A new lawsuit was filed against Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., related subsidiaries, and other distributors and sellers of Magnetic Resonance Imaging contrasting agents. The plaintiffs say that they contributed to the plaintiff’s alleged case of gadolinium deposition disease.

The plaintiff John N. resides in Prairieville, La. and claims he suffers from gadolinium deposition disease secondary to injection with contrast agent products marketed under the names Magnevist, Primovist, MultiHance, Omniscan, and Optimark. He was subject to several MRIs with these contrast agents used at the Southeast Louisiana Veteran’s Healthcare System in New Orleans.

John allegedly suffers greatly from gadolinium deposition disease with symptoms expected to last for the rest of his life—painful ambulation, joint discomfort and inflammation, overall weakness and fatigue, brain fog and confusion, tingling, burning, and ‘pins and needles’ sensations in his extremities, muscle cramping, and skin rashes.

Alleged Evidence of Neural Disposition Found

According to a Mayo Clinic online publication dated Mar. 16, 2015, the clinic had found evidence of gadolinium deposition in neural tissues post-injection of MRI contrast agent and the findings were released in the medical professional journal named Radiology. The study was based upon multiple anatomical donations to science of decedents that had been subject to several contrast-based MRI diagnostic procedures over the course of their lifetimes.

The study yielded much opportunity to measure deposits in brain and compare those to deceased patients who had never received MRIs. The study author—Lawrence Eckel, MD, a radiologist for the Mayo Clinic—claimed that it was an important finding, but didn’t jump the conclusion that the deposits were inherently harmful. He had no data basis for arriving at that conclusion.

Celebrity Influence First Brings Gadolinium Deposition to Public Awareness

An article posted in November 2017 by the American Council on Science and Health spoke about a significant lawsuit which brought the notion of contrast agent deposition disease to the forefront of American awareness. Film star Chuck Norris’ wife Gena allegedly suffers from the ailment and the couple decided to file a legal complaint against the manufacturer’s for failing to warn them concerning the possibility of its development.

Ms. Norris purportedly suffered sustained injury due to three MRIs given to her with contrast within one week.

While previous warning had been instituted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning the development of a rare condition known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in those receiving gadolinium contrast agents with partial renal impairment in 2006, the celebrity spouse alleged in her lawsuit that the compounds were equally as dangerous in people without preexisting kidney issues.

Gena Norris described experiencing what has come to be common descriptions of gadolinium deposition—brain fog, headaches, and tendon and ligament thickening which produces a tightness in the hands and feet making walking painful and difficult.

The Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals et al. Lawsuit is Case No. 3:19-cv-00601-SDD-RLB in the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Louisiana.