Patients and doctors are coming forward to report that Uloric uses, even when it has been appropriately prescribed for the patient, could lead to significant side effects like heart related complications or death.

Uloric is a medication given to patients who have been diagnosed with gout. The Food and Drug Administration recently released a warning stating that Uloric uses have been tied to heart related deaths. The study compared Uloric to allopurinol, another gout medication that is sold under several different name brands.

The study identified that Uloric uses, even when appropriately prescribed by a physician, were tied to a higher risk of heart related deaths as well as deaths from numerous other causes. Some of the side effects of Uloric uses include cardiac ischemia, deadly strokes and non-deadly heart attacks. These complications may lead to an urgent need for surgery for those affected patients.

Warnings related to Uloric uses came about after the manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, released their clinical trial results indicating that there was a higher risk for patients taking this medication of suffering heart related deaths or deaths from other causes when compared to another gout medication. The clinical trial included more than 6,000 gout patients who had been prescribed Uloric uses or allopurinol. The trial outcome indicated multiple different side effects.

Uloric was originally approved by the FDA in 2009, although the initial clinical trials showed a higher risk of strokes, heart related deaths and heart attacks, and these were included on the warning label. The FDA also requested that the manufacturer, Takeda, complete additional studies to clarify the significance of these risks.

Uloric uses are most common with those patients who have been diagnosed with gout. Gout is an arthritis type that occurs when there is a buildup of uric acid which causes swelling, redness and severe pain in one or more joints in the patient. Gout drugs such as Uloric may help to address the uric acid in the patient’s body by lowering it.

Uloric might come recommended from a doctor, but patients who suffer side effects might deal with more harm than good for people with gout. Serious side effects might make it hard for patients to go back to work or to cope with every day.

When patients begin to file adverse event reports with the FDA or when an insider comes forward with information about the company attempting to hide information, patients who suffer complications may have grounds to seek compensation.

The most serious side effects tied to Uloric uses were the subject of a recent whistleblower lawsuit filed by a safety consultant who worked with Takeda who alleged that the drug manufacturer hid critical information about these dangerous side effects from the federal government.

The lawsuit claimed that the potentially fatal side effects had to do with drug complications when the patient was taking other medications such as warfarin or methadone. The lawsuit relating to Uloric uses also allege that Takeda did not report that Uloric might cause severe bleeding, kidney failure or bone marrow failure.