Eli Lilly & Co is being sued in a dangerous drug lawsuit claiming the company failed to warn users that the painkillers Darvocet and Darvon could increase the risk of serious heart problems.
Mark Lopez and Steven Ayling filed their complaint in federal court claiming that propoxyphene, the active ingredient in the painkillers, is only marginally effective for pain relief and that the risk of heart problems outweigh any benefit. Lopez alleges the drug caused him to undergo a double bypass surgery due to heart damage, while Ayling alleges he suffered from angina, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and mitral regurgitation.
According to the New Jersey Law Journal, the dangerous drug lawsuit claims that the FDA petitioned Eli Lilly to recall Darvon and Darvocet, but the company did not relent and instead promised to educate consumers and patients about the health hazards. Furthermore, the company did not follow through on their promise and turned its educational program into a marketing campaign, according to the complaint.
The plaintiffs also allege that when the FDA made a second petition to recall the pain relievers, and that Eli Lilly made misleading and false statements to refute the claims that the drugs were dangerous. The company also did not comply with the FDA’s call for an investigation into safety concerns and order for patients to be given warnings about the drugs’ risks, according to the complaint.
FDA documents reportedly indicated that some users committed suicide because of the addictive nature of the drugs and that others had seizures. Darvocet and Darvon were taken off the European Union market in 2009 and the Great Britain market in 2005.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a dangerous drug, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation.