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29 July 2013

Lipitor Diabetes Litigation

Should you consider the Lipitor lawsuit as a result of your diabetes diagnosis?
Tor Hoerman Law

If you are one of the more than 20 million people that takes statins, such as Lipitor, to control your cholesterol and you developed diabetes, you may be entitled to compensation by filing a Lipitor Lawsuit against the manufacturer, Pfizer.

If you or a loved one was diagnosed with diabetes and believe the diagnosis is the result of their use of Lipitor, our Lipitor Lawyers will be happy to assess your claim with a quick, no charge evaluation to see if you qualify for the Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuit.

Lipitor Diabetes Risk

Lipitor, manufactured by Pfizer, is the most-prescribed medicine in history but several studies now indicate that it is linked to an increased risk of diabetes.

Despite living healthy and active lifestyles, individuals have developed type-2 diabetes after initiating a Lipitor treatment. As a result of a type-2 diabetes diagnosis, individuals find themselves undergoing regular testing of blood glucose levels, adhering to a restrictive diabetic diet and taking medication to control diabetes. Furthermore, individuals diagnosed with diabetes find themselves at a markedly increased risk of heart disease, blindness, neuropathy and kidney disease.

Lipitor diabetes attorneys, TorHoerman Law, believe that despite Pfizer knowing of the Lipitor diabetes risk, Pfizer promoted and marketed Lipitor as safe and effective which resulted in many injured individuals.

When companies put profits ahead of safety, TorHoerman Law believes they should be held responsible for their actions. To that end, the attorneys at TorHoerman Law are offering a no charge, no obligation review of your medical history for potential inclusion in the Lipitor diabetes litigation. We will tell you honestly whether you should consider participation in the Lipitor lawsuit.

Studies link Lipitor to an Increased Risk of Diabetes

A number of studies have linked statins including Lipitor (atorvastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), as well as Zocor (simvastatin, produced by Merck) to an increased risk of diabetes. In fact, a Lipitor FDA diabetes warning was required to be included on the Lipitor label following a safety announcement on February 28, 2012 that warned of the Lipitor diabetes risk as well as other Lipitor side effects.

A study published in BMJ on May 23, 2013 confirmed the Lipitor FDA diabetes warning and earlier research when it concluded that statins, such as Lipitor, had a higher incident of diabetes risk than pravastatin. The study analyzed patients in Ontario, Canada treated with Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor. The team of researchers examined the healthcare records of more than 1.5 million patients aged 66 or older without diabetes who started statin treatment between August 1997 and March 2010. Overall, a 10-22% increased risk of diabetes was found.

The BMJ study follows a Women’s Health Initiative study published on January 23, 2012, which found a nearly 50% increase in new onset diabetes for postmenopausal women with statins compared with a placebo.

In addition to the risk of diabetes, a BMJ research paper published on March 19, 2013 noted that users of "high potency statins" (including Lipitor) were 34% more likely to be hospitalized with acute kidney injury within 120 days after starting treatment, again confirming the need for the Lipitor FDA diabetes warning.

Lipitor Diabetes Litigation Moves Forward

On March 25, 2013, a South Carolina woman spoke to a Lipitor diabetes lawyer and filed a complaint against Pfizer claiming that Pfizer promoted and marketed Lipitor as safe and effective. (U.S. District Court of South Carolina Civil Action No. 2:13-cv-796-CWH). Evalina Smalls, the plaintiff, alleges that prior to taking Lipitor she lived a healthy and proactive lifestyle, but despite her healthy weight and diet, Ms. Smalls developed type-2 diabetes after initiating her Lipitor treatment. Ms. Small filed a Lipitor diabetes lawsuit as a result.

TorHoerman Law is talking to people that find themselves in a similar situation as Ms. Smalls and believe that Lipitor caused their diabetes. The Lipitor lawyers seeks to hold Pfizer accountable in the Lipitor Diabetes lawsuit for the failure to warn of this risk.

Ms. Smalls alleges the following in her Lipitor diabetes lawsuit:

· August 2011 – The Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products of the FDA requested that Pfizer make labeling changes for Lipitor based upon the FDA’s comprehensive review, including clinical trial data.

· February 2012 – Pfizer complied and added language to the label.

· Prior to February 2012, no warning was given to consumers.

· Despite the February 2012 label change, Pfizer failed to warn consumers of the serious risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

· Pfizer knew or should have known that the risks to consumers included the severe and life-threatening complications of type-2 diabetes.

· Pfizer failed to warn of the increased risk of diabetes to Ms. Smalls and, furthermore, negligently promoted, marketed and distributed Lipitor, which caused Ms. Smalls to develop type-2 diabetes.

