Daiichi Sankyo for the injuries she suffered after taking their drug, Benicar. Irene claims that in direct result of using this hypertension drug, she suffered chronic diarrhea and possible intestinal damage.

Like millions of Americans, Irene suffered from high blood pressure and had been recommended Benicar by her physician to prevent cardiac attack. At all times during her prescription, she followed the advice of her physician and kept to the recommended dose according to the drug’s warning label.

Despite following rigorous instructions, the plaintiff still suffered unexpected and embarrassing side effects, which could potentially have long-term effects. Medical records indicate that she suffered from sprue-like enteropathy, lymphocytic colitis, microscopic colitis, collagenous colitis, and intestinal malabsorption. Additionally, the plaintiff also suffered diarrhea, rapid weight loss, nausea, vomiting, malnutrition, dehydration, and acute renal failure.

Throughout her recovery, Irene had to be under frequent monitoring by her physician and other healthcare providers, in order to determine the cause of her side effects. After it was determined not be Celiac disease, which features the same symptoms, it was quickly diagnosed to be in correlation with Benicar. At this time, the plaintiff is still recovering and the extent of damage done to her intestines is not known.

Irene is taking legal action against Daiichi Sankyo for failing to warn her against these side effects, and for allegedly omitting this information from Benicar’s label for years. Essentially, Irene and her lawyers claim that the defendant deliberately concealed these facts to protect their product’s market value. Daiichi Sankyo denies these allegations, stating that the welfare of their customers is their top priority.

The plaintiff’s lawyers claim otherwise, arguing that their client’s injuries were avoidable and were not mentioned by the defendant at any point before or after the plaintiff’s prescription. Furthermore, Daiichi Sankyo had the responsibility to warn their client and other Benicar patients of all Benicar side effects that could occur from the drug, because they rely on the accuracy of the product’s labeling. Irene insists that she never would have taken the drug if she had known about the possibilities of diarrhea and intestinal damage.

So for being allegedly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous drug, Irene is suing Daiichi Sankyo. The charges include negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

This Benicar Lawsuit is Irene H. v. Daiichi Sankyo, Case No. 4:14-cv-02787-BYP, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.

Overview of Benicar Complications

Benicar was first approved to be sold in the United States in April 2002, as a treatment medication for hypertension and to lower high blood pressure. It is manufactured by the Japanese pharmaceutical giant, Daiichi Sankyo, and has proven to be widely successful in the United States. Commenting experts would say that the drug’s success is due to how few treatment options there are for hypertension, and that Daiichi had poured over a billion dollars in advertising the drug.

Between 2002 and 2008, Daiichi Sankyo reportedly focused entirely on “promotional spending,” which was mainly conducted through face-to-face meetings with physicians, meeting events, and providing clinical samples. Benicar was also advertised to be superior to other hypertension choices, along with a faster-acting mechanism.

This effort paid off, as Benicar became one of the best-selling medications in the United States with millions of patients asking for a prescription every year. Unfortunately, it has been recently discovered that Benicar can possibly cause severe diarrhea and intestinal damage, which had been frequently confused with celiac disease. Due to this confusion, many patients suffered these symptoms longer than necessary because doctors were not aware of the true cause of the problem — Benicar side effects.

While many patients reportedly recovered after ceasing the drug, some patients have sustained permanent intestinal damage and developed conditions like villous atrophy. This condition prevents the intestine from absorbing nutrients, which leads to malnutrition, dehydration, and weight loss. Most commonly, patients have complained of chronic diarrhea, sprue-like enteropathy, and rapid weight loss.

Due to the severity of these side effects, Daiichi Sankyo is facing legal action for failing to mention these possibilities on Benicar’s label.