July 25, 2014 — Attorneys in Canada have filed two class action lawsuits against the manufacturers of AndroGel (testosterone gel) and Delatestryl (testosterone injection).
- AndroGel class action filed on June 26.
- Delatestryl class action filed on July 22 in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
The class actions are seeking damages on behalf of Canadians who purchased testosterone replacement products. Plaintiffs accuse drug-makers of failing to adequately warn about the risk of blood clots and cardiovascular events.
Earlier this week, Health Canada issued a warning about the possible heart risks of testosterone therapy.
In the United States, similar allegations have been raised in over 150 individual lawsuits. Most of the cases are pending in a Multi-District Litigation (MDL), which is similar to a class action, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The litigation has grown rapidly since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began investigating several studies linking testosterone therapy and cardiovascular events. One study found that testosterone doubled the heart attack risk for men over 65. The other study found a 30% increased rate of heart attack, stroke, and death during the first 90 days of treatment.
The side effects are very concerning because many men who use testosterone-boosting products do not actually have hypogonadism, the only medical condition testosterone is approved to treat. This may be due to ad campaigns promoting testosterone therapy for vague, common symptoms like fatigue, erectile dysfunction, sagging muscles, and moodiness.
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
