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Injuries: If you suffered one of the following injuries after taking Uloric, you may have a claim for compensation:
Uloric, a prescription drug used for treating excess uric acid in gout sufferers, has been linked to serious and sometimes fatal heart problems, including:
Our attorneys believe that those who have suffered health complications after taking Uloric may have grounds for a defective drug lawsuit against the manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals. If you have seen our Uloric claim TV Commercial, you will know we are currently accepting cases. Call us today.
In February of 2019, the FDA issued a black box warning for a drug called Uloric after discovering that the gout medication carries a higher risk of heart-related death compared to a similar medication called Zyloprim (allopurinol). The black box warning highlights an increased risk of death for patients with symptomatic hyperuricemia.
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Uloric is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (XOI) which is prescribed for the treatment of excess uric acid in the blood of people suffering from gout. This excess uric acid is also known in the medical community as hyperuricemia.
Uloric is not the name of the drug, but a specific brand name for a medication called febuxostat. Takeda Pharmaceuticals is the developer of Uloric, which was approved by the FDA for the treatment of hyperuricemia in 2009.
Uloric and other XOIs are used to block the metabolic process that creates uric acid inside of the body, which can lower uric acid levels in the bloodstream. Blocking this process can help prevent urate crystals from accumulating and causing gout attacks.
Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis which affects some, but not all, people with high uric acid levels in their bloodstreams. These acids sometimes cause crystals resembling needles in joints, which can lead to sudden and severe pain, along with swelling, tenderness, redness, and warm sensations.
There are a few different stages of gout:
This is a period that occurs before the first gout attack, which is devoid of symptoms. This period is characterized by high blood uric acid levels and this is when the crystals begin to form in joints.
Hyperuricemia is what eventually leads to gout.
This stage occurs when an outside influence (such as a night of heavy drinking) prompts uric acid levels to suddenly spike or disturbs crystals that have already formed into a joint, leading to a gout attack. This can lead to pain and inflammation, usually at night, and which progressively gets worse over the next 8-12 hours.
Eventually, these symptoms will start to fade after a few days and usually disappear in 7-10 days. Approximately 60% of people who have one gout attack will have a second one within the next year and 84% will suffer a second attack within a 3-year period.
As the name suggests, interval gout is the period between gout attacks. There is no pain during these intervals, however, the gout is still present. There may be low-level inflammation occurring which can damage joints, even if the person suffering from gout doesn’t notice the inflammation.
These intervals provide an opportunity to manage gout through the use of medication and lifestyle changes, which can help prevent future attacks or chronic gout.
Chronic gout develops when uric acid levels stay high over several years. When this happens, attacks become more common and the pain can become chronic instead of going away the way it did in previous stages. During this stage, joint damage and loss of mobility can occur.
Uloric has many side effects which vary in severity. Some of the relatively minor side effects of this medication include:
Uloric has also been linked to more serious side effects, which can even be fatal. These may include:
Uloric was approved to be sold on the market in 2009. However, this approval only happened following two previous failures in 2005 and 2006. Before the approval could be issued, the FDA required the manufacturer, Takeda, to complete a postmarket safety clinical trial.
The results of this trial were concerning. 6,000 gout patients were treated with either Uloric or another gout drug called allopurinol. According to the results of the trial, the patients who took Uloric had a higher risk of cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attacks, non-fatal strokes, and issues with inadequate blood supply to the heart resulting in the need for urgent surgery.
The FDA received the full trial report in 2018. After spending several months reviewing the results, the administration decided to update the safety warning with the black box warning mentioned above. This is the most serious warning that can be issued for medications.
In spite of these concerning results, Uloric has remained on the market.
Uloric has also been linked to acute renal failure, also known as acute kidney injury. According to a study by Arthritis Research and Therapy, there is a significant correlation between the use of febuxostat (Uloric) and acute renal failure. A sample of febuxostat users found that ARF is over 5 times more common for febuxostat than for other drugs.
Acute renal failure is also known as acute kidney injury. If your kidneys have suddenly stopped working, or the failure has occurred over a very short period of time, you are suffering from acute renal failure.
This is a very serious medical condition that requires immediate medical attention. Acute renal failure can lead to permanent kidney damage, including chronic kidney disease or kidney failure.
