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The multi-district litigation brought by men from around the country who have been injured taking low T drugs is now in front of Judge Matthew Kennely, who is a Clinton appointee. He has been on the Federal Bench in the Northern District of Illinois since 1999.
This will be Judge Kennely’s first major pharmaceutical case, and he has already ordered limits on the number of depositions that can be taken. On March 1, 2016, the judge will pick six trials. The bellwether cases are set to start sometime next year, selected randomly from 100 cases. Each sider will be able to pick 16 cases and can object to each other’s selection. The first trial will start October 31, 2016 for a thrombotic-event case and then another in February 2017 for cardiovascular-event cases.
The primary defendant in this matter is low testosterone drug maker AbbVie. The drug is made in both France and Thailand. Depositions have already started, with AbbVie’s Director of Trade Pablo Hernandez, and many more are scheduled for the next couple of months. The other defendants include Auxilium and Lilly, Actavis, Endo, Testopel, and Pfizer. ANDA representatives have filed motions claiming that their generic low testosterone drugs are preempted by Federal law.
The latest developments in the low testosterone cases against the drug makers of low T therapies across the country rely on a number of medical studies, including the Vigen 2013 JAMA study and Finkle study (PLOS One), that showed an increased risk from the use of gels, injections, and patches, doubling the risks of heart attacks in all men over the age of 65, and in men under 65 with risk factors such as prior strokes and heart disease.
RECENTLY PUBLISHED STUDIES ON TESTOSTERONE DRUG RISKS
Rishi Sharma has published a study in the European Heart Journal concluding that men who take testosterone actually suffer fewer heart attacks. A closer look at this study shows that Sharma did not include any men who had suffered previous heart attacks or strokes, and that he did not identify the age of the men included. Accordingly, we do not regard this study as very reliable.
Another study in August 2015 by Shehzad Basria (JAMA) found that men who took Low T drugs experienced an increase in hematocrit, but Basria warned that his study should not be interpreted as evaluating the safety of testosterone drugs in older men.
If you have been injured taking a low T drug, especially if you have suffered a heart attack or stroke, you may be entitled to receive money for your pain and suffering, medical expenses, and lost wages.
We offer a free initial consultation to anyone who may have a potential claim. As many cases have already been filed, it is important to have your claim evaluated immediately. Please call today to speak with an experienced pharmaceutical attorney, toll free at 1-866-597-4529, or email us at [email protected]
