Vytorin and Zetia have been linked to serious, life-threatening side effects including myalgia, rhabdomyolysis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, thrombocytopenia or any liver related injury or liver damage.
Zetia was approved by the FDA in 2002 in order to help reduce artery clogging plaque in patients with high cholesterol. It has been recently linked to an elevated risk of liver damage.
The New York Times released an article that stated the manufacturers of Vytorin and Zetia conducted two studies that showed an elevated risk of developing liver damage, but they never published it. The Public Citizen released a report in December 2004 stating in part, “Indeed, there is already evidence from the FDA Adverse Events Reports System (AERS) that Zetia may, on its own, cause rhabdomyolysis, a serious and potentially fatal disease involving destruction or degeneration of skeletal muscle.” In January 2008, another study questioned the effectiveness of Vytorin because it showed no benefit to its users.
Rhabdomyolysis is the rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue due to injury to muscle tissue. The destruction of the muscle leads to the release of the breakdown products of damaged muscle cells into the bloodstream, some of which is detrimental to the kidney and may lead to acute renal failure.
Side Effects of Zetia
There are a variety of side effects associated with Zetia. Our firm is pursing the following types of serious, life-threatening side effects:
- myalgia
- rhabdomyolysis
- hepatitis
- pancreatitis
- thrombocytopenia
- liver injury & liver damage
- death
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.
