Thousands have filed lawsuits against Lipitor’s manufacturer, Pfizer, for developing type 2 diabetes after taking the drug. Though there have not been any Lipitor settlements yet, Pfizer has a history of settling lawsuits for millions of dollars, as seen below. Pfizer Pays $468 Million for Hiding Cardiovascular Risks (2016)
Full Answer
Are there any Lipitor lawsuits settled?
Thousands have filed lawsuits against Lipitor’s manufacturer, Pfizer, for developing type 2 diabetes after taking the drug. Though there have not been any Lipitor settlements yet, Pfizer has a history of settling lawsuits for millions of dollars, as seen below.
Do Lipitor statins cause diabetes?
By 2012, the Food and Drug Administration was warning the general public and doctors that the Lipitor statin medication had a direct correlation with the increased potential risk of developing diabetes.
Why are lawsuits filed against Pfizer for atorvastatin?
Atorvastatin lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer for failing to adequately warn patients about the increased risk of diabetes associated with the drug. Lipitor and Type 2 Diabetes
Is Pfizer filing lawsuits against consumers over diabetes?
However, many more lawsuits have been filed against the drug maker claiming that in February 2012, Pfizer began warning consumers of the potential increased risk of developing diabetes and high blood sugar levels.
Has the Lipitor lawsuit been settled?
Lipitor Settlements In 2016, Pfizer paid $468 million to settle a shareholder lawsuit that accused the company of causing financial losses when they covered up the safety risks of taking their pain relievers Celebrex and Bextra (which were linked to an increase risk of heart attacks and strokes).
Will they ever settle the Lipitor lawsuit against Pfizer?
(Reuters) - A federal appeals court has refused to revive a lawsuit accusing Pfizer Inc of failing to warn that its cholesterol drug Lipitor could cause diabetes, agreeing with a lower court judge that the plaintiffs' state law claims were preempted by federal law.
Are there any lawsuits for Lipitor?
Lipitor, a statin drug manufactured by Pfizer, Inc., is the subject of numerous lawsuits which claim that the pharmaceutical company failed to properly warn of potential health risks which include muscle damage, nerve damage, memory loss, and diabetes.
Can Lipitor cause diabetes?
It's possible your blood sugar (blood glucose) level may increase when you take a statin, which may lead to developing type 2 diabetes. The risk is small but important enough that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on statin labels regarding blood glucose levels and diabetes.
How much has Pfizer paid out in lawsuits?
$2.3 billionGlaxo's $3 billion settlement included the largest civil False Claims Act settlement on record, and Pfizer's $2.3 billion ($3.5 billion in 2022) settlement including a record-breaking $1.3 billion criminal fine.
Can Atorvastatin cause memory loss?
Despite the large amount of research showing that statins do not cause memory loss, some people may still experience this condition. Talk to your doctor if you are taking statins and experiencing unpleasant side effects. You should not stop taking the medication on your own.
Why was Lipitor taken off the market?
Pfizer voluntarily recalled specific bottles of Lipitor (40 mg only) due to reports of an unusual odor. As medical tests have determined that the unusual odor was unlikely to cause an adverse reaction, the Lipitor recall doesn't seem to have any serious consequences for patients.
Does Lipitor cause weight gain?
Weight gain isn't a side effect of Lipitor. However, Lipitor belongs to a class of medications known as statins, which have been linked to weight gain. Some researchers have found that people who use statins tend to take in more calories than those who don't. This includes getting more calories from fat.
What are the side effects of Lipitor?
Common Lipitor side effects are diarrhea, upset stomach, muscle and joint pain, and changes in some blood tests, according to Pfizer Inc....Common Side Effects of LipitorCold-like symptoms.Joint pain.Diarrhea.Urinary tract infection.Stomach pain.Nausea.Muscle pain and spasms.Difficulty falling and staying asleep.
How long does it take for statins to cause diabetes?
“Based on some of the data in the literature, if you treat a 1,000 people with statins, one person may get diabetes in one year.”
Is statin induced diabetes reversible?
Statins are reversible and competitive inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, which is the rate-determining enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway [24].
Does Lipitor affect blood sugar levels?
