Benicar Lawsuits Keep Climbing, Bellwether Trials Expected Later This Year

Parsippany, NJAs we begin our progression into the new year, the parade of Benicar Lawsuits continues in kind. To that end, a report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the fall revealed that lawsuits at the time numbered over 1,000 and are probably well above that number in the weeks and months since November 6, when the Form 10-Q filed by Allergan plc was filed.

Allergan plc used to be known as Actavis, which acquired Forest Laboratories in July of 2014. Forest was involved in the promotion and marketing of Benicar in concert with manufacturer Daiichi Sankyo, until Forest stopped actively promoting Benicar in 2008.

According to the SEC filing, Allergan claimed for the quarterly period ending September 30 that there were no fewer than 1,230 Benicar side effects lawsuits alleging sprue-like enteropathy and other adverse reactions. Compare the number with that of early 2015, when a little over 70 cases were on the books when Benicar lawsuits were consolidated into multidistrict litigation.

By September 30, that number had climbed to over 1,200. In the four-and-one-half months since, one might speculate what that number may look like now…

We know this: the initial Benicar bellwether trials are expected to get underway late this year. What’s more, given the aging American population and the propensity for high blood pressure (hypertension) across a broad spectrum of society, it would not be beyond the realm of speculation that litigation would increase in step with usage of hypertension medication such as Benicar.

The latter has been linked to sprue-like enteropathy, a serious and debilitating gastrointestinal issue characterized by chronic diarrhea, malnutrition and even intestinal damage. Numerous patients suffering from alleged Benicar Illness and Weight Loss wind up in the hospital.

There have been deaths reported.

It has also been reported that some Benicar plaintiffs have suffered from diarrhea attacks numbering up to 20 in a single day, with weight loss as high as 100 pounds. Such severe weight loss and related complications have triggered infections and cataracts, according to reports.

Plaintiffs are asserting that their use of what they allege to be Benicar defective products are responsible for their serious health complications.

Defendants in various Benicar Lawsuits include Daiichi Sankyo, the Japanese pharmaceutical company that maintains its US headquarters in the state of New Jersey.

For its part, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning in 2013 with regard to the potential for Benicar to trigger serious chronic diarrhea and substantial weight loss. In concert with the release of the FDA Benicar side effects warning, lawsuits soon followed as patients, their caregivers and family members began to suspect Benicar as the foundation for their health concerns.

Industry watchers will be tracking the bellwether trials later this year, with substantial interest.