Texas Woman Says She Developed Lipitor Diabetes

Texas resident Judy Jones joined many other women when she filed her Lipitor lawsuit on Nov. 18, 2013. She says that she began taking Lipitor in March 2002 to lower her levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and as a primary prevention measure to decrease her risk of developing cardiovascular disease. She was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes in October 2009. Although Jones has filed an individual Lipitor complaint, she may be eligible to transfer her case to a Lipitor multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the future.

Jones says in her Lipitor lawsuit that Pfizer continued to market Lipitor as a safe and effective despite its “knowledge of data indicating that LIPITOR use is causally related to the development of type 2 diabetes and/or blood glucose levels diagnostic for type 2 diabetes.” She claims Pfizer knew about the Lipitor risks years ago.

Her lawsuit states: “On Aug. 11, 2011, the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products of the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration) requested that Defendant make labeling changes for Lipitor based upon the FDA’s comprehensive review, including clinical trial data. In February 2012, Pfizer complied with the FDA request and added the following language to its Warnings and Precautions Section: ‘Increases in HbA1c and fasting serum glucose levels have been reported with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, including LIPITOR.’ Until the February 2012 change, LIPITOR’s label had never warned patients of any potential relation between changes in blood sugar levels and taking LIPITOR.”

Jones and many other plaintiffs in Lipitor lawsuits believe that this warning is inadequate because it does not clearly express the risk of developing type-2 diabetes from Lipitor.

A Shocking Discovery

Jones says she never knew that the drug she was taking for more than a decade could be giving her a dangerous disease. With no family history of diabetes, it didn’t occur to her to get screened.

“As a result, for the rest of her life she must undergo regular testing of her blood glucose levels, adhere to a restrictive diabetic diet, and take medication to control her diabetes,” her Lipitor lawsuit says. “Due to her diabetes, she is now at markedly increased risk of heart disease, blindness, neuropathy, and kidney disease.”

Had she known about the risk of Lipitor diabetes, Jones says she would have either not taken the drug at all or monitored her blood glucose levels to determine whether the drug adversely affected her metabolism.

In her Lipitor lawsuit, Jones is suing Pfizer for failure to warn, negligence, breach of warranty, fraud, constructive fraud, unjust enrichment and punitive damages.

The Lipitor diabetes lawsuit is Judy A. Jones v. Pfizer Inc., Case No. 4:13-cv-3405, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Free Help for Women who Took Lipitor & Developed Diabetes

If you’re a woman who took Lipitor, or you know a woman who took Lipitor, and later developed type-2 diabetes, you have legal options. Please visit the Lipitor Diabetes Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a seasoned Lipitor lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation. You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees. The Lipitor attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.