The Food and Drug Administration says taking statins, including Lipitor, has been linked to reported increases in blood-sugar levels and a small increased risk of developing diabetes.
Does Pfizer still make Lipitor?
Lipitor is still churning out billions of dollars. Lipitor, the cholesterol-lowering medication that has become the gold standard of statins, continues to generate roughly $2 billion per year in sales for Pfizer, even though its patent expired eight years ago.
Has Lipitor been taken off the market?
Lipitor is still on the market today. Yet, millions more now take generic statins due to patent losses of these blockbuster drugs. In fact, generic statins can save you hundreds of dollars each month.
Why was Lipitor taken off the market?
Pfizer voluntarily recalled specific bottles of Lipitor (40 mg only) due to reports of an unusual odor. As medical tests have determined that the unusual odor was unlikely to cause an adverse reaction, the Lipitor recall doesn't seem to have any serious consequences for patients.
Who owns Lipitor?
VIATRIS ™, the maker of LIPITOR, is proud to offer the brand-name cholesterol medication that has been prescribed to over 29 million patients.
What would a jury take into account in settling a lawsuit against Lipitor?
If a case proceeds to trial, a jury would take into account the severity of the damage and the economic impact of the diabetes diagnosis on each individual plaintiff.
When did the Lipitor trial start?
In November 2015, the first federal Lipitor trial was expected to begin in the federal court system. While the outcome of the case would not be binding on any other women, it was expected to help the parties gauge how juries may respond to certain evidence and testimony that will be repeated throughout the litigation and evaluate.
Who upheld Pfizer's motion to dismiss?
Following a motion for summary judgment, the Judge Gergel granted Pfizer’s motion to dismiss the federal litigation and the decision was upheld on appeal.
How does Lipitor work?
The drug works by blocking an enzyme that is produced in the liver. Without this enzyme, the human body produces less cholesterol.
Who is the hardest hit by the negative effects of statins?
Women are the hardest hit by the negative effects of Statins. Dr. Beatrice Golomb from the University of California has been studying the effect of drugs like Lipitor on women. In comparison to clinical trials, which estimated negative effects from 1% to 7% of all users, Dr. Golomb’s tests found the actual number to be closer to 15%.
What is MDL in a pharmaceutical case?
Usually, in cases involving pharmaceuticals, instead of having hundreds of different discoveries and motion hearings, a multidistrict legislation (MDL) is created. This saves both sides of the lawsuit a lot of trouble and it also expedites the case, making the whole judicial process easier on the witnesses, experts, and victims.
Does statin cause heart attacks?
Often it is found that the risk of developing diabetes offsets the heart attacks saved by using the Statin. Women are the hardest hit by the negative effects of Statins. Dr. Beatrice Golomb from the University of California has been studying the effect of drugs like Lipitor on women.
Is it safe to drink water with statins?
Though it was once proclaimed that “Statins are so safe they should be put in drinking water,” Recent studies have emerged questioning the true benefit of the use of Lipitor and other Statins (others in Lipitor’s drug family) to treat heart disease.
Is there an MDL in California?
Update #3, February, 2014: We now have an MDL. All cases filed in federal court are now being consolidated in California.
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How many Lipitor lawsuits have been filed?
More than 2000 Lipitor lawsuits filed against Pfizer Inc. involving the anti-cholesterol medication have been dismissed by a South Carolina federal judge after allegations that the cholesterol-lowering medication was a direct cause of type II diabetes. An appeal of these cases has made its way to the US Court of Appeals for the fourth District.
When is lipitor recommended?
Lipitor is often recommended by a physician if the patient is suffering with:
Does Lipitor lower cholesterol?
Lipitor is an atorvastatin that has been proven to be highly effective in lowering bad cholesterol levels and raising good cholesterol levels in the bloodstream when used concomitantly with an effective proper diet. Like all statins, Lipitor works because it can reduce the liver’s production of cholesterol. However, like all statins, Lipitor has serious side effects that include memory problems, confusion, weakness, tenderness, unexplained muscle pain, nausea, itching, stomach pain, dark urine, loss of appetite, yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice), and clay-colored stools. As a result, many patients have questioned the safety of Lipitor in its daily use to lower cholesterol levels. For over a decade, plaintiffs have filed Lipitor lawsuits against Pfizer claiming the company failed to warn patients, doctors, and the public about the potential severe side effects caused by taking the drug.
