A Lebanese woman who suffered severe cardiovascular injury after taking the arthritis drug Bextra has filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for her losses including personal injuries and economic damages