Testosterone drug attorneys met this week to discuss a unified case management plan for the testosterone multidistrict litigation (MDL). The plaintiffs and defendants disagreed on how the litigations should proceed and proposed schedules that had a year difference in trial dates.

The testosterone drug MDL plaintiffs argued that the first testosterone trials should begin in June 2016. They would like to begin with six testosterone drug bellwether trials (trials which are used to test the important/efficacy of information and see how juries might respond) over the course of six months. This would allow sufficient time for fact discovery to be completed in the eyes of the plaintiffs.

The testosterone drug defendants, however, disagree with this plan of action. Testosterone attorneys claimed “that this general framework is almost always agreed upon between the parties negotiating case management plans.”

The defendants allege that there is insufficient evidence to support the plaintiffs’ claims and that the preexisting low testosterone levels of the plaintiffs is the cause of the heart problems described in the testosterone product lawsuits, not the testosterone products themselves.

They are arguing for more time to “[address] general causation first” as to find out if there is even a case against them, and if there is, what kinds of plaintiffs should be included or excluded from the bellwether trials.

According to the testosterone drug plaintiffs, “There is simply no reason for this obstruction to the Plaintiffs’ pursuit of justice when the parties are perfectly capable of conducting concurrent discovery, and thereby shortening the time to trial by approximately a year.”

This suggests that the allegations made about testosterone drug heart side effects are enough to proceed as normal during the testosterone drug litigation.

Testosterone Drug Heart Risks

Studies have begun to reveal a possible connection between testosterone gels and testosterone creams and negative testosterone product side effects such as heart attack and stroke. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that suggested testosterone use increased the risk of heart attack, stoke, and death in men by about 30 percent.

This is alarming considering the popular use of testosterone gels and creams in the middle-aged American male population. There is some argument as to whether or not many of these testosterone drug users even need “Low T” treatments as testosterone levels naturally decline with age.

About 5.3 million prescriptions for low-t treatments are given each year. Some medical professionals question the safety of using testosterone drugs, but testosterone advertising is widespread and reaching more men than just those who need low-t treatment.

Testosterone Drug Lawsuits

There are currently 223 testosterone drug lawsuits in the testosterone drug MDL. It is expected that thousands will file testosterone product lawsuits against testosterone drug makers for failing to warn users about the alleged testosterone product side effects of heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

This testosterone drug multidistrict litigation involves hundreds of testosterone lawsuits including Androgel lawsuits, Testim lawsuits, and Axiron lawsuits. Judge Matthew F. Kennelly is presiding over these testosterone product lawsuits in an Illinois federal court.