What are the factors that increase the potential for developing diabetes?
The conclusive results of the study also involved the consideration of known factors that increase the potential for developing diabetes, including minimal physical activity, obesity, and advancing age.
Can you take Lipitor while pregnant?
In addition, pregnant women or those wishing to become pregnant should avoid taking the statin drug. Usually, this drug is only administered to women of childbearing age when the potential of becoming pregnant is unlikely. Additionally, nursing women should avoid using the drug or discontinue it while breastfeeding their infant.
When did bad cholesterol become a problem?
The hazards of high bad cholesterol levels were just beginning to be recognized in the early 1980s when the epidemic of obesity and onset diabetes were changing the views of an aging population. Back then, doctors recommended patients to eat healthier in the hopes of preventing a heart attack from occurring. During the same time, small time drug making Warner-Lambert, creator of Lipitor, had been successful at making and marketing Benadryl allergy medicines, Listerine and Halls cough drops.
Can you drink alcohol with lipitor?
Patients who consume more than two alcoholic beverages every day should avoid taking Lipitor because it can potentially increase triglyceride levels and increase the potential risk of developing liver damage .
What is the Lipitor lawsuit?
Lipitor Lawsuit. At the root of many Lipitor lawsuits, plaintiffs claim that the drug contributed to their development of type 2 diabetes. The plaintiffs filing lawsuits against Pfizer also claim that patients and doctors were inadequately warned by the company about the serious potential side effects of the drug.
How much does statin therapy increase risk of diabetes?
One particular meta-analysis looked at 13 different trials that showed a combined 9% increase in the risk of developing diabetes during statin therapy. Despite the increase, both the study authors and the FDA concluded that the risk was low compared to the cardiovascular benefits gained from statin therapy. Several other studies have ...
Why is Pfizer suing Pfizer?
Atorvastatin lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer for failing to adequately warn patients about the increased risk of diabetes associated with the drug.
What is the purpose of Lipitor?
Lipitor (atorvastatin) is a statin used to lower both high cholesterol and triglycerides in the bloodstream. By lowering high cholesterol in patients, statins have been shown to help reduce a patient's risk of a heart attack and heart disease. Since its approval in 1996, Lipitor has been prescribed to 29 million patients across the United States and made $130 billion in global sales for Pfizer, making it one of the best selling drugs in the pharmaceutical industry.
Did Pfizer appeal the MDL 2502?
Pfizer tried to remove cases to federal court a second time, however, not enough plaintiffs were willing to participate in a joint case, and the attempt failed. The drugmaker tried to appeal this second decision in 2018 but lost the appeal as well.
Is Lipitor a serious drug?
Despite their widespread popularity and life-saving attributes, Lipitor and other statins have been scrutinized for a few of their more serious side effects. In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the warning labels for several different statins including Lipitor. The new labels listed potential "non-serious ...
Did Pfizer get summary judgment?
No plaintiffs came forward, and as of February 3, 2017, all remaining cases in the MDL were granted summary judgment in Pfizer's favor .
How to keep cholesterol in check?
Whether you’re taking a statin or not, the following tips can help keep your cholesterol in check: Talk with your healthcare provider about how often you should have your cholesterol checked. Maintain a healthy weight. Exercise regularly. When buying groceries, use the Nutrition Facts Label to choose foods lower in saturated fat, trans fats, and calories. Eat more fruits and vegetables. And remember, you should not stop taking any cholesterol-lowering medication you may be on without first talking to your healthcare provider. Subscribe: FDA Consumer Health Information You go to the gym faithfully, and try to watch your diet. But after your annual physical, you find out that your blood cholesterol is surprisingly high. Your doctor calls you back to discuss taking a medication known as a statin. Here are some commonly asked questions about cholesterol and statins. 1. What are statins? How do they work? Statins are a class of medicines used to lower cholesterol in the blood. Most of the cholesterol in your blood is made by the liver. Statins work by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver and by helping the liver remove cholesterol that is already in the blood. According to James P. Smith, M.D., M.S., deputy director of the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “An important first step is to have a discussion with your healthcare provider about your risk of having heart disease or a stroke, how a statin would reduce that risk, and any side effects that you should consider.” 2. Why is it important to keep cholesterol levels in the blood low? Your body needs cholesterol, but too much of it in your blood can lead to buildup on the walls of your arteries (this buildup is called “plaque”), putting you at Continue reading >>
Does atorvastatin cause diabetes?
