Arthritis affects millions of people, and while there are powerful drugs available to treat this condition, these drugs also come with unwanted side effects that can cause serious and even fatal conditions. When the Food and Drug Administration approved Actemra in 2010, it did not require Roche Pharmaceuticals to add a warning about possible heart problems, despite the fact that this risk existed. So, many doctors did not screen Actemra patients for these issues and did not follow them closely. This situation has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and serious injuries.<\/p>\n
The compassionate attorneys at Napoli Law understand the physical consequences of a dangerous drug like Actemra as well as its emotional consequences. Victims experience serious side effects, and their expectations of an effective anti-arthritis drug with fewer side effects have been cruelly dashed by a company more interested in making money than in making people better. When you feel like your life is spiralling out of control and no one cares, we firmly stand with you.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Actemra is a powerful anti-inflammatory drug that is intravenously injected directly into the patient\u2019s bloodstream, thus magnifying the drug\u2019s intense strength. Since Actemra blocks a key blood protein, it is most widely prescribed for patients who have moderate to severe arthritis, especially those individuals who struggle with Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA), a blood vessel disease which thickens the arteries, and Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (PJIA), which is one of the most common forms of arthritis among children.<\/p>\n
Tocilizumab is usually a \u201clast resort\u201d drug after all other treatment regimens have either altogether failed or have not yielded the results that doctor and patient expected. Most patients undergo at least one or two injections a month.<\/p>\n
With annual sales of over $1.6 billion, Actemra is one of Roche\u2019s highest-grossing drugs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Before administering Actemra, nearly all doctors carefully screen patients for signs of infection and possible medicine allergies. But because Roche did not include warnings about possible heart disease, most doctors do not probe this area, since they rely on the manufacturer and they do not want to unnecessarily alarm their patients.<\/p>\n
Yet the FDA has logged over 1,100 Actemra-related fatal incidents, and most of them are related to blood or heart problems. The agency has been slow to act, citing a lack of evidence. But most probably, the real reason is that government bureaucrats do not want to admit that they mistakenly approved a dangerous drug and they do not want to take a lucrative product like Actemra off the market, since so much of the FDA\u2019s budget comes from taxes and fees on drug sales.<\/p>\n
Some of the most serious Actemra side effects include:<\/p>\n
D'autres effets secondaires graves possibles comprennent la perforation gastro-intestinale (un trou dans l'estomac) et l'hypertriglyc\u00e9rid\u00e9mie (taux de triglyc\u00e9rides extr\u00eamement \u00e9lev\u00e9s).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In dangerous drug cases, a failure to warn triggers strict liability, which means the manufacturer (Roche in this case) is responsible for damages as a matter of law, regardless of any actual negligence or wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
Typically, the only real issue is whether the risk was obvious or unpredictable. While matchbooks do not need to carry warnings that they could start fires, ingestible drugs should publicize all possible risks, because ordinary consumers have no way of knowing these risks, especially if their doctors relied on misleading information.<\/p>\n
To build a case, Napoli Law attorneys partner with top experts who can explain the relationship between Actemra and the victim\/plaintiff\u2019s damages. While some states have very restrictive rules concerning expert witnesses, in other states, most non-fact witnesses can share their conclusions with the jury if they meet certain minimum qualifications.<\/p>\n
Successful victim\/plaintiffs are entitled to compensation for their medical bills and other economic damages, along with their emotional distress and other noneconomic damages. Additionally, dangerous drug juries often award significant punitive damages.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n