Testosterone Therapy Treatment Lawyer Help: Resource4thePeople Notes Lawsuits Continue to Be Filed over Allegations of Heart Attacks, Strokes and Deaths
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) May 05, 2014 -- http://www.resource4thepeople.com/defectivedrugs/testosteronetreatments-lawsuits.html
Resource4thePeople announced today the latest legal developments for consumers following lawsuits alleging that patients have suffered heart attacks and strokes from testosterone treatments.
Among the latest Low-T lawsuits* are five cases filed by men in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois against AbbVie, Inc., a spinoff of Abbott Laboratories involving the testosterone replacement drug AndroGel.
Three of the men claim that they suffered a heart attack because of the use of AndroGel to treat low testosterone and one claims to have suffered a stroke, according to their court documents. The men's ages range from 50 to 63, according to their documents.
"These men are claiming to have suffered life-threatening heart problems as a result of their use of a testosterone replacement drug and their claims mirror allegations we have been receiving from other patients," said Resource4thePeople.
If you or a loved one underwent treatments to address the problems of low testosterone our lawyers are available to provide free consultations to determine your eligibility seek compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering or other expenses attributable to side effects** detailed by the FDA.
"Our experienced, aggressive lawyers are now investigating claims from testosterone therapy patients who have suffered serious life-threatening side effects. Please contact us as soon as possible to ensure that all of your legal rights are protected."
FDA officials confirmed that they are now investigating the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in men taking FDA-approved testosterone products in a national Drug Safety Communication** issued Jan. 31, 2014.
The FDA said it has been monitoring these risks and decided to reassess this safety issue based on the recent publication of two separate studies that each suggested an increased risk of cardiovascular events among groups of men prescribed testosterone therapy.
The FDA said the first research study that prompted the reassessment of the cardiovascular safety of testosterone therapy was an observational study of older men in the U.S. Veteran Affairs health system published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in November 2013.***
The men included in this study had low serum testosterone and were undergoing imaging of the blood vessels of the heart, called coronary angiography, to assess for coronary artery disease, the FDA said.
" Some of the men received testosterone treatment while others did not," the FDA said in its announcement. "On average, the men who entered the study were about 60 years old, and many had underlying cardiovascular disease. This study suggested a 30 percent increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in the group that had been prescribed testosterone therapy."
The drugs listed below are FDA-approved medications about which Resource4thePeople attorneys have been receiving the largest number of inquiries about in connection with the national Drug Safety Communication:
• AndroGel
• Androderm
• Axirom
• Bio-T-Gel
• Delatestry
• Depo-Testosterone
• Fortesta
• Striant
• Testim
• Testopel
Among the most recent information being dispensed about these concerns is a posting**** in the Harvard Men's Health Watch in which the university's medical experts discuss whether Low-T testosterone replacement therapy is safe.
"We are encouraged that medical experts at such a prestige institution are warning the millions of men who are using Low-T treatments to weigh the possibility of severe, life-threatening side effects," said Resource4thePeople.
"Such information may be vital to health of men who have been or are considering getting testosterone therapy as is legal advice for those who may have suffered heart attacks or strokes as detailed in this article and the FDA announcement."
"Millions of American men use a prescription testosterone gel, patch, or injection to boost levels of the manly hormone," the Harvard posting said. "The ongoing marketing blitz promises that treating 'low T' this way can make men feel more alert, energetic, mentally sharp, and sexually functional. However, legitimate safety concerns linger, as explained in the February 2014 issue of the Harvard Men's Health Watch."
Resource4thePeople also is informing consumers that there may be time limits involved in certain cases and the earlier you contact us the more effectively we can begin pursuing compensation in testosterone treatment in which eligibility is determined.
What are testosterone therapy treatments?
The FDA describes testosterone as a hormone essential to the development of male growth and masculine characteristics.
"Testosterone products are FDA-approved only for use in men who lack or have low testosterone levels in conjunction with an associated medical condition," said the agency.
"Examples of these conditions include failure of the testicles to produce testosterone because of reasons such as genetic problems or chemotherapy. Other examples include problems with brain structures, called the hypothalamus and pituitary, that control the production of testosterone by the testicles."
Among the FDA-approved testosterone treatments that may be subject to review are injections, the transdermal patch, topical gel and the buccal system, according to the FDA.
The JAMA study*** referenced by the FDA analyzed the effects of testosterone therapy treatments in 8,700 men over three years An even higher risk level was reported by UCLA researchers who found that testosterone supplements could even double the risk of some men having a heart attack or stroke in a study that involved almost 56,000 men who underwent the treatments for three months.
Researchers also said they were concerned that the warning labels on these medications list some possible side effects but there is no caution to men about this significantly increased risk of suffering a fatal heart problem.
SOURCES:
*Aurecchia v. AbbVie Inc., Benn v. AbbVie, Gallagher v. AbbVie, Marino v. AbbVie, and Myers v. AbbVie; Case Nos. 14-cv-00772, 14-cv-00774, 14-cv-00776, 14-cv00777 and 14-cv-00780, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
**http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm384225.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery&vsmaid=61
*** http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1764051
****http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/is-testosterone-replacement-therapy-safe
Bill Callahan, iLawSuit, +1 858 602-2749, [email protected]
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