Androgel Testosterone Injury Lawsuits
While AbbieVie, maker of AndroGel testosterone replacement medication, landed a significant win in the ongoing Androgel testosterone injury lawsuit last month in a Chicago federal court verdict last month, the momentum in these cases is far from faltering. The Chicago Tribune reported jurors in that case ruled a 72-year-old’s pulmonary embolism could not be blamed on AbbieVie, despite evidence the drug – promoted for treatments of slipping sex drive and fatigue due to waning testosterone levels – has reportedly been associated with heart attacks, strokes and other injuries. 
Although the win was a disappointment outcome, our AndroGel testosterone injury attorneys know it doesn’t mark the end of the fight, given that it’s the first victory AbbieVie has had in the cases that so far have gone to trial. The verdict comes several months after two juries in that same federal courtroom (in separate cases) sided with plaintiffs, awarding significant punitive damages ($150 million and $140 million, respectively) to men who took the drug and later suffered heart attacks.
AndroGel injury attorneys will be watching developments closely, as the federal judge in Illinois overseeing the multi-district litigation overturned one of those verdicts and granted AbbieVie’s request for a new trial, citing inconsistencies in the verdict. The new trial is scheduled for early next month.
It’s too soon to tell at this point exactly which way the scales are tipping on these bellwether cases, which are critical in gauging the outcomes of future cases and whether AbbieVie will opt to settle the majority of future claims or continue to fight them vigorously.
Androgel Testosterone Injury Lawsuit Information
AndroGel is a gel prescribed to male patients, who are directed to apply it each day to their arms and chest. AbbieVie is the leader in the market for this product, which was released to the public upon receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2000 for treatment of a condition called hypgonadism. (AbbieVie has only owned and manufactured the drug since 2010, after it was purchased by Abbott Laboratories.) Hypogonadism is a chronic condition involving low testosterone levels in men, typically resulting from trauma, illness or a genetic defect.
The FDA never approved AndroGel for use in treating age-related vexations such as rising body fat levels, reduced sex drive and low energy levels (sometimes referred to as symptoms of “low-T”). However, that didn’t stop AbbieVie from aggressively marketing AndroGel to the public for this off-label use of its testosterone therapy. Plaintiffs in AndroGel testosterone injury lawsuits allege the pharmaceutical company intentionally misled this market of older men into thinking this was a safe, effective treatment for these low-T symptoms, while failing to provide adequate warning of the potential risk of serious complications.
The FDA announced in 2014 it was launching an investigation into the health risks correlating to use of testosterone therapy products like AndroGel, following the release of two separate studies indicating a host of major health concerns. The following year, regulators mandated a label change, directing manufacturers to clarify the uses for which these products are approved and give fair warning of the possibility of the increased risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Plaintiff AndroGel injury attorneys aren’t discouraged by the recent AbbieVie win, noting there are 4,500 lawsuits pending against this company (and 7,000 total against all testosterone replacement drug manufacturers). Trials will be ongoing for the foreseeable future.
Contact the James Esparza Law Group in Salt Lake City, Utah for more information on filing an AndroGel testosterone injury lawsuit. Call (800) 745-4050.
Additional Resources:
AbbVie, facing thousands of lawsuits about its AndroGel testosterone supplement, notches a significant win, Feb. 9, 2018, By Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, The Chicago Tribune
More Blog Entries:
Androgel Lawsuit Update – Androgel User Awarded $140 Million, Oct. 5, 2017, Utah AndroGel Injury Lawyer Blog