A West Virginia couple recently filed a testosterone lawsuit as part of a multidistrict litigation against AbbVie Inc. for alleged serious injuries, including a heart attack.

Plaintiff Marvin C. began using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in 2009, as prescribed by his doctor, and discontinued use of TRT after he suffered a serious heart attack in June 2012. During this time period, Marvin used both AndroGel and Depo-Testosterone.

The testosterone lawsuit alleges that Marvin’s use of testosterone replacement therapy led directly to his suffering a heart attack approximately two years after he began taking testosterone replacement therapy.

Marvin’s testosterone lawsuit alleges that the defendant failed to warn him and others of potentially serious testosterone side effects. He, along with his wife, filed this testosterone lawsuit on multiple counts, including but not limited to design defect, failure to warn, negligence, fraud, and loss of consortium (loss of intimacy with a spouse).

Marvin and his wife are also seeking punitive damages against AbbVie for the company’s part in his and others’ pain and suffering.

Testosterone Side Effects

AndroGel, a testosterone gel manufactured by AbbVie, serves as a testosterone replacement therapy designed to treat low testosterone levels (also known as hypogonadism).  However, many AndroGel users have come forward alleging that the drug can also cause serious side effects requiring medical intervention.

One of the side effects of AndroGel and other testosterone products is the risk of heart attack. A January 2014 study published in the medical journal PLoSOne on testosterone drug safety revealed that a serious testosterone side effect may be an increased risk of heart attack. Indeed, the study showed that these kinds of drugs may as much as double the risk of heart attacks in men 65 years old or above.

For younger men who have a prior history of heart disease, the study showed that testosterone drugs could also increase their risk of heart attacks by as much as double.

Another study, this one done in 2015 and published in the journal Pharmacotherapy, suggested that first time testosterone users may be 40 percent more likely to have a heart attack when compared with men who did not use testosterone drugs.

Testosterone Lawsuits

According to claims in many testosterone lawsuits, AbbVie had a duty to warn the public and the medical community of the risk of serious medical conditions such as heart attack, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and/or death that are associated with AndroGel.

The plaintiffs in these testosterone lawsuits allege that AbbVie failed to provide adequate warnings concerning the risk of these medical conditions, and even failed to update warnings based on information from product surveillance and studies after the FDA’s approval.

If you or someone you know has taken AndroGel or another testosterone replacement therapy and has suffered from adverse side effects or complications such as deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or stroke, you may be able to file a lawsuit.

The Testosterone Heart Attack Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-09848, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.