It’s not unusual for a medication like Elmiron to have side effects. However, prescribed medications come with use warnings. Manufacturers who don’t make a note of certain side effects can cause a family insurmountable pain – and face legal consequences.
In the past, Janssen Pharmaceuticals failed to mention Elmiron side effects like eye damage or maculopathy to new users. Nowadays, these conditions can impact consumers who’ve used the drug to treat interstitial cystitis. Under certain circumstances, consumers who suffer from unmarked Elmiron side effects can pursue compensation for their losses.
Elmiron’s Most Common Side Effects
Many medical professionals recommend Elmiron as a medication used to treat interstitial cystitis. At this point in time, Elmiron is the only FDA-approved medication used to treat this condition. Janssen Pharmaceuticals and parent company, Johnson & Johnson, have been reluctant to issue a product recall due to the drug’s effectiveness.
What, then, can you expect from standard Elmiron use? Janssen Pharmaceuticals lists side effects on its Elmiron bottles:
- Diarrhea
- Hair loss
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Upset stomachs
- Abdominal pain
Missing from these symptoms, however, is any mention of blindness, maculopathy, or worsening vision problems. It is this oversight that led several hundred Elmiron users – led by Valerie Hull, researched in Emory Eye Magazine 2018—to file lawsuits against Janssen Pharmaceuticals for the company’s “failure to warn.”
Severe Reactions to Elmiron
The more severe side effects of Elmiron use have been documented in the cases filed since the drug’s release. These side effects all tend to center around a person’s loss of vision. Some of the most common include:
- Reduced night vision
- Halo vision
- Blurred vision
- Vision impairment or loss
- Unilateral or bilateral blindness
Other severe symptoms include retinal pigment epithelium atrophy. This condition causes the photoreceptors in the eye to die off or malfunction. Similarly, Elmiron users may suffer from retinopathy, or diseases of the retina.
Elmiron Increases Your Risk for Maculopathy
In recent years, researchers have connected Elmiron use to a specific form of maculopathy. This condition is referred to as pigmentary maculopathy and came to light within the scientific community in 2018.
Pigmentary maculopathy reportedly makes it more difficult for individuals to read when looking at a page or a screen. Consumers who suffer from this condition also have a difficult time seeing in low light. The team that released the original 2018 study notes that the longer a person used Elmiron, the worse their symptoms became.
Other researchers note that consumers may continue to develop pigmentary maculopathy years after they’ve stopped using Elmiron. This inconclusive understanding of Elmiron and maculopathy’s relationship may allow others impacted by maculopathy to pursue compensation for their Elmiron losses further into the future.
Elmiron’s Active Personal Injury Suits
As of January 23, 2022, individuals allegedly injured by consistent Elmiron use have filed 714 suits in the combined MDL class action. Janssen Pharmaceuticals has not issued settlement offers to the injured parties. Similarly, Elmiron cases aren’t expected to go to trial until early 2023.
With this in mind, there are not yet any estimates as to how much compensation a person may receive when pursuing an Elmiron suit. If you want to issue a complaint of your own, you can discuss joining the MDL class action with our team. Alternatively, we can pursue an individualized Elmiron suit on your behalf.
When to Contact an Elmiron Attorney
If you believe you’ve suffered worsening vision due to previous Elmiron use, you can join the MDL civil action suit leveled against Janssen Pharmaceuticals. With the help of an attorney, you won’t have to wade through the related legal miasma alone. Instead, our team can spearhead your case, helping you:
- Assess the value of your losses
- Meet state filing deadlines
- Represent your case before a county clerk
- Understand the requirements of an MDL class action suit
Most importantly, we won’t put any additional financial strain on you or your family. Christina Pendleton & Associates on contingency. You will never receive a bill for our services. Instead, we can outline our contingency fee agreements during your initial Elmiron consultation.
Filing an Elmiron Suit
Because Janssen Pharmaceuticals did not warn consumers about the worst of the drug’s side effects, those impacted by vision problems or similar conditions may have the right to pursue civil action. You can discuss pursuing such a suit if you can draw a correlation between your previous Elmiron use and your current difficulty seeing.
Consultations with a Virginia Elmiron attorney can make this process simpler. While most Elmiron cases have already identified Janssen Pharmaceuticals as the party liable for injured plaintiffs’ losses, we can establish your specific story. Similarly, we can calculate the financial support to which you may be entitled.
Time Limits on Today’s Elmiron Lawsuits
If you’re a Virginia resident, you have a limited amount of time to act on losses related to your previous Elmiron usage. Because most of these cases qualify as product liability cases, Virginia Civil Remedies and Procedure §8.01-230 gives residents two years to file a case complaint.
Anyone interested in pursuing an Elmiron suit, either individually or as part of MDL class action, can sit down with an attorney to discuss their legal options. Our team can determine how best to approach an applicable case depending on your available timeline.
Compile an Elmiron Suit With Pendleton Law
Most modern pharmaceuticals have side effects. There’s a difference between a side effect you know about and one that you don’t, though. If you started using Elmiron before Janssen Pharmaceuticals warned consumers about the drug’s potential for eye damage, you may be entitled to compensation.
You can learn more about the process of filing a suit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals with one of our attorneys. A personal injury lawyer can walk you through your rights and help you join in the hundreds of other Elmiron suits active today. For a case consultation, you can call our office or reach out via our online form.
