Tasigna Atherosclerosis Lawsuit News

Tasigna Stroke Victim's Trial to Proceed in Florida

Dennis McWilliams alleges Novartis failed to warn him of the adverse side effects of Tasigna that caused him to have a paralyzing stroke

Tuesday, July 24, 2018 - Florida cancer patient Dennis McWilliams' lawsuit against anti-cancer chemotherapy drug maker Novartis will be allowed to proceed to trial based on a Federal judge's ruling the other day. McWilliams alleges that the paralyzing stroke he suffered was as a result of his use of the drug Tasigna to treat his Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). There is little dispute of that fact and today Tasigna warning labels and website addendum clearly state that stroke, heart attack, and atherosclerosis are frequent side effects of taking the drug, so much so that patients with any of the above preconditions are prohibited from receiving Tasigna. What is in dispute is whether or not Novartis had the responsibility to place a label on Tasigna to warn prospective patients of the stroke risk back in 2001 when McWilliams started taking the drug. Novartis had filed a motion that claimed the company could not have warned patients without approval first from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that the FDA would not have approved the warning had Novartis applied for one. The judge disagreed and the trial against Novartis for failure to warn patients of the risk of stroke from Tasigna will go before a judge and jury.

In 2007 specialty pharmacists started filling oncologist prescriptions for Tasigna anti-cancer chemotherapy drug and in the 10 years that followed Tasigna has become a market leader. In 2016 Novartis, maker of Tasigna earned close to $2 billion in gross sales of the drug. Such meteoric sales growth, however, has come at the expense of cancer patients whose right to make an informed decision as to which cancer drug to choose was denied. Corresponding to the introduction of Tasigna was the patent expiration of another Novartis bestseller, Gleevec. Specialty pharmacists were paid under the table bribes to refill Gleevec prescriptions with Tasigna and to overlook the life-threatening adverse side effects of Tasigna. Tasigna has been shown to cause patients to develop atherosclerosis, a thickening of the arteries that lead to the extremities, heart, and brain, and causes necrosis (tissue death), sudden death from heart attacks and paralysis from strokes. McWilliams claims Tasigna caused his stroke and that Novartis has the responsibility to forewarn him of the risk. For their fraud, deception, and negligence in failing to warn cancer patients of Tasigna's additional risks, the US Department of Justice fined Novartis and two specialty pharmacies $1 billion and required the company to label bottles of Tasigna to reflect the sudden death warning. Novartis settled the fine and paid the DOJ $390 million.

Those surviving cancer only to find that they have atherosclerosis may qualify to file a claim against Novartis for failing to warn consumers of the risks of taking Tasigna as a judge has recently decided, was their responsibility to do. Tasigna victims are urged to speak with a Tasigna atherosclerosis lawyer as soon as possible as they may qualify for real monetary compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other related expenses.

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Lawyers for Tasigna Atherosclerosis Lawsuits

Attorneys handling Tasigna lawsuits for leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma offer free, no-obligation case review for individuals and families who believe they may have grounds to file a Tasigna lawsuit. Working on a contingency basis, these attorneys are committed to never charging legal fees unless they win compensation in your Tasigna lawsuit. The product liability litigators handling Roundup claims at the Onder Law Firm have a strong track record of success in representing families harmed by dangerous drugs and consumer products.