Benicar Gastrointestinal Disorder Lawyers

The Driscoll Firm, LLC, is investigating claims that Benicar, one of the country’s top-selling blood pressure drugs, causes patients to develop sprue-like enteropathy and other gastrointestinal disorders.

In 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered drug manufacturer Daiichi Sankyo to add a warning about this side effect to the labeling of Benicar and its sister drugs, Benicar HCT, Azor and Tribenzor. However, the FDA issued this warning roughly 11 years after Benicar first hit the U.S. market. As a result, thousands of patients across the country may have suffered severe gastrointestinal harm after using the medication due to the fact that they lacked a proper warning about this risk.

If you believe that you or a family member has suffered gastrointestinal problems associated with Benicar, contact The Driscoll Firm. We are a nationally recognized leader in defective pharmaceutical product litigation. We can provide a free review of your case today and discuss your legal options.

What Are the Problems with Benicar?

Doctors prescribe Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil) to help patients to bring their high blood pressure under control. It is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). The drug blocks a chemical that tightens and narrows blood vessels, which helps to lower a patient’s blood pressure and prevent strokes and heart attacks.

Despite this benefit, the FDA reports that Benicar may cause patients to suffer sprue-like enteropathy. This condition develops in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and carries symptoms similar to celiac disease. Those symptoms include:

• Chronic diarrhea
• Substantial weight loss
• Vomiting
• Dehydration
• Cardiovascular problems.

In July 2013, the FDA reported that it had received reports of 23 “serious cases” of diarrhea and severe weight loss among olmesartan users. Each patient’s condition improved after they stopped using the drug.

Additionally, researchers from the Mayo Clinic reported in June 2012 that 22 patients who used olmesartan suffered symptoms consistent with celiac disease. When they stopped using the drug, the symptoms went away. At a meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in October 2012, researchers said they had identified 40 cases of patients who had experienced similar symptoms associated with olmesartan use.

Those studies and adverse event reports spurred the FDA to order the Benicar labeling change in 2013 and to issue a safety communication. The agency warned patients to stop using olmesartan and to switch to a different blood pressure medication if they experienced diarrhea, vomiting or weight loss, with no other cause identified for those symptoms.

In its safety announcement, the FDA noted that, in addition to olmesartan, seven other angiotensin II receptor blocker medications are on the U.S. market. However, no other ARB has been associated with sprue-like enteropathy.

How Can The Driscoll Firm Help You?

Patients across the country have filed lawsuits against Daiichi Sankyo, claiming that they suffered gastrointestinal disorders related to Benicar, Benicar HCT, Azor or Tribenzor. They assert that the manufacturer failed to provide them with a proper warning about those potential side effects.

Since 2015, all individual Benicar lawsuits filed in federal courts have been consolidated in the District of New Jersey (MDL No. 2606). The goal of multidistrict litigation (MDL) is to conserve time and resources during pretrial proceedings while, at the same time, allowing each individual’s lawsuit to remain separate.

The Driscoll Firm has extensive experience with nationally significant defective medical product cases, including serving as class counsel, state liaison counsel and members of committees that make decisions on how MDL cases should proceed. We can put that experience to work for you.

If you believe that you or a loved one has suffered sprue-like enteropathy or other gastrointestinal disorders associated with Benicar use, our product injury lawyers will thoroughly investigate your case and explore all of your legal options. You may be eligible to recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain, suffering and more.
Contact us today to learn more in a free, no-obligation consultation.