Lipitor (atorvastatin), a cholesterol medication made by Pfizer, Inc., is the bestselling drug of all time, with $130 billion in sales. It belongs to a group of drugs known as statins, which lower cholesterol production in the liver. Lipitor has helped many patients to manage cardiovascular risks such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, but research shows that Lipitor can also raise blood sugar levels and lead to type 2 diabetes. Hundreds of Lipitor patients who developed type 2 diabetes have filed lawsuits against Pfizer. A new warning label for this side effect was added to Lipitor in 2012, but many believe that the warning came too late and is insufficient. As a result, hundreds of Lipitor patients who developed type 2 diabetes have filed lawsuits against Pfizer alleging that the company should have included stronger warnings on Lipitor labels. Lipitor and Diabetes Researchers don’t know exactly how statins can lead to diabetes. One theory is that statins can increase a patient’s insulin resistance. Another is that statins impair the ability of the pancreas to secrete insulin. While it isn’t perfectly understood how Lipitor increases diabetes risk, the association is well established in medical literature, including studies published in BMJ, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Journal of General Internal Medicine, Diabetologia, and JAMA. Studies have typically found that statins increase the risk for diabetes by 10-25%, but newer research suggests that statin therapies such as Lipitor increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 46%. A separate analysis, based on beneficiaries of the military’s Tricare health system, found that statin drug users were 87% more likely to develop diabetes. This study is significant because it was the first to look Continue reading >>
Does Lipitor Cause Diabetes?
Pfizer, the makers of the world’s most popular drug Lipitor may soon be facing many lawsuits from women claiming the drug gave them type 2 diabetes. I have not seen any of the studies about how well Lipitor is supposed to work, and I know nothing about any of the patients involved, but I still have an idea that this may be a bigger problem than just really bad side-effect. I am not here to blame anybody for anything, but maybe there’s another side to this. Don’t worry though, I am for sure not on the side of Pfizer for a single second. Apparently the “slight” increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes from taking the drug has been known by the FDA for several years. The problem for me is that I dont’ think Lipitor had anything to do with these cases, at least not in all of them. How many are there? There are almost 1,000 new cases against the pharmaceutical company, up from the previous number of 56. That is a huge jump right? Here’s what I think, because I always like to think of things how most people think of them. Let’s say you eat a terrible diet filled with added sugars. Consuming all of this added sugar leads to a lot of health issues, and diabetes is linked to them. So how would taking a drug stop this from happening? Drugs like Lipitor works by reducing the amount of cholesterol in your blood, making you feel as good as new. Not really, but I’m sure that’s what a lot of people think. But what’s really going on? People are being prescribed these drugs, and then continuing to eat terrible food is what is going on if you ask me. We live in a world where people have this attitude that they thin they deserve a 14 layered cake and a soda to wash it down. Let’s look at this another way so I can make my point without having to use a bunch of b Continue reading >>
Do statins increase cholesterol?
Statins are drugs that lower cholesterol in the body by interfering with the production of cholesterol in the liver. Though they lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol, one side effect is that they increase risk of diabetes. Now, researchers have discovered why and offer a way to suppress this side effect. One of the world's most widely used drugs, statins have been hailed by the medical community for their ability to prevent heart disease. Still, the researchers, who have published their findings in the journal Diabetes, were confused as to why diabetes was linked to statin use. "Recently, an increased risk of diabetes has been added to the warning label for statin use," says lead author Jonathan Schertzer, assistant professor of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, and Canadian Diabetes Association Scholar. "This was perplexing to us," he continues, "because if you are improving your metabolic profile with statins you should actually be decreasing the incidence of diabetes with these drugs, yet, the opposite happened." According to the team, around 13 million people could be prescribed a statin drug at some point in their lives. In January of this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a Consumer Update outlining some of the risks associated with taking statins, which included an increased risk of raised blood sugar levels and the development of type 2 diabetes. At that time, Dr. Amy G. Egan, deputy director for safety in the FDA's Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products, said: Clearly we think that the heart benefits of statins outweighs this small increased risk. But what this means for patients taking statins and the health care professionals prescribing them is that blood-sugar levels may need to be assessed after instituting st Continue reading >>
Can statins cause diabetes?
