Testosterone

August 17, 2016

Bellwether trials selected in ongoing testosterone litigation

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.

July 18, 2016

Testosterone drug side effects trigger lawsuits

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Men who suffer stroke, cardiac arrest and other heart-related issues or other adverse side effects after using AndroGel and other testosterone drugs have filed lawsuits across the country alleging that they were not properly warned of the risks.

At the center of these lawsuits is a popular testosterone drug named AndroGel.

AndroGel is synthetic testosterone mixed into a gel with alcohol that is applied to the skin once daily. The testosterone is absorbed into the skin for continuous 24-hour delivery into the body. It is prescribe to men with low testosterone levels to increase their testosterone levels to a normal range.

February 4, 2016

AndroGel Pulmonary Embolism Side Effect Lawsuit Filed

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Timothy Wilkes from Ohio, filed a testosterone drug personal injury and product liability lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. According to Wilkes, the side effects of the popular testosterone replacement medication, AndroGel caused a deep vein thrombosis or a blood clot in his legs that traveled to the lung, causing a pulmonary embolism.

AndroGel Used as “Lifestyle” Low T Testosterone Replacement

There are almost 3,500 testosterone lawsuits filed in the federal court system, alleging injuries caused by the side effects of testosterone drugs, including AndroGel, Testim, Axiron, Androderm and other variations of gels, patches, pills and injections.

March 3, 2015

FDA Orders Stronger Testosterone Heart Attack Warnings

by Dr. Shezad Malik

According to a FDA press release this week, testosterone drug makers must change the products’ labels to warn they are approved for only certain disorders, not to help men treat aging symptoms.

Popular blockbuster drugs, like AbbVie Inc.’s AndroGel and Eli Lilly & Co.’s Axiron, are being restricted and warnings are being required in the labels about a potential risk of heart attack and stroke from using testosterone.

According to Bloomberg, AndroGel ranked second in AbbVie’s drug sales last year, with $934 million.

June 16, 2014

Texas Androgel Testosterone Gel Heart Attack Injury Lawsuit

by Dr. Shezad Malik

David Lyon from Texas recently filed a product liability personal injury lawsuit against the makers of Androgel. Lyon alleges that testosterone gel side effects caused a myocardial infarction or heart attack and that the manufacturer mislead consumers that the drug was safe.

Testosterone Androgel Lawsuit

April 23, 2014

AndroDerm Stroke Testosterone Patch Lawsuit Filed

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Wesley Davis, from New York filed a stroke product liability lawsuit against Actavis and Watson. Davis alleged that the side effects of the testosterone patch AndroDerm caused him to suffer a serious stroke. Furthermore, Davis claimed that the drug manufacturers failed to warn men about the potential risks associated with use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).

What is Androderm?

AndroDerm patch is a low testosterone drug approved by the FDA in 1995 for treatment of low testosterone caused by a medical condition, called hypogonadism. The testosterone replacement therapy medication is delivered in permeable skin patches.

April 17, 2014

Androgel Testosterone Injury Federal Consolidation

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Recently a consolidation motion was filed for all federal Androgel lawsuits to become part of an MDL, or multidistrict litigation.

Hot on the heels of that motion, a second motion has been filed with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) requesting that all testostereone therapy lawsuits be centralized before one judge as a single coordinated proceeding.

April 15, 2014

Testim Testosterone Gel Louisiana Wrongful Death Lawsuit

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A Louisiana man, who suffered a deadly heart attack, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Testim gel manufacturer. The lawsuit claims that the 61 year old died as a result of Testim testosterone replacement therapy side effects.

The lawsuit was filed by the family of John Peuler against Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on March 21, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. There are close to 100 similar testosterone replacement therapy lawsuits filed across the United States in recent months.

What is Testim?

March 10, 2014

California Testosterone Testim Stroke Lawsuit

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A 58-year-old California man who suffered injuries after using the testosterone therapy Testim has sued manufacturer Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc., claiming it coordinated a massive ad campaign to aggressively promote the need for its product while failing to warn users of life-threatening side effects.

In a Feb. 26 lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, plaintiff Joseph Myers alleges that after taking multiple does of Testim in 2012, he suffered a stroke, which his physicians later informed him was likely caused by the drug.

February 9, 2014

Low T Testosterone Androgel Voodoo Medicine?

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Ten years ago some scientists recruited several hundred volunteers and gave them Testosterone or a placebo. Those taking testosterone got stronger, compared with those taking the placebo, and they could carry a load up stairs faster.

But they also had nearly five times the number of cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks and strokes, and the study ended early.