A testosterone MDL status conference is scheduled for this month.

It’s an opportunity to coordinate the progress of multiple testosterone lawsuits that have been filed against the manufacturers of testosterone products including testosterone gels, patches, injections and creams for allegedly causing men to suffer heart-related problems.

The testosterone MDL is in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, where hundreds of testosterone product lawsuits have been filed. So far, over 260 testosterone lawsuits have been consolidated into the testosterone MDL.

According to the testosterone lawsuits, testosterone drug manufacturers have failed to warn or have concealed the fact that testosterone products can cause men to have serious cardiovascular side effects. Men have complained of heart attacks, strokes, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and other side effects that were allegedly caused by testosterone use.

It has also been suggested that testosterone product manufacturers promoted their products for off-label uses. One of the common off-label uses is “low-t” treatment. Men, commonly middle-aged, would use the testosterone to increase their libido and have more energy. Essentially, the treatment gave them more testosterone to battle the aging process. About 5.3 million prescriptions are given for low-t treatments every year.

However, medical experts have also suggested that using testosterone products for low-t treatment may not have any real impact on users. Instead, the products should only be used according to the label as to prevent putting men at risks for testosterone cardiovascular (or other) side effects. Only men who have extremely low testosterone levels may actually benefit from the treatment.

Symptoms of low testosterone levels include low sex drive, hair loss, loss of muscle mass, mood changes, and difficulty achieving an erection.

One testosterone study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that those who used testosterone products increased their risk of cardiovascular events by almost 30%. Nearly 9,000 men were examined in this study over the course of three years.

Products such as AndroGel, Testim, and AndroDerm have been listed in the testosterone MDL. Testosterone product use has dramatically increased over the past several years although more men are complaining of alleged testosterone cardiovascular side effects.

The testosterone MDL parties have been scheduled to meet on Jan. 12. In addition to the testosterone MDL, a testosterone side effect class action lawsuit investigation has also been launched.