Zoladex Lawsuit

A Brief Guide to Filing a Zoladex Lawsuit:

What is Zoladex?

Zoladex is the brand name of the Goserelin implant—a medical device used in conjunction with other medications and radiation therapy to treat localized prostate cancer (when used alone, Zoladex is effective in treating the symptoms associated with advanced prostate cancer). Moreover, Zoladex is used to manage endometriosis (a medical condition in which the tissue lining the uterus grows in other areas of the body, causing heavy or irregular menstruation and other symptoms). The Zoladex implant belongs to a class of medications called gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists; the drug is effective by decreasing the amount of certain hormones in the body.

Zoladex Side Effects:

The Zoladex implant may give way to an assortment of side effects. Please contact your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or persistent:

• Common Zoladex Side Effects: Headaches; hot flashes; sweating; sudden reddening of the neck, upper chest or face; fatigue; loss of appetite; breast pain; decreased sex drive; painful sexual intercourse; swelling of the feet, ankles or lower legs; depression; anxiety; difficulty falling or staying asleep; pain, itching, welling or redness where the implant was inserted; and anxiety.

Some Zoladex side effects may be more severe. If you experience the following symptoms, please contact your doctor immediately:

• Severe Zoladex Side Effects: Rash; Hives; itching; difficulty swallowing or breathing; chest pain; unusual weight gain; difficult or slow speech; dizziness or fainting; pain in the back, neck, arms or jaw; bone pain; frequent urination; blurred vision; dry mouth; nausea; decreased consciousness

Zoladex FDA Warnings and Regulations:

In August 2009, the United States Food and Drug Administration ordered a safety label change for Zoladex. This label change better reflected the warnings and precautions associated with the drug. Alterations to the label reflected increases in the chances of developing Hyperglycemia; Pituitary Apoplexy and Tumors; and an assortment of psychotic disorders.

Zoladex Lawsuit History:

Due to the drug’s general safety, patients using Zoladex are unlikely to locate a lawyer who specializes in handling a Zoladex lawsuit. However, despite the lack of significant Zoladex side effects, the drug has been the subject of Zoladex lawsuits (these Zoladex lawsuits revolved around marketing practices and not patient side effects). For instance, in 2010, in response to a Zoladex lawsuit alleging that manufacturer AstroZeneca had artificially inflated the drug's wholesale price, the company agreed to a $103 million settlement. Under the terms of the Zoladex lawsuit settlement, those who paid cash for a Zoladex injection from the beginning of 1991 up to June 11, 2010 were provided compensation under the Zoladex lawsuit. By 2011, payments from this settlement had been distributed, bringing an end to the Zoladex lawsuit.

The above Zoladex lawsuit did not revolve Zoladex side effects. Consumers who did not specifically exclude themselves from this Zoladex lawsuit are not permitted to advance their own litigation over the same fraud charges. However, Zoladex lawsuits relating to adverse reactions of a Zoladex injection is still theoretically possible.

Patients, before administration, should be warned of potential Zoladex side effects. Failure to warn patients of these reactions is grounds for a Zoladex lawsuit in the form of medical negligence (Zoladex lawsuits may be filed against the prescribing doctor and the manufacturer of the drug). Additionally, a slight increase in bone fractures and loss of bone mineral density has been noted in men. Doctors should monitor patient blood levels to guard against these Zoladex side effects.

Physicians are responsible for administering each Zoladex injection in adherence to the product’s instructions. Failure to safely administer a Zoladex injection may be grounds for a Zoladex lawsuit—these Zoladex lawsuits must definitively prove negligence and a link between the injection and your side effects. If you experience adverse effects as a result of incorrect administration, you should immediately contact a medical negligence lawyer in your area to initiate a Zoladex lawsuit. The bulk of medical negligence lawyers will conduct free consultations to gauge the worthiness of your potential Zoladex lawsuit.

Sources:

1. United States Library of Medicine “Goserelin Implant” retrieved from:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000011/

2. United States Food and Drug Administration: Zoladex (goserline acetate) implant retrieved from:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/ucm182245.html

3. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/appletter/2011/019726s054,020578s032ltr.pdf