A West Virginia woman recently filed a lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, claiming that the company’s gout medication Uloric caused her to suffer from severe side effects, including thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Takeda Uloric Lawsuit Claims Gout Medication Causes Severe Side Effects

Gisele P. filed her Takeda Uloric lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceutical Company in January 2019. According to Gisele, she was prescribed Takeda’s medication Uloric in 2010 for the treatment of gout and high blood uric acid levels. After she had been taking the medication for several years, she claims that she began to experience side effects. On or about June 17, 2013, Gisele was admitted to the hospital and was diagnosed with thoracic aortic aneurysm, or a weak spot in her aorta. As Uloric has been linked to heart problems, Gisele believes her aortic injury was caused by her gout medication.

The aorta is the body’s main artery and supplies oxygenated blood to the circulatory system. If the aorta develops a weak spot, or a thoracic aortic aneurysm, it may lead to dangerous conditions such as an aortic dissection, or tear. When a hole or tear occurs in the aorta, it may cause life-threatening bleeding.

Although Gisele has discontinued her use of Uloric, she claims that she continues to suffer from debilitating injuries due to Uloric’s side effects. Additionally, she claims that she will require continual monitoring and ongoing medical care due to these injuries. Aside from the physical symptoms associated with her Uloric injuries, Gisele also claims to suffer from emotional injuries and suffering, as well as economic injuries due to the costs of medical care and other living expenses related to her injuries.

Gisele claims that Takeda was aware that the medication had the potential to cause fatal or life-threatening reactions in patients. Additionally, Gisele claims that not only was Takeda aware of these possible side effects, but intentionally concealed the knowledge of these adverse reactions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as from physicians and patients. Her lawsuit claims that the pharmaceutical company falsified reports of Uloric side effects and suppressed information about adverse reactions.

According to Gisele’s lawsuit, many of the adverse side effects associated with Uloric are caused by interactions between Uloric and other drugs commonly taken by people who may also take the medication. Despite these alleged drug interactions, Gisele claims that at the time she was prescribed Uloric, there was no package insert or label warning her of possible drug interactions. In 2019, the FDA announced that a boxed warning would be added to the drug’s packaging to warn physicians and patients of possible side effects.

Uloric Adverse Reactions

According to an announcement made by the FDA in February 2019, Uloric may cause a variety of heart-related problems, including heart-related death, heart attack, stroke, and cardiac ischemia. Symptoms of Uloric heart problems may include chest pain, rapid or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, or dizziness.

If you have suffered from heart injuries after taking Uloric for gout treatment, you may be eligible to hire a qualified attorney and file a class action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer.

Gisele’s Takeda Uloric Lawsuit is Case No: 1:20-cv-00033, filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, County Department, Law Division.