Testosterone Treatment Lawsuits Move Forward, as Manufacturers Weigh in On Proposed Multidistrict Litigation, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports
New York, New York (PRWEB) April 29, 2014 -- As testosterone treatment lawsuits (http://www.testosteronelawsuitcenter.com/) mount in courts around the country, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes that a number of pharmaceutical companies have responded to a proposal put forth by plaintiffs that seeks the establishment of a multidistrict litigation for all federally-filed AndroGel lawsuits in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. According to a Joint Response filed with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) on April 25th, the proposal is supported by AbbVie, Inc., which manufactures AndroGel, along with Abbott Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Co., Lilly USA, LLC and Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. However, the companies also assert that the proceeding should include all federal testosterone lawsuits, regardless of the medications involved, because many cases are likely to include claims against multiple manufacturers. (In Re: AndroGel Product Liability Litigation, No. 2545, JPML)
Court documents indicate that at least one manufacturer of low testosterone therapies is opposed to the establishment of an industry-wide multidistrict litigation. In a response that was also filed with the JPML on April 25th, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which markets Testim and Testopel, stated that it does not oppose the consolidation of federal AndroGel lawsuits. But the company asserts that a more inclusive litigation is not warranted, as only 7 such lawsuits involving Testim and Testopel are currently pending in federal courts at this time.
“Our Firm has heard from numerous men who allegedly suffered serious cardiovascular events due to their use of AndroGel, Testim and other low testosterone therapies. We will be monitoring this matter very closely,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is currently offering free testosterone lawsuit reviews to anyone who may have suffered heart attacks, strokes, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or other serious heart problems allegedly due to the use of prescription testosterone therapies.
Testosterone Treatment Lawsuits
According to court documents, at least 74 testosterone treatment lawsuits that claim the drugs increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other life-threatening heart problems are currently pending in federal courts around the country. Among other things, the lawsuits accuse the manufacturers of the medications of engaging in aggressive “disease awareness’”campaigns to alert men that they might be suffering from low testosterone. As a result of this alleged “disease mongering,” the number of men diagnosed with low testosterone increased dramatically. Plaintiffs further allege that these marketing tactics resulted in many men being prescribed the drugs in the absence of a true medical need.
Court documents indicate that the JPML is currently considering two proposals for the consolidated of testosterone treatment lawsuits. One petition would consolidate all federally-filed AndroGel lawsuits in the Northern District of Illinois, while the second calls for the creation of an industry-wide litigation for all drugs in this class in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. (In Re: Testosterone Products Liability Litigation, No. 42, JPML)
According to court records, the testosterone litigation began to grow shortly after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced in January that it was investigating heart risks potentially associated with this class of medications. The FDA review was prompted by the publication of research that suggested the use of testosterone increases the risk of heart attack, strokes, and death in men over 65-years-old, as well as in younger men with pre-existing heart disease.
Men who allegedly suffered life-threatening cardiovascular events due to their use of low testosterone therapies may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. To learn more about the growing testosterone therapy litigation, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP’s website. Free, no-obligation legal consultations can be obtained by calling 800-511-5092.
About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3 billion on behalf of our clients. The Firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the Plaintiffs’ Hot List, recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country, for the past 12 consecutive years. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is the only firm in the country to be named to this prestigious list every year since it was first published in 2003.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP represents the victims of defective drugs and medical devices on a contingency-fee basis, and our clients are never expected to pay attorneys fees unless their case results in a successful recovery on their behalf. New York State’s contingency fee cap rules generally limit those fees to 33 1/3% of the total recovery. As a result, the Firm’s fees can be significantly lower than those assessed by attorneys in other states, which depending on the law may amount to as much as 40% or more of a plaintiff’s recovery
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ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2014 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, 800-511-5092. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info (at) consumerinjurylawyers (dot) com
http://www.testosteronelawsuitcenter.com/
https://plus.google.com/115936073311125306742?rel=author
Felecia L. Stern, Testosterone Lawsuit Information Center, http://www.testosteronelawsuitcenter.com/, +1 800-511-5092, [email protected]
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