Introduction
Benicar was developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo and was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2002. Daiichi Sankyo went on to spend nearly $1 billion dollars promoting Benicar and Benicar HCT by boasting its effectiveness and safety for high blood pressure patients. According to the FDA, approximately 10.6 million prescriptions were dispensed of the drug in 2012 alone and in 2014, the medication brought the company over $2.6 billion in revenue.
History of the Case
In August 2017, a $300 million settlement was reached with Daiichi Sankyo on behalf of individuals who filed lawsuits after suffering sprue-like enteropathy and other gastrointestinal issues from Benicar, Benicar HCT, Azor and Tribenzor.
Plaintiffs must have been represented by an attorney by August 23, 2017, to be eligible to participate in the settlement.
Thousands of claims were filed against Daiichi Sankyo (the manufacturer of Benicar) by people who suffered sprue-like enteropathy and other gastrointestinal issues as a result of taking Benicar.
In August 2017 a $300 million settlement was reached for individuals who suffered gastrointestinal issues after taking Benicar.
Attorneys argued that if doctors and patients had known the risks, they would have used a blood pressure medication other than Benicar, or would have been closely monitored for symptoms similar to celiac disease.
Injuries Related to Product
Benicar lawsuits were filed by patients who developed serious GI issues including but not limited to:
- Excessive Weight Loss
- Vomiting
- Chronic diarrhea
- Nausea
- Or who have been mis-diagnosed with Celiac disease
A study conducted at the Mayo Clinic by Dr. Joseph Murray linked the development of sprue-like enteropathy to the use of Benicar.
Sprue-like enteropathy is a disease that produces severe gastrointestinal symptoms; such as chronic diarrhea, significant weight loss, nausea, and overall malnutrition.
The most serious side effects are symptoms that appear to be Celiac disease, but actually are sprue-like enteropathy.
