Women Developed Type 2 Diabetes After Taking Lipitor, Sue Pharmaceutical Company
Numerous women are filing lawsuits against pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer, alleging that their blockbuster cholesterol drug Lipitor caused them to develop Type 2 diabetes.
On July 3rd, a woman from West Virginia filed a federal lawsuit against Pfizer and Lipitor. She began taking Lipitor in 2005, and subsequently developed Type 2 diabetes. She is suing the company for her physical and emotional injuries related to her now constant treatment for Type 2 diabetes, including regular blood sugar testing and a restrictive diet. She also claims that she is now markedly at greater risk of side effects of diabetes, including heart disease, which Lipitor should help prevent.
“Had Defendant properly disclosed the risks associated with Lipitor, Plaintiff would have avoided the risk of diabetes by either not using Lipitor at all or by closely monitoring her blood glucose level to see if the drug was adversely affecting her metabolism,” according to the suit.
Most recently, a Texas woman has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Pfizer, after she developed Type 2 diabetes. Barbara Henson filed the lawsuit in the Eastern District Court of Texas, Marshall Division. She was prescribed Lipitor to help manage her cholesterol and prevent heart disease in 2006. In 2009, she developed Type 2 diabetes.
Henson’s lawsuit alleges that the defendant failed to adequately warn physicians, and consumers like Henson, of the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes from taking Lipitor. Pfizer is also accused of product liability, negligence, fraud, constructive fraud, and breach of implied warranty.
Henson seeks an award for medical expenses incurred because of her Lipitor prescription, as well as compensatory damages for physical and emotional pain and suffering, economic loss, and punitive damages against Pfizer.
Study in British Medical Journal Links Lipitor to Type 2 Diabetes
Although many doctors say that statins like Lipitor are an important part of regulating cholesterol to prevent heart disease, a study published in the British Medical Journal in May 2013 clearly established a link between Lipitor and Type 2 diabetes. The study showed that women are the highest-risk group.
The FDA approved a change of warning label on Lipitor in February 2012, to reflect the potential link between Lipitor and diabetes. The decision was prompted by a clinical trial in 2011 that showed that patients taking Lipitor had an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, but the study results were written off – the women in the study were, generally, believed to have a predisposition toward Type 2 diabetes anyway, due to high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and other risk factors for Type 2 diabetes being prevalent in people with high cholesterol.
However, the latest study showed clearly that Lipitor specifically, compared to other statin drugs, increased women’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Other statins in the study included Zocor and Crestor. The study showed that female patients taking Lipitor had a 22% increased chance to develop new onset diabetes.
The Strom Law Firm Is Now Investigating Lipitor Cases
Although many doctors believe that the benefits of statins such as Lipitor outweigh the risks, patients who are otherwise healthy disagree. Type 2 diabetes carries the risk of a wide variety of different side effects, including increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage or neuropathy, kidney damage, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, skin and mouth conditions, and diabetic macular edema, which can lead to blindness.
The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm are currently investigating claims that taking Lipitor is related to development of Type 2 diabetes. There may be a limited time to file a claim, so contact us today for a free consultation. 803.252.4800
