Recent Elmiron Study Paves Way for Class Action Lawsuits D.C. Personal Injury Lawsuit
Elmiron is a drug manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The medicine entered the market in 1996, and is marketed as the only FDA drug approved that treats bladder pain, or discomfort stemming interstitial cystitis. Elmiron does not cure the disease, but rather relieves symptoms, and improves quality of life. It is widely used. However, per an NIH published study, a randomized placebo-controlled experiment did not confirm the drug’s efficacy.
Problems
Problems resulting from Elmiron use began the year after its release. In 1997 almost 150 cases of eye damage from Elmiron were reported. Symptoms reported then included blurred vision, maculopathy, blindness, and halo vision.
At Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, a group of ophthalmologists identified 140 patients who had taken an average of 5000 pills over a 15 year period. Ninety-one of the 140 patients underwent an examination; 22 showed evidence of a specific maculopathy. Maculopathy is a progressive eye disease that can lead to blindness. Maculopathy symptoms are blurry vision, night blindness, difficulty adjusting to dim light, dark spots in one’s field of vision, and more. Further studies showed that roughly one-quarter of patients with significant Elmiron use showed signs of eye damage.
The drug did not contain any warnings about vision damage until 2020, but it’s likely that this is too late. The new warning now includes the following:
Throughout your treatment, regular eye examinations that include retinal examinations are suggested for early detection of retinal/macular changes. Your doctor will discuss with you when to get your first eye examination and follow-up exams, and whether the treatment should be continued since these changes may be irreversible and may progress even after stopping treatment.
Other types of damage include scotoma and metamorphopsia.
Going Forward
Federally filed Elmiron lawsuits were consolidated into the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in December 2020.
You should gather documentation of your medical treatment if possible, and contact an attorney immediately, if you’ve taken Elmiron and are suffering damages to your vision. Some questions to know the answers to are:
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- What vision changes do you have? When did they begin, and have they gotten worse?
- How long did you take Elmiron?
- Does your family have a history of eye problems?
If you are suffering side effects from the use of Elmiron, contact an attorney immediately. The attorneys at Cohen & Cohen have litigated these matters extensively since 1993, and can help get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today at (202) 955-4529 for a free case evaluation.
