Dangerous Drug and Recall News

As the world of medical science made remarkable advances with heart-related procedures, more and more people began to have different forms of open heart surgeries to correct problems that for centuries had left patients with no hope whatsoever.  Even as surgical techniques and possibilities for healing advanced, however, one problem remained – controlling bleeding by the patient during these procedures.

In response to this need, companies began to introduce medications that were meant to help control this bleeding, and Bayer, A.G. introduced a drug that was approved in 1993 that soon penetrated the market with a high degree of depth.  The medication was known as Trasylol, and experts have estimated that millions of patients had this drug injected into their systems prior to surgery.

For several years, Trasylol appeared to work quite well.  However, the publication of a study by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in 2006 set off a chain reaction of discovery by patients and negative reports that ultimately led to the recall of the medication after much involvement by the FDA and the federal government.  The side effects included the following:

• Kidney failure
• Strokes
• Encephalopathy
• Heart attacks

Heart attacks proved to be the most prevalent of Trasylol side effects, and the study by the NEJM concluded that those who had heart surgery and had received an injection of Trasylol faced a much higher risk of heart attacks and other side effects than those who did not.  In addition, some estimates indicate that as many as 22,000 people died as a result of using this medication and another 11,000 required ongoing medical treatment.

The recall came about after the FDA requested that the manufacturer stop marketing Trasylol in 2007, and in 2008, the full recall was initiated.  While this likely saved lives, it did not help those who had already suffered.  As a result, Trasylol lawsuits were filed all over the United States, and if you have suffered as a result of using this medication, you may have that option as well.

If you’d like to explore those options, all you need to do is contact a defective drugs attorney to schedule a free initial consultation.  You’ll only need to gather whatever information relating to your injection of Trasylol that you can find, and your attorney will handle the details from there if you have a valid claim.  Contact an attorney today to get this process started.