Statins have been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. A recent study conducted by researchers from Finland found that taking statins such as Zocor or Lipitor could cause a 46 percent elevated risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in men. The scientists theorize that this increased risk is due to “decreased insulin secretion and sensitivity.” However, the study, which was published in the BMJ, also noted that those taking statins are potentially already at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and that statins are important for preventing cardiovascular disease and other health conditions. Findings Understanding what factors contribute to a person’s risk of developing diabetes in imperative to creating better long-term prevention and care plans. For diabetics, a minor foot sore can quickly lead to amputation if it is not dressed and treated effectively. According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, more than 86 million Americans have prediabetes, a high blood sugar level that when not addressed weight loss and regular physical activity, can result in Type 2 diabetes within five years. With that in mind, the Finnish researchers set out to investigate the mechanisms behind statin-induced diabetes and risk in men and if statins increased the risk of controlling blood sugar. The team began the study with 8,749 non-diabetic men, all age 45-73, and conducted a six year follow-up. New diabetes was diagnosed in 625 of the participants and then the team adjusted for a wide range of factors related to the causation of Type 2 diabetes. Using this data, researchers found that participants taking statins were 46 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes than those not taking statins. Statin-induced diabetes often occurs in individ Continue reading >>
Do statins increase insulin resistance?
HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may significantly increase a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study from Finland suggests. Researchers found that statins were associated with an almost 50 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even after adjusting for other factors. Statins appear to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in several ways, the researchers said. One is that the drugs can increase a person's insulin resistance, and the other is that the cholesterol-lowering drugs seem to impair the ability of the pancreas to secrete insulin, according to the report. Commenting on the study, Dr. Ronald Goldberg, director of the Lipid Disorder Clinic and associate director of the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami, said the researchers "show evidence that statins increased insulin resistance, and that the people who developed diabetes appeared to have less ability to respond to the insulin resistance by making more insulin." The study authors noted, however, that their research only found an association between statin use and diabetes risk. And since the study was limited to white men, it's not clear if the findings would apply to women or other racial groups. More than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin, a hormone needed to process the sugars found in foods. To compensate, the body produces more insulin. Excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle are two important risk factors for type 2 diabetes, according to the ADA. Prior studies have indicated that statins may increase a person's risk of diabetes, the authors said in backgro Continue reading >>
Can you take statins with diabetes?
But Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs experts say the heart-protective benefit of statins usually outweighs the risk of diabetes, so don’t skip a statin if you need one to lower your cholesterol. Diabetes isn’t a new side effect of statins. The Food and Drug Administration added it to the label of all statins in 2012 based on a review of studies that found a slightly elevated risk. For example, one study that reviewed 13 randomized, controlled clinical trials of statins found that 4.9 percent of people who took one of the drugs for 4 years developed diabetes compared with 4.5 percent of those who didn’t take a statin. Lower Cholesterol vs. Higher Blood Glucose The new study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, raises questions about whether the diabetes risk is higher than previously thought. Researchers looked at medical data of nearly 7,000 men and women with an average age of 53. About 31 percent of those who took a statin for an average of 5.5 years developed diabetes compared with 19 percent of those who didn’t. But since the study was not a randomized, controlled study—the gold standard for determining whether a drug causes a particular side effect—it’s not known for sure that the increase in diabetes was entirely due to statins. The study participants might have had other factors that contributed to the development of diabetes. "All we can say," says Ishak Mansi, M.D., an internist at the Veteran's Hospital in North Texas and co-author of the study, " [is] that in the healthy popul Continue reading >>