On May 13, 2014, a Baton Rouge woman who developed new-onset Type II diabetes allegedly caused by adverse Lipitor side effects filed a Lipitor lawsuit against Pfizer, Inc., in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. Her complaint states a primary claim for damages sustained from Pfizer’s failure to adequately warn of potentially serious health risks before she took Lipitor.
Lipitor Lawsuits
Lipitor is the name of a pharmaceutical formula developed by Parke-Davis and manufactured by Pfizer, Inc, called atorvastatin. The suffix “statin” denotes categorization into a group of drugs known as statins. Statin medications lower harmful low-density lipoproteins and fat levels by blocking certain liver enzymes that produce cholesterol.
Shortly after its initial introduction, research claimed a link between Lipitor and Type II diabetes, especially among postmenopausal women taking daily doses. That subset has a 50 percent higher risk of developing new-onset diabetes than peers of the same gender and age range.
Despite this and similar published research findings, Pfizer allegedly continued marketing the drug as a “safe and effective” for cholesterol management to prevent heart disease and other health disorders. During that same time, the company is also reported to have failed to list an increased risk of diabetes on Lipitor package labels.
After allegedly ignoring official requests from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for several months to amend labels to disclose all potential adverse Lipitor side effects like diabetes, Pfizer finally updated Lipitor labels to warn that its product “may increase blood sugar levels in some cases.” At present, no specific mention is made on any Lipitor labeling about new-onset Type II diabetes.
According to the plaintiff, she first started using Lipitor in 2003 and was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 2011. Like the majority of a fast growing group of plaintiffs across the country, she claims she would not have taken Lipitor had she been fully informed about the risk of developing Type II diabetes.
According to her lawsuit, due to Pfizer’s alleged omission, she now faces a life of daily anti-diabetic medication, dietary limitations, frequent blood sugar tests and continuing medical expenses. Accordingly, her Louisiana Lipitor lawyer explicitly stated in the complaint filed on her behalf that had Pfizer properly warned of risks associated with Lipitor, his client would have avoided type 2 diabetes by not using Lipitor or diligently monitoring glucose levels.”
Injured? A Louisiana Lipitor Lawyer May Be Able to Help
If you or someone you care for developed Type II diabetes after taking Lipitor, it may be possible to recover compensation through a Lipitor lawsuit. Contact Attorney Group for Louisiana today to discuss your legal options, and be connected with a Louisiana Lipitor lawyer who can help you file a lawsuit. Contact us today for your free consultation.
