At present, the Food and Drug Administration is planning to make a reassessment of testosterone therapy product safety. No less than two recently published reports offer findings indicating that the drugs used in testosterone therapy may raise the probability of heart attacks and other negative cardiovascular events.
A recent lawsuit filed in a federal court in New Jersey makes such an assertion. A 54-year-old man is claiming that his use of an Eli Lilly testosterone product, Axiron, caused him to suffer a heart attack. The suit claims that Eli Lilly aggressively markets Axiron without providing enough warning to the possible risks inherent in its use. The suit contends that the man’s doctor would not have issued a prescription for the drug had he been aware of the risks.
The case brings into focus the disconnect between the condition that Axiron was ostensibly granted FDA approval to treat, and the symptoms that the drug is frequently marketed for. According to the lawsuit, the FDA approved Axiron for treating hypogonadism, which is an endocrine disorder. However, the suit says that research indicates that among men who are prescribed testosterone, just 6 percent suffer from that particular condition.
The suit makes the claim that while Lilly markets Axiron as an answer to a condition referred to as “Low T,” the FDA has never granted approval for any drug to be used to treat this condition. Further, the suit contends that Lilly is producing, promoting and selling testosterone products for a condition that does not exist.
As stated by the suit, Axiron’s marketing claims that Low-T can be responsible for a host of symptoms, including osteoporosis, feelings of depression, and a decrease in sexual desire. But the suit goes on to maintain that such symptoms can be attributed to simply getting older or perhaps gaining weight.
Aging is a natural process and attempting to circumvent it with the use of testosterone may bring about results that are quite counter to those that are intended.
If you think that you have experienced negative effects due to having undergone testosterone therapy, you may wish to have the situation investigated by a Texas attorney. The attorney could assess your medical records to see if you have the basis for pursuing legal recourse.
Source: New Jersey Law Journal, “Eli Lilly Sued Over Marketing of Testosterone Drug,” Charles Toutant, Sept. 30, 2014