According to court records, the American pharmaceutical company, Fresenius USA, has been hit with over 300 lawsuits regarding GranuFlo, a dialysis medication, and it is expected that more will follow. Arkansas GranuFlo lawsuits suits claim that the company was fully aware of the dangers surrounding errors in alkali dosing that are associated with the drug, yet they failed to provide appropriate warning to doctors and patients about GranuFlo’s ability to cause heart attack.
The documents that were filed on this basis indicate that the 300 plus lawsuits were brought by victims who were “patients of dialysis or their loved ones believed to have experienced cardiopulmonary arrest and other damage caused by treatment with the dialysate drug Naturalyte Acid Concentrate, known by the trade name GranuFlo.” The goal of Arkansas GranuFlo lawsuits is to collect damages for the wrongful deaths and personal injuries that have resulted from the use of Fresenius’ product. Arkansas GranuFlo lawsuits, as well as those from other states, claim that the drug resulted in a quick and potentially deadly rise in the body’s bicarbonate levels, which produced a six to eight-fold higher risk of cardiac arrest and subsequent death that is uniquely associated with the use of GranuFlo.” In addition, the lawsuits also claim that the drug’s manufacturer was aware or should have been aware of this significant risk, particularly since the company’s own case-controlled research found that nearly 950 patients who received GranuFlo experienced cardiac arrest and sudden death. According to reports, patients who receive the drug may suffer from cardiac arrest during dialysis treatment and as long as two days following treatment.
Currently, all Arkansas GranuFlo lawsuits are incorporated under the MDL 2428. GranuFlo is administered during dialysis treatment with the goal of keeping bicarbonate levels, which help neutralize excess acid in the blood, more stable. Issues with dosage is believed to have caused some patients to go into cardiac arrest. However, that’s not the only issue. Fresenius has also supposedly given new recommendations to doctors in its own facilities but not to doctors in other facilities. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration only became aware of these recommendations when someone leaked an anonymous memo to the agency stating as much. Because of this, the FDA demanded a Class 1 recall of Naturalyte and GranuFlo in March of 2012, stating that the drugs may be associated with a number of negative and potentially fatal health effects. The effects of this drug are very serious and well-documented.
If you or a loved one has undergone dialysis treatment using GranuFlo and suffered cardiac arrest as a result, you are encouraged to participate in Arkansas GranuFlo lawsuits. Because medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of companionship, lost wages and personal injury all take a very serious toll on individuals and families, Arkansas GranuFlo lawsuits are an important consideration for the people affected by these issues. If you would like further information or legal assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact Attorney Group for Arkansas today. We can answer your questions and discuss the possibility of a claim for compensation, all at no cost to you. So contact Attorney Group for Arkansas today for your free consultation.
