Liver Damage and Liver Failure Associated with Multaq
If you are a patient who has experienced paroxysmal or atrial fibrillation (AFib) or atrial flutter type conditions, the drug Multaq (Dronedarone) offered the hope of a reduced risk of cardiovascular hospitalizations. Multaq is a drug sold by the international pharmaceutical company Sanofi Aventis. On its website, Sanofi claims that Multaq can work to lower the “chance that you would need to go to the hospital.” What Sandofi’s website failed to inform you, however, was that the drug poses serious risks to patients taking it, including the risk of severe liver injury. It was not until September 2010 that Sandofi’s website warned consumers “you should not take Multaq if you have severe liver problems.”
On July 14, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned patients that Multaq has been linked to an increased risk of acute liver failure and other liver problems. To make matters worse, the drug was approved only a few years ago, in July 2009, which suggests that the FDA and large drug manufacturers such as Sanofi Aventis have failed to ensure that their products are safe before they enter the mainstream U.S. market. In fact, it has been estimated that almost 150,000 people have been prescribed this heart medication since just October of 2010.
Multaq is used to treat patients who have had an abnormal heart rhythm during the past six months including patients with conditions such as atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Because of this increased risk if liver injury, new warnings and information are now being added to the Multaq label. Signs of liver injury resulting from the use of Multaq may include: vomiting, fever, anorexia, nausea, fatigue, jaundice, pain in the upper right quadrant, dark urine, and general weakness or discomfort.
The FDA has received several reports of liver injury and hepatic failure in Multaq users, including two cases of acute liver failure in patients using the drug, who then needed a liver transplant. Patients now have to weigh the benefits of Multaq, which include a decreased risk of hospitalization for heart conditions, against Multaq’s risks, which include a risk of severe liver damage and/or liver failure to a previously well-functioning liver.
Patients were once able to rely on the advice and information given by their doctors and drug manufacturers to weigh the risks and benefits of a particular drug. As the recent case of Multaq and its dangerous side effects indicate, however, now consumers must do their own research and investigation into a drug’s risks if they do not want to be seriously harmed by a medication. Oftentimes, medications will be placed on the market prior to proper warnings being made available to patients or published on a drug’s labels. If you have taken Multaq and suffered liver damage as a result, you may be entitled to compensation. You should not have to suffer for shortcomings on the part of drug manufacturers and the FDA. If you need further information on Multaq or would like an attorney to review your case, please fill out contact form at our web site: http://multaq-lawyer.com/
