Liver damage risks have been linked to Veozah, which is a drug that treats hot flashes due to menopause.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Veozah Liver Damage cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with liver damage from Veozah, contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
UPDATE: FDA Warning for Veozah Liver Damage Risks
On December 16, 2024, the FDA added a Black Box Warning about the rare but serious risk of liver damage from Veozah, which is a medication that treats symptoms of menopause.
What Should I Do?
The FDA is warning women to stop taking Veozah if they develop new signs and symptoms of liver damage, such as:
- Fatigue
- Decreased appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Itching
- Yellow skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Light-colored feces
- Dark urine
- Abdominal pain
What is the Risk?
If you stop Veozah in time, it could prevent more serious liver damage, according to the FDA. In a Drug Safety Communication on September 2024, the FDA recommended:
“If there are signs and symptoms suggesting liver injury, stopping the medicine could prevent worsening liver injury and potentially return liver function to normal.”
What is Veozah?
Veozah® (fezolinetant) is a once-daily pill for hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause that is made by Astellas Pharma Inc. Veozah is a non-hormonal prescription medicine that was approved in May 2023 to treat moderate to severe hot flashes that are caused by menopause.
How Does Veozah Work?
Veozah is the first and only medication that treats the root cause of hot flashes and night sweats by blocking neurokinin B (NKB), which is a chemical in the brain that controls body temperature.
What Are Vasomotor Symptoms?
Veozah is used to reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause, which are also called Vasomotor Symptoms (VMS). These uncomfortable symptoms occur in most women during menopause due to an imbalance between estrogens and NKB.
FDA Adds “Black Box” for Veozah Liver Damage
In December 2024, the FDA added a “Black Box” warning to the label on Veozah to warn patients and doctors about the risk of liver damage. The Boxed Warning is the FDA’s highest-level warning, intended to “highlight the known risk of rare but serious liver injury” with Veozah.
The FDA updated the Veozah Prescribing Information to recommend:
- Patients should have blood work before starting treatment with Veozah to establish baseline liver function and screen for pre-existing liver problems
- Patients should undergo follow-up liver laboratory testing monthly for the first 3 months, at 6 months, and at 9 months of treatment
- Doctors should tell patients to immediately stop using Veozah and seek medical attention (including liver laboratory tests) if they experience signs or symptoms that may suggest liver injury
- Discontinue Veozah if laboratory tests show elevated liver enzyme levels, and perform more tests until liver enzyme levels return to normal
Veozah and Elevated Liver Enzymes
Veozah patients have developed elevated liver enzymes, an early sign of liver damage that can be found in blood tests. If liver enzyme levels increase significantly or other symptoms appear, immediately stop Veozah and contact your doctor.
According to LiverTox, clinical trials showed that patients on Veozah were significantly more likely to develop elevated liver enzymes than patients on a placebo: “In preregistration clinical trials, serum ALT or AST elevations above 3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) occurred in 2.3% of patients taking fezolinetant vs 0.9% of placebo recipients.”
Drug-Induced Liver Injury and Liver Failure Risks
Drug-induced liver injury usually goes away after you stop taking the drug that is causing liver damage. However, in some cases, it can lead to liver failure.
The long-term use of medications that are toxic to your liver can cause permanent scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), which can interfere with the liver’s normal function. Scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue and prevents the liver from working normally, which can cause liver failure.
How Can Lawsuits Help?
If you were injured by Veozah, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit or join a class action. Our lawyers are evaluating potential lawsuits involving liver damage from Veozah. If you qualify, we may be able to help you seek justice and compensation for your injury, pain and suffering, medical bills, lost income, long-term health problems, decreased quality of life, and more.
Do I Have a Veozah Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Veozah Liver Damage cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with liver damage from Veozah, contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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