Rezulin Liver Damage Cases
At least 63 Rezulin users have died of liver failure. The actual number
of deaths is estimated to be as many as ten times higher than the reported
63 cases. On March 21, 2000 the head of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research stated that the "Continued use of Rezulin" posed
an "unacceptable risk " to diabetes patients. In December of
2001, a Texas jury awarded a 63 year old woman injured by Rezulin, 43
million dollars in damages. A second verdict for 24.5 Million cam down
in January 2002. The jury decided that another Texas resident, suffered
liver damage and later died as a result of Warner-Lambert's negligence
in developing and marketing the drug.
Rezulin was banned in England in December 1997, following the death
of an American who took the drug. The drug manufacturer, Warner-Lambert,
successfully fought a ban in the U.S. for 27 months before the FDA decided
to prohibit sales of the drug on March 21, 2000. Before the ban, sales
of Rezulin generated Warner-Lambert $1.8 billion in revenues. At its peak,
the drug was prescribed 488,000 times in January of 1999.
Sixty three Rezulin users have reportedly died from use of the drug.
The deaths were caused by liver failure. The total number of deaths is
likely to exceed 63 by many times according to experts.
The March 21, 2000 ban of Rezulin came about after a long debate inside
the FDA. Many doctors believed Rezulin was a dangerous drug that needed
to be banned. Many inside the FDA believed along with Warner-Lambert's
consultants that Rezulin was safe if properly administered and that it
should not be pulled from the market.
The recall came after an FDA whistleblower shared his findings and internal
FDA email messages with a L.A. Times reporter. This information and interviews
with several doctors led to a series of articles in the Los Angeles Times
discussing the dangers of Rezulin. The articles also raised questions about
the FDA's irregular "fast track" approval of the drug.
If you or someone you know has taken Rezulin and has suffered any serious
side effects, such as liver damage, heart or kidney injury, please contact
us for a rapid response regarding your rights and information about compensation
for injuries.