Near the end of July, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (or JPML) was asked to reconsider whether to centralize all Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuits into a multidistrict litigation. The panel earlier rejected some plaintiff’s requests for a Cymbalta multidistrict litigation, which would centralize all of the Cymbalta lawsuits before one judge. The plaintiffs are asking again, arguing that centralization of these lawsuits into one Cymbalta MDL is needed to accommodate the growing number of Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuits filed by patients trying to wean themselves off the antidepressant.

Back in December 2014, the JPML rejected a bid to establish a Cymbalta withdrawal MDL, reasoning that that there were too few Cymbalta lawsuits filed in federal courts to justify establishing an MDL. The plaintiffs of these antidepressant withdrawal lawsuits did not give up though; on July 23, they  filed a motion to transfer, stating there are at least 44 Cymbalta lawsuits representing 249 plaintiffs active in federal courts across the U.S.

According to the motion to transfer the existing Cymbalta lawsuits to one MDL, consolidation would hopefully reduce duplicative discovery over common litigation issues, avoid conflicting pretrial rulings, and would make litigation more convenient for all the parties and witnesses involved in the Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuits. The plaintiffs have suggested that the cases be centralized in the Southern District of Indiana. On Oct. 1, the JPML will be holding a hearing session, where it is likely that the panel will consider oral arguments for and against the establishment of a Cymbalta MDL.

Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms

Cymbalta (or duloxetine) has been FDA-approved to treat depression since 2004. While some patients have found success in managing their depression symptoms by taking Cymbalta, others have experienced severe withdrawal symptoms when trying to discontinue their antidepressant treatment.

Because of the numerous reports of patients experiencing Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms, many studies and reports have been launched to determine the prevalence and severity of Cymbalta discontinuation syndrome. In fact, according to one 2012 report published by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), early Cymbalta clinical studies estimate that almost half of Cymbalta patients who abruptly discontinued taking this SSRI antidepressant suffered withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, 10 percent of these cases involved patients who allegedly experienced more severe Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms. More than half of the severe cases reported patients experiencing Cymbalta side effects for as many as two weeks after discontinued the medication.

The known symptoms of Cymbalta Withdrawal Syndrome include:

• Severe nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness, light-headedness, vertigo
• Headaches
• Hot and cold flashes
• Mood swings, anxiety, irritability, hostility
• Nightmares
• Brain “zaps” (electric-shock-like sensations in the brain)
• Paresthesia (sensation of tingling, tickling, prickling, pricking, or burning of a person’s skin)
• Tremors, shaking hands
• Visual disturbances

Plaintiffs bringing Cymbalta lawsuits allege that Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Cymbalta, failed to fully warn consumers and the medical community of all side effects associated with Cymbalta and the true prevalence of Cymbalta withdrawal syndrome. The Cymbalta plaintiffs further claim that had they been provided adequate warning of potential Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms, they could have avoided serious drug-related injuries.