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Valsartan Lawsuit Attorneys

If you were diagnosed with cancer after taking Valsartan, contact Spiros Law, P.C. immediately. You might be entitled to compensation for your medical bills and other expenses.

Valsartan is a popular prescription used for treating hypertension. However, studies discovered multiple types of the generic version were contaminated by N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a toxic cancer-causing substance. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since recalled the medication manufactured by multiple companies.

Valsartan manufacturers should be held liable for supplying the public with contaminated drugs. The national defective drugs and devices attorneys of Spiros Law, P.C. are ready to represent you in your case and pursue the compensation you deserve if you were harmed by using Valsartan. Do not hesitate to call us at (815) 929-9292 for your free consultation to learn more about how we can help.

What Is Valsartan?

valsartan defective drugValsartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). When ARB blocks a receptor, it causes the blood vessels to tighten. Valsartan relaxes blood vessels, helping to lower blood pressure and allowing the heart to receive an increased supply of oxygen and blood.

Patients can use the medication alone or with other drugs to treat hypertension. The heart and arteries must work overtime when someone has high blood pressure, and the prolonged stress can prevent the arteries and heart from functioning normally. Damage can occur in the heart, brain, and kidneys and eventually lead to kidney failure, stroke, or heart failure.

Valsartan can also treat left ventricular failure and heart failure after a heart attack. Left ventricular failure is a stiffening and swelling or enlarging of the left side of the heart, the main chamber responsible for pumping oxygenated blood to the body. When the heart doesn’t pump properly, it causes the blood to pool in the lungs.

FDA Issues Recall of Valsartan Products

On July 13, 2018, the FDA announced a voluntary recall of drug products containing valsartan. The impurity NDMA found in many products containing the active ingredient valsartan prompted the recall.

NDMA is a probable human carcinogen. Laboratory test results suggest it could cause cancer in humans.

The FDA initially traced the contamination to Zhejiang Huahai and Zhejiang Tianyu, two drug manufacturers in China, and Hetero Labs Limited, an Indian drug manufacturing facility. According to testing, Valsartan products from Zhejiang Huahai contained 60 parts per million (ppm) of NDMA, over 1,000 times the amount most people ingest daily from water. The manufacturer thinks changes to its manufacturing process contributed to the contamination.

Manufacturers Involved in the Valsartan Recall

valsartan drug manufacturerThe recall includes many generic medications ranging in dose strengths from 40 mg to 320 mg and containing valsartan as an active ingredient in these combinations:

  • Amlodipine, valsartan, and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)
  • Amlodipine and valsartan
  • Valsartan and HCTZ

The manufacturers involved in the voluntary recall include:

  • Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc.
  • Solco Healthcare LLC (Prinston)
  • Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc. (Acetris)
  • Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. labeled as Major Pharmaceuticals
  • AvKARE Inc. (Hetero/Camber)
  • A-S Medication Solutions LLC (Teva/Actavis & Prinston/Solco)
  • American Health Packaging (Aurobindo)
  • Rising Pharmaceuticals Inc. labeled as Acetris Health LLC (Aurobindo)
  • Hetero Labs Inc., labeled as Camber Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  • H J Harkins Company Inc. (Prinston/Solco)
  • Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  • Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.
  • Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., labeled as Actavis Pharma, Inc.
  • RemedyRepack Inc. (Prinston/Solco)
  • Northwind Pharmaceuticals (Teva/Actavis)
  • NuCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Prinston/Solco)
  • Preferred Pharmaceuticals Inc., labeled as Solco Healthcare LLC
  • RemedyRepack, Inc. (Torrent)
  • Bryant Ranch Prepack Inc. (Teva/Actavis)
  • AvKARE Inc. (Teva/Actavis)
  • RemedyRepack Inc. (Hetero/Camber)
  • Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited

Adverse Effects of Contaminated Valsartan

NDMA exposure can cause symptoms such as:

  • Jaundice
  • Headaches
  • Vomiting and nausea
  • Stomach cramps
  • Dizziness
  • Kidney, lung, or liver impairment
  • Enlarged liver
  • Fever
  • Liver fibrosis and scarring

Long-term exposure to NDMA from taking Valsartan can also lead to different types of cancer, including:

  • Leukemia
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Kidney cancer
  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Gastric cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Stomach cancer

Compensation for Cancer After Taking Valsartan

You can pursue a claim with the manufacturer’s liability insurer or file a product liability lawsuit against them. Since many people developed some form of cancer from NDMA exposure, joining a mass tort lawsuit is also possible.

A mass tort lawsuit combines lawsuits from multiple plaintiffs into a single legal action. Each plaintiff’s injuries must happen under similar circumstances and result from the same defendant’s misconduct.

The financial award you receive might compensate you for your:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity
  • Hospitalization, surgery, prescriptions, and other medical treatment
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of enjoyment of life

Punitive damages are also recoverable in a lawsuit against a Valsartan manufacturer. You must show clear and convincing evidence of the defendant’s evil motive or conscious indifference to the safety and rights of others and outrageous and reckless indifference to a highly unreasonable risk of harm to receive this monetary award.

Statute of Limitations in a Valsartan Cancer Lawsuit

statute of limitationsIn Illinois, the statute of limitations allows a two-year timeframe to file a lawsuit against another party. That means you have two years from the date of your Valsartan injury to initiate your lawsuit against the manufacturer.

You will likely lose your right to compensation if the statutory period passes before you file suit. However, two exceptions can extend the timeframe you have to pursue legal action:

  • Discovery rule – The discovery rule allows a two-year timeframe for filing a lawsuit from the date the plaintiff knew or should have reasonably known about the effects of the harmful product. However, pursuing a lawsuit more than eight years after the injury is prohibited.
  • Statute of repose – The statute of repose allows a lawsuit within twelve years of the date of the seller’s first lease, sale, or delivery of possession of the product or ten years from the date of the first sale, lease, or delivery to the initial user, consumer, or other non-seller, whichever happens first.

Speak to an Aggressive and Experienced Valsartan Lawsuit Lawyer Today

Although you depended on Valsartan to treat your high blood pressure, NDMA exposure might have led to your cancer diagnosis. No one should suffer because of a manufacturer’s defective product. You deserve a chance to hold the drug company liable for the harm they caused.

At Spiros Law, P.C., our personal injury attorneys fight for the rights of injured clients and seek justice on their behalf. You can depend on us to use our experience and resources to help you in your time of need. Call us at (815) 929-9292 for a free consultation today if you took Valsartan and developed cancer as a result. We will review your case and determine whether you’re eligible to join a mass tort lawsuit.