Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of popular medication, Uloric, has come under fire in recent weeks as a result of an alleged connection between Uloric and heart attacks.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals has a subsidiary based in Chicago, but patients throughout the entire country may be eligible to pursue compensation through lawsuits associated with the connection between Uloric and heart attacks.

A new FDA alert has been released surrounding the risk of Uloric and heart attacks or cardiac death. The popular gout medication, Uloric, has an increased risk of heart related death when compared with another medicine, allopurinol.

The connection between Uloric and heart attacks is troubling since a heart attack can happen at any time. The ability for medical professionals to step in quickly can make a big difference in whether someone survives a heart attack.

If a person doesn’t know to watch out for the signs that a heart attack is coming, they may be unable to get medical assistance in time. Any drug that carries the risk of heart attacks should be evaluated carefully by a doctor and the patient before beginning a prescription.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals was requested to complete a safety trial when the drug was initially approved in 2009 because of a higher risk of heart related issues, including stroke, heart related fatalities and heart attacks.

The trial was recently completed and the FDA will be taking additional steps to review the possible connections between Uloric and heart attacks. The drug label already has a precaution and warning about cardiovascular events.

The recent safety trial looked at more than 6,000 individuals who had gout and were treated with allopurinol or Uloric. The primary outcomes associated with the risks included non-deadly heart attack, heart related death, inadequate blood supply to the heart requiring surgery and non-deadly stroke.

The preliminary results from the study looking at Uloric and heart attack problems identified that Uloric did not increase the risk chances for these combined events when compared with allopurinol. When the outcomes were evaluated individually, however, Uloric was associated with a higher risk of death and heart related death.

The FDA requests that physicians and medical professionals consider the risks associated with Uloric and heart attack when determining what gout medication to provide to patients. Patients and clinicians who identify issues associated with Uloric and heart attacks or other dangerous side effects may be eligible to report their case to the FDA’s adverse event reporting program.

The adverse event reporting program is often the first clue for regulators to identify when a drug carries a serious risk of side effects and problems.

If you or someone you know has already been seriously injured because of the risks and side effects associated with Uloric, you may be eligible to pursue compensation by consulting directly with an experienced attorney.

The support of a lawyer is extremely valuable during a time that can otherwise be challenging for a victim. Those individuals who have already been hurt may be eligible to participate in a class action lawsuit investigation.