There are certain factors that can increase the risk of developing acute renal failure. Groups that are at a higher risk include people who:
This new study potentially adds a new at-risk group to that list: people who have taken Uloric and other forms of febuxostat. The study has also found a correlation between the use of a similar medication called Zyloprim (allopurinol) and acute renal failure (ARF).
Arthritis Research and Therapy analyzed records from the World Health Organization’s VigiBase pharmacovigilance database from January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2018. The organization found 3,509 “suspected drug” notifications for Uloric (febuxostat) and 18,730 for allopurinol. Out of those 3,509 for Uloric, there were 317 cases of ARF. There were 1,008 ARF cases for allopurinol.
According to this study, cases of acute renal failure were 5.7 times more likely for febuxostat users and 3.3 times more likely for allopurinol users when compared to other drugs. According to the study, “Due to the potential consequences of ARF, physicians should take account of this disproportionality signal when prescribing the ULTs febuxostat and allopurinol.”
If you or someone you love has suffered from acute renal failure or another serious health problem that has been linked to Uloric, we advise discussing your legal options with an experienced defective drug lawyer.
Uloric has already been linked to heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths. This newly established link between Uloric use and acute renal failure raises further questions of how such a dangerous drug has been allowed to stay on the market, endangering the lives of countless consumers.
Pharmaceutical companies that release dangerous drugs must be held accountable for their callous disregard for the lives of consumers. Uloric manufacturer Takeda has already been named in a whistleblower lawsuit, which alleged that the company was aware that the medication could cause kidney failure and bone marrow issues.
Negligent pharmaceutical companies can be held liable through defective drug lawsuits. If you or someone you care about has suffered acute kidney failure, a heart attack, or cardiovascular death that you believe may be related to their use of Uloric, our defective drug lawyers are prepared to help you determine if you have grounds for a Uloric lawsuit. Contact us today for a free consultation.
In 2012, a former employee of Takeda filed a whistleblower lawsuit against their employer, alleging that the company was aware of dangers posed by Uloric but failed to make this knowledge public.
The lawsuit claimed that Tekada knew that Uloric could have fatal side effects if it was taken with methadone or the disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug azathioprine (commonly known by brand names Imuran or Azapress).
According to the employee who filed this lawsuit, Takeda was aware that Uloric could cause failures in the kidneys and bone marrow.
The lawsuit went on to claim that Takeda went as far as to hide evidence of these potential safety issues from the public in order to protect the company’s profits.
This lawsuit was dismissed because of procedural issues. However, the U.S. Department of Justice publicly opposed the dismissal.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Uloric, has come under fire for allegedly failing to warn their patients about the risks of severe or fatal heart conditions potentially brought on by the use of this medication.
Even though this drug has been on the market for a decade, the risks were only made public in February of 2019. Furthermore, this warning was only added to the packaging after the FDA forced the company’s hand.
Drug manufacturers have a legal duty to make sure the individuals who take their drugs are aware of all of the risks associated with the use of the medication. Failure to do so can endanger the lives of those who take the medication.
If you or someone you love has recently suffered a heart attack, stroke, or another cardiovascular health problem after taking Uloric, you may have grounds for a defective drug lawsuit.
When drug companies fail to properly warn their customers of dangerous side effects, customers and their families suffer. This suffering is not only emotional and physical, but financial as well. Negligent drug manufacturers deserve to be held accountable for all of the difficulties they have caused their customers and these customers deserve justice and financial support.
Taking legal action by filing a defective drug lawsuit can help provide financial relief for a variety of damages caused by defective drugs, including:
Our attorneys understand the difficulties families face after suffering from health problems caused by defective drugs. That’s why we offer free consultations, where you can gain a better sense of your legal options and whether or not you have a case with no financial commitment.
Additionally, our attorneys work on a contingency basis. This means that you only pay us if we help you secure financial compensation by winning your lawsuit or securing a settlement. Once you’ve received your money, your attorney fees will be paid as a percentage of your verdict or settlement.
If your family has been affected by health complications brought on by the use of Uloric, our attorneys would be happy to help you learn more about your legal options in a free consultation.
