Testosterone Stroke
Men who use AndroGel and other low-T therapy medications may be more likely to experience dangerous cardiovascular complications, including stroke. Since March 2015, the manufacturers of prescription testosterone treatments have been required to include warnings regarding a possible increased risk of stroke on their product labels.
Did You or a Loved one Suffer a Testosterone Stroke? Consider Filing a Lawsuit.
Thousands of plaintiffs have filed lawsuits over testosterone-related strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems allegedly associated with the use of AndroGel and other low-T therapies. If you or a man close to you suffered similar complications while using one of these mediations, please contact Bernstein Liebhard LLP at (888) 994-5118 to learn more about the legal options available to you.
Testosterone and Strokes
A number of testosterone replacement drugs have been approved to treat men who suffer from hypogonadism (low testosterone) related to an underlying medical condition, such as a problem with the pituitary gland or the side effect of certain cancer treatments. Name-brand medications that are part of this class include:
In January 2014, the FDA launched a safety review of prescription testosterone products after two studies indicated that the medications might increase the chances that certain men would experience a stroke, heart attack or sudden death:
- November 2013: Research published in JAMA suggested a 30 percent increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in older men that had been prescribed testosterone therapy.
- January 2014: A second study that appeared in PLoS One in January reported a two-fold increase in the risk of heart attack among men aged 65 years and older within the first 90 days of their first testosterone therapy prescription. Men under 65 with a pre-existing history of heart disease had a two- to three-fold increased risk of testosterone heart attack within the first 90 days.
The FDA completed its review in March 2015, and ordered low-T manufacturers to add new warnings to their product labels regarding a possible association with heart attacks and strokes. The FDA also required that the labeling be modified to clearly state that the drugs hadn’t been proven safe or effective in treating age-related hypogonadism. In doing so, the agency noted that the use of low-T therapy had increased significantly, from 1.3 million patients in 2009 to 2.3 million patients in 2013 receiving a prescription for a testosterone product. The FDA expressed concern that the drugs are being used extensively in attempts to relieve symptoms in men who have low testosterone for no apparent reason other than aging. Read More
Since the FDA issued its alert, thousands of men have filed lawsuits after suffering strokes and other cardiovascular problems that were allegedly caused by AndroGel and other low T therapies. Among other things, these lawsuits accuse the manufacturers of low-therapies of:
- Concealing information about the possible link between the use of testosterone and an increased risk stroke, heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications.
- Failing to provide adequate warnings to patients and doctors about these risks.
- Improperly marketing low-T therapy for the treatment of age-related hypogonadism, even though the medications were never approved for this indication.
Testosterone Lawsuit Developments
- June 2014: Federal testosterone lawsuits filed on behalf of men who allegedly suffered heart attacks, strokes and blood clots due to their use of AndroGel and other low-T therapies are centralized in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. Read More
- April 2014: Plaintiffs who have filed AndroGel lawsuits and other testosterone claims over the drugs’ alleged cardiovascular side effects seek the creation of a multidistrict litigation for all federal claims in a single U.S. District Court. In a motion filed with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), they argue that centralization is appropriate because the lawsuits pose common questions of law and fact, and consolidation or coordination before one court will ensure efficient management of the litigation and avoid duplicative discovery. Read More
Are You Eligible to File a Testosterone Stroke Lawsuit?
There is still time for the alleged victims of testosterone-related strokes to file their own lawsuits against the manufacturers of low-T therapies. To learn more about this growing litigation, please contact our attorneys today, by calling (888) 994-5118.
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