Crestor Lawsuits - Possible Litigation?
By Aaron Larson
Law Offices of Aaron Larson
May, 2005
A Product Liability Case Study
Crestor (rosuvastatin) is an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, manufactured by AstraZeneca. Crestor is within the class of anti-cholesterol drugs called "statins", and works by blocking the production of cholesterol. Cholesterol, which is produced in the liver, is important to the health of cell membranes and to the production of certain hormones
Another anti-cholesterol statin, Baycol, was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration in 1997. When Baycol proved not to be effective at the dosage approved by the FDA. Bayer, the maker of Baycol, requested approval from the FDA for the prescription of higher doses. Over subsequent years, while Baycol grew in popularity, numerous negative health consequences started to become apparent, including rhabdomyolisis (a muscle condition with symptoms including weakness, nausea, fever, muscle pain, muscle cell atrophy, and which sometimes results in kidney failure and death). Bayer voluntarily removed Baycol from the market in 2001, by which time at least 52 deaths had been attributed to the use of Baycol.
In March, 2004, responding to reports that Crestor patients were also sufferng from rhabdomyolysis at a higher rate than with other statins, the consumer group Public Citizen complained to the FDA and asked that the drug be removed from the market. The FDA rejected that petition in March, 2005. However, in May, 2005, the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation, published a report confirming the complatins of Public Citizen. The report suggests that users of Crestor are up to six times as likely to suffer complications, as compared to users of other statins.
AstraZeneca asserts that Crestor is safe, and that serious side-effects are very rare, with rhabdomyolysis occurring at a rate of less than 1 case per 10,000 users.. In anticipation of possible future litigation, a number of law firms are recruiting clients who believe they may have been injured as a result of Crestor use.
Due to the significant variation in the law governing liability over defective products, when selecting a lawyer, it is usually a good idea to seek representation from a lawyer with experience handling this type of case.
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