Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog
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?
Testim gel is a popular prescription medication for men suffering from documented testosterone deficiency. Similar testosterone therapy drugs such as AndroGel, AndroDerm, Axiron and others, have achieved blockbuster sales with annual receipts exceeding $2 billion recently.
What is the Problem with Testosterone Replacement Therapy?
According to experts, Testim gel side effects and other testosterone replacement therapy treatments may increase men’s risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke, blood clots and sudden death. The plaintiffs have similar allegations that the testosterone therapy makers have failed to adequately warn patients and the doctors about the potential testosterone treatment risks.
Louisiana Plaintiff Allegations
According to the plaintiffs allegations, the man began using Testim testosterone gel for about a year, and had no past medical history of significant heart problems before using the gel.
Testim gel is alleged to be defective and unreasonably dangerous, and that Auxilium, the drug manufacturer participated in aggressive marketing campaigns that misrepresented the safety of the testosterone gel.
Testosterone Heart Concerns
The FDA has approved Testim gel and other testosterone medications for the treatment of low testosterone levels caused by hypogonadism. Hypogonadism is a rare medical disease that affects about 1 million men in the U.S. Unfortunately the medications are prescribed to millions of American men. According to some experts, Auxilium and others have created a fake disease, which encourage men to take testosterone supplements, to combat the normal aging process.
Testosterone Heart Side Effect Medical Studies
A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA) reported that testosterone medications were associated with increased risks of heart attacks, strokes and death among older men with pre-existing heart disease.
Another medical study in the medical journal PLoSOne reported that testosterone drugs may double the risk of heart attack for young men with heart disease as well as for men age 65 and older who had no prior heart problems.
FDA Warning and Investigation
Hot on the heels of those two negative medical reports, the FDA on January 31announced that it has launched an investigation into the heart safety of testosterone therapy.
In March, Public Citizen a national drug consumer watchdog, called for a Black Box warning on all testosterone products warning men to the risk of heart attacks and strokes.