Did you or a loved one use Lipitor to lower your “LDL” and then develop diabetes? If so, participation in the Lipitor diabetes lawsuit may be an option you should consider. TorHoerman Law can advise you on whether you qualify for the Lipitor diabetes lawsuit at not cost or obligation.
Consolidation of Lipitor Cases (Creation of an MDL) does not mean a Lipitor Class Action Lawsuit has been created

In April of 2013, Ms. Smalls and other plaintiffs from South Carolina filed a request to consolidate the Lipitor diabetes lawsuit before one Judge (MDL Docket No. 2459 JPML) in South Carolina. Consolidation of Lipitor Diabetes cases would prevent duplicate discovery and inconsistent resolutions.

Although injured parties in the Lipitor diabetes lawsuit may end up included in an MDL in front of one court, this does not make the Lipitor diabetes lawsuit a class action. Injured victims across the country have the opportunity to their own day in court and to have their own Lipitor injury analyzed after preliminary pretrial proceedings are complete.

In May of 2013, Pfizer opposed the motion to transfer the cases out of the plaintiff’s home jurisdictions, stating Pfizer would prefer to fight each case individually. Pfizer argued that consolidation of the Lipitor diabetes lawsuit would encourage more people to file lawsuits resulting in the exposure of trade secrets behind Lipitor, one of the most-prescribed medicines in history.

The Multidistrict litigation (MDL) panel met in June and established MDL No. 2459, the national Lipitor diabetes lawsuit, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. The MDL panel meets again in July to determine whether out of state cases should be transferred to the MDL.

TorHoerman Law will continue to keep those diagnosed with diabetes as a result of their Lipitor treatment informed of their legal rights as the Lipitor Lawsuit makes its way through the court system.

Below you will find timely links to news and blogs with regards to the Lipitor Lawsuit.

1. Statins May Raise Diabetes Risk in Older Women #Lipitor Injury
WebMD - 01-09-2012 at 00:00:00
Use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may be associated with an increased risk of diabetes in middle-aged and older women, a new study suggests

2. Lawsuit Claims Pfizer Deceived Doctors Into Prescribing Its Cholesterol Drug Lipitor #Lipitor Lawsuit
Breaking News Headlines - 02-11-2010 at 00:00:00
Jesse Polansky, a former director of outcomes management at Pfizer (PFE) from 2001 until 2003, has re-filed his whistleblower lawsuit regarding the cholesterol drug Lipitor, the best-selling prescription substance in the world and the backbone of the company.

3. Lipitor Safety Questioned in Lawsuit
WebMD - 06-09-2006 at 00:00:00
Lawsuits claim that drug-maker Pfizer has failed to warn doctors and patients about serious possible side effects of the cholesterol-lowering drug.

4. Lipitor Linked to Development of Type 2 Diabetes - Lipitor Lawsuits Move Ahead
Ring Of Fire Radio - 07-24-2013 at 00:00:00
Women taking Lipitor have an increased risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Injured women across the country who have taken Lipitor have begun filing lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer, Pfizer. A recently-filed Lipitor lawsuit in South Carolina alleges that women who took the cholesterol-reducing drug have developed type 2 diabetes as a result.

5. Lipitor Multidistrict Litigation Moving Forward - Lipitor Lawsuit Location Decided Soon
Digital Journal - 07-11-2013 at 00:00:00
The Lipitor multidistrict litigation is moving forward as planned, and oral arguments will be heard on July 25th to determine if the cases should be consolidated. Plaintiffs in the Lipitor Lawsuit are generally post-menopausal women who developed Type-2 diabetes after taking Lipitor.

6. Charleston woman files Lipitor lawsuit against Pfizer #Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuit
West Virginia Record - 07-27-2013 at 22:04:43
A Charleston woman is suing Pfizer Inc. in federal court after she claims she developed Type 2 Diabetes because of Lipitor.

7. Could Statins Raise Diabetes Risk? #Lipitor Lawsuit #Crestor #Zocor
Health News Articles - 07-10-2013 at 14:48:02
Certain statins -- the widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs -- may increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. The risk was greatest for patients taking atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor), the study said

8. Statin Drugs May Increase Risk Of Diabetes #Lipitor #Zocor #Crestor
Medical News Today - 06-10-2013 at 14:18:28
Certain statins - also known as cholesterol-lowering medications - could increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.
The risk was most significant in patients taking atorvastatin (Lipitor), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor), according to the study, published in BMJ.

9. Drug manufacturer agrees to $500 million penalty
Medical Xpress - 05-13-2013 at 17:24:38
A subsidiary of India's largest pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy, has agreed to pay $500 million in fines and civil penalties for selling adulterated drugs and lying about tests of the medications to federal regulators, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday.

10. More Smoke and Mirrors on #Statins (#Lipitor), Brought to You by #Pfizer
Hooked - 04-29-2013 at 12:29:57
A well done blog raising issues about the newest marketing push for Statins, namely Pfizer's Lipitor.

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