Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog
With thousands of lawsuits involving testosterone products currently pending, eight of those cases have now been selected by a federal judge for early trials. Known as bellwether trials, these first lawsuits may provide insight into how juries will react to evidence and testimony in the more than 5,500 cases currently pending. In all of these lawsuits, plaintiffs are alleging use of testosterone products like Androgel have led to serious and even deadly side effects like heart attack and stroke.
U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly is currently overseeing around 5,500 lawsuits involving testosterone replacement therapies in the Northern District of Illinois. Plaintiffs in those cases have been prescribed testosterone products originally approved by the FDA to treat specific medical conditions that lead to a drop in testosterone levels in men. However, the drugs have also been used off-label to treat a wide range of symptoms related to the aging process, such as energy loss, decreased muscle mass and reduced libido.
The manufacturers of product like Testim, Axiron, and Androgel have touted their products as ant-aging formulas for a large percentage of men that suffer the symptoms associated with lower testosterone levels. The drugs come in a variety of forms, including patches, pellets, gels, and injections. While the products can indeed bring relief to men suffering from severely low testosterone levels, they can also increase the risk of heart attack, pulmonary embolism, stroke and death, particularly in men with a history of cardiovascular problems.
Men who experienced serious side effects from testosterone therapies began filing lawsuits against the manufacturers of the drugs, alleging these companies did not provide adequate warning about the risks associated with their products. As the number of lawsuits grew, the litigation was coordinated into multidistrict litigation for the purpose of streamlining early trial proceedings and serving the convenience of the parties, witnesses and courts.
On August 3, Judge Kennelly issued an order identifying eight cases as bellwether trials. Four of these cases involve a blood clot injury such as a pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis, while the other four cases involve heart attack or stroke. All these cases involve Androgel, a testosterone drug manufactured by AbbiVie.
Our law firm continues to investigate testosterone lawsuits around the country. If you or a loved one suffered from stroke, heart attack or a blood clot injury after using a testosterone drug, contact our office immediately.