Will Darvon and Darvocet Lawsuits Be Centralized?

New Orleans, LANow that the dust is starting to settle on the recent Darvon recall, patients who allege they suffered Darvon side effects such as heart problems are considering possible lawsuits against the makers of Darvon and Darvocet. Some lawsuits have already been filed and a motion has also been filed requesting that Darvon and Darvocet lawsuits be consolidated.

Darvon (known generically as propoxyphene) and Darvocet (a combination of acetaminohen and propoxyphene) are narcotic analgesics. They are prescribed to reduce pain but were removed from the market in November 2010. The recall came after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that propoxyphene increases the risk of serious or fatal heart rhythm abnormalities.

According to an FDA spokesperson, propoxyphene was withdrawn from the market because data indicated that the drug was linked to "serious toxicity to the heart, even when used at therapeutic doses." A study done on propoxyphene found that patients who took it at the recommended therapeutic doses had an increased risk of changes to the heart's electrical activity. The study was even put on clinical hold because of safety concerns.

Furthermore, the FDA expressed concern that elderly patients and patients with renal insufficiency were at risk because the medication would be cleared more slowly from their bodies.

"FDA has concluded that the safety risks of propoxyphene outweigh its benefits for pain relief at recommended doses," the agency said.

The FDA's announcement regarding propoxyphene came too late for some people. Back in 2009, a Citizen Petition was sent to the agency, requesting the removal of propoxyphene from the market.

Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc, the former distributor of Darvon and Darvocet faces wrongful death lawsuits, alleging some patients died after using the painkillers. Among those are the parents of a 22-year-old who reportedly died of acute cardiac failure approximately one week after she began taking Darvocet for a knee injury. Another lawsuit was filed by the widow of a man who died of heart problems only days before the FDA announced the Darvon and Darvocet recall.

Lawsuits have also been filed by patients who say their health was affected by taking the medication. Whether or not the lawsuits will be consolidated before one judge remains to be seen. A decision is expected at any time.

The propoxyphene recall affected both brand name and generic products containing the drug.