The popular blood thinner Plavix is the subject of another pharmaceutical liability lawsuit. Filed in Illinois against the drug’s manufacturers Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanoli Aventis, the new suit alleges that the manufacturers of the well-known cardiac drug knowingly misrepresented its effectiveness and safety, causing plaintiffs to suffer personal injuries, economic loss and medical expenses.

Plavix is the subject of numerous lawsuits alleging unnecessary use that resulted in plaintiff injuries including heart attack, stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding, ulcers, and TTP (thrombolic thrombocytopenic purpora), a serious blood disorder.

Most often prescribed to treat the risk of heart attack and/or stroke, Plavix helps prevent blood clot formation by preventing blood platelets from sticking to each other. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has taken Plavix manufacturers to task several times, citing them for:

• promoting Plavix as more beneficial than aspirin, a claim the FDA says is unproven;
• making false claims about the drug’s gastrointestinal safety, also unproven according to the FDA; and
•  illegally promoting off-label use of the drug.

In 2010, the FDA issued a Plavix safety warning, ordering its manufacturers to add a boxed warning to the product’s label regarding the drug’s ineffectiveness in certain patient groups. In 2009, the FDA warned against the use of Plavix in combination with the antacid Prilosec.

If you or a family member has suffered an adverse reaction while taking Plavix, consult the expert St. Louis pharmaceutical attorneys at Hoffman & Gelfman for a free case review.