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AndroGel Lawsuit News: An Overview

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Banville Law reports that AndroGel  and other low testosterone treatment ads allude to the fact that their drugs can make a man feel young again, restoring his vitality and sex drive. They use terms like “regain his former glory” and “leaves wives speechless.”

These low testosterone therapy drugs were originally created for men that had significantly low testosterone levels which gave them a diagnosable condition called hypogonadism. Since then, however, the drugs have grown into a $2 billion/year industry, and have been prescribed to men with lowered levels of testosterone due to normal aging in order to counter the effects of the aging process itself.

As the prescriptions for these treatments grew, controversies increased over their possible link to serious health complications, including blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. After several studies seemed to confirm these links, the FDA issued new warnings regarding the products and their intended use. Additionally, they asked the manufacturers of these low t products to provide more complete, thorough warnings on the product’s labels.

Around the country, men who had been using the treatments stepped forward with lawsuits. The most popular treatment, AndroGel, is the first to be addressed with these lawsuits, which have now been consolidated into multidistrict litigation. This MDL (number 2545,) will be overseen by Honorable Judge Matthew F. Kennelly in a Chicago, Illinois courtroom.

Defendants to appear in court are pharmaceutical giant AbbVie, Inc., maker of AndroGel, as well as Abbott Laboratories Inc., who previously owned AndroGel before spinning it off to AbbVie, among several others who make low t treatments in various forms, including pills, gels, creams, and injections.

The plaintiffs in this case make up about 2,500 men at this time. The men share common allegations that product use caused them serious health problems. They also claim that advertising was purposefully misleading and aggressive, and that product warnings were insufficient.

As men age, they are typically drawn to testosterone treatments to combat the natural side effects of gradually lowering levels of testosterone. These levels begin to decline in all men after age 30, and this decline can cause fatigue, loss of sexual drive, loss of muscle and bone density, increased irritability, and weight gain. Men who have a more substantial decrease in testosterone experience a condition called hypogonadism. These men have been prescribed testosterone treatments for years, and typically have hypogonadism issues because of especially low testosterone due to injuries, genetic conditions, or chemotherapy.

When AndroGel was approved by the FDA, however, it made it easy for men to give themselves testosterone treatments, and changed the manufacturer’s marketing messages and the product’s clientele. While the FDA never supported this change or approved AndroGel or other low t therapy drugs for age-related issues, men began using it for these purposes. The FDA later issued warning letters to Unimed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the first manufacturer of AndroGel, and indicated that they had violated regulations by promoting AndroGel for this unapproved purpose.

These ads made sales explode. A website sponsored by AbbVie, Inc., IsItLowT.com, even provided a questionnaire for men, asking about general aging symptoms ranging from fatigue to decrease in athletic ability, and indicating if they seemed to have “low t” right away online.

Since then, much contradicting data has come forth over low testosterone therapies and what health issues they may or may not cause. The FDA has required that the pharmaceutical manufacturers conduct random and controlled trials to try to obtain a more conclusive answer for everyone.

Things are moving forward in court in the meantime. At this time, the Judge has chosen to review the information through bellwether cases, set to begin in 2016. The outcome of these cases will set the precedent regarding how the other suits will be handled moving forward.

Those who have experienced adverse side effects after using AndroGel or other low testosterone therapy drugs may be entitled to legal action. Laurence Banville, Esq. of Banville Law, is currently reviewing cases to help individuals determine their rights. He also sponsors the website LowTestosteroneCase.com, which is designed to provide further details on the AndroGel lawsuits and low testosterone drug information. To speak with Laurence Banville, Esq. directly, contact 917-809-6595 at any time.

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About Banville Law :

Banville Law is a New York law firm dedicated to assisting plaintiffs in lawsuits involving personal injury, product liability and related legal matters.

Contact Banville Law:

Laurence Banville, Esq.

165 West End Avenue, #1H
New York, NY 10023
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