Texas plaintiff Shelia J. is suing Daiichi Sankyo for allegedly causing her to develop severe intestinal damage after using one of their products. Shelia claims that in direct result of using the defendant’s hypertension drug, Benicar, she developed sprue-like enteropathy and possible villous atrophy.

Like millions of Americans, Shelia was suffering from high blood pressure and was prescribed Benicar in 2012 to decrease her chances of suffering cardiac attacks. Ideally, this drug would increase the chances of greater longevity, as well as encourage patients to live a longer and healthier lifestyle.

After reviewing the defendant’s advertisements, Shelia’s physician had prescribed her Benicar under the assumption it would best for her health. At the time, neither Shelia nor her physician had been aware of the possible complications associated with Benicar, and were not expecting the side effects she experienced. Soon after starting Benicar, Shelia started experiencing symptoms like chronic diarrhea, sprue-like enteropathy, dehydration, and severe weight loss.

According to the patient’s medical records, her physicians indicated that her symptoms were likely caused by Benicar and she had most likely suffered some intestinal damage. This could result in the development of villous atrophy, which is when the intestines cannot absorb nutrients from food.

It was not until recently that Shelia discovered Benicar could induce rather embarrassing side effects like sprue-like enteropathy. Therefore, Shelia has decided to file legal action against the drug’s manufacturing company for failing to warn her about the dangers of their product. The plaintiff’s lawyers state that Daiichi Sankyo had the civil responsibility of warning their client and other Benicar patients of all possible side effects associated with their product, as consumers rely on the given information. Shelia insists that she never would have used Benicar, if she had known about the possibility of sprue-like enteropathy and other debilitating side effects.

So for being allegedly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous drug, Shelia is suing Daiichi Sankyo. The charges include negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

This Benicar Lawsuit is part of the Benicar MDL, In re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2606, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Overview of Benicar Complications

Benicar was approved in April 2002 to be a treatment option for patients suffering from hypertension and high blood pressure. It is manufactured by Daiichi Sankyo and had reportedly given the company success very early on. This success paid off, as Benicar is one of the most popular hypertension treatment drugs in the United States. Many experts attribute this success to the company’s aggressive marketing campaign, which focused heavily on directly marketing Benicar to physicians and giving out clinical samples.

Benicar works by preventing angiotensin II from binding to receptors of blood vessels, which causes blood vessels to dilate or enlarge and ultimately alleviates pressure. With this reaction it is easy understand why both patients and medical experts would believe that Benicar would provide positive relief. However, while this drug reportedly works very well, it induces rather difficult side effects for patients to deal with.

In July 2013, the FDA issued a public warning regarding Benicar side effects, especially sprue-like enteropathy, with experts warning patients against Benicar diarrhea, weight loss, and other similar symptoms. Unfortunately, the worst reports indicate permanent intestinal damage and other conditions like villous atrophy, which will cause chronic dehydration or malnourishment issues.

The FDA also warned that Benicar side effects can take months or even years to treat, often causing patients to be sent to hospitals. Furthermore, the agency stated that if symptoms are found but the cause cannot be diagnosed other than the Benicar prescription, the agency advises doctors to end the Benicar’s prescription. While most reports indicate that these intestinal symptoms stop when Benicar ceases, experts state that patients should consult their physician before stopping any medications.