Were You Hurt by Zevalin? Our Attorneys Across Texas Can Help
If you or a loved one is an innocent victim who has been injured by Zevalin, and were not aware of the dangers of the drug, you are entitled to file a lawsuit against the drug manufacturer and recover damages. As an individual who has suffered an injury or lost a loved one to Zevalin side effects, you have a right to seek compensation for your pain, injury and suffering. Please call today to speak to our Zevalin lawsuit attorney for assistance: 210-888-8888.
What is Zevalin?
Zevalin (generic – Ibritumomab Tiuxeta) is essentially a protein known as monoclonal antibody, and is administered as a drug in the treatment of cancers such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. IDEC Pharmaceuticals, now part of Biogen Idec launched Zevalin as the first radio immunotherapy drug to be used in cancer treatment, following approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002.
Zevalin Side Effects
In the cancer treatment procedure, Zevalin is to be administered along with an infusion of another drug named Rituximab. This infusion is known to cause allergic reaction, which typically develop within 30 minutes to 2 hours, following the administration of the infusion. Symptoms of this allergic reaction include heart attack, ventricular fibrillation, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary infiltrates, hypotension (low blood pressure), bronchospasm, difficulty in breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue and face; hives, increased coughing and closing of the throat
It is known that the FDA had identified Zevalin as a potentially fatal drug, even before it granted approval for the drug in 2002. The FDA had access to information on Zevalin clinical trials and knowing the potentially fatal side effects from the drug, approved its use only for patients who had not responded to other treatment procedures. In addition, Biogen Idec markets another lymphoma drug, Rituxan and recommends the use of Zevalin only in instances when the patient does not respond to Rituxan treatment.
When launching Zevalin, Biogen Idec had placed a black box warning on the side effects from the drug. The warning listed patients who may not benefit from the drug and may be exposed to potential harm by the use of the drug. It also explained in detail the dangers from the Rituximab infusion and stated that “Deaths have occurred within 24 hours of Rituximab infusion, an essential component of the Zevalin therapeutic regimen. These fatalities were associated with an infusion reaction symptom complex that included hypoxia, pulmonary infiltrates, acute respiratory distress syndrome, myocardial infarction, ventricular fibrillation, or cardiogenic shock. Approximately 80% of fatal infusion reactions occurred in association with the first Rituximab infusion.”
However, in October 2005, Biogen Idec revealed that Zevalin also posed other risks such as serious and potentially fatal skin reactions, and indicated that it came to know of these risks through post marketing experience.
Following this, the company amended the warning labels on Zevalin and also included a black-box warning on the reported instances of erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), bullous dermatitis, and exfoliative dermatitis in patients who had undergone Zevalin therapy. Further, it mentioned that some of these cases had resulted in death, and advised patients who developed severe cutaneous or mucocutaneous reaction to immediately discontinue the use of Zevalin and seek medical attention.
San Antonio Zevalin Lawsuit Attorneys
Our dedicated team of Zevalin skin reaction lawsuit attorneys will offer you complete information on your legal rights over a free consultation. We will work closely with you to understand and evaluate your case individually, and offer you appropriate legal counsel.
Our lawyers have years of rich experience in handling dangerous prescription drug cases and will assist you through all the legal formalities. Contact our office today at 210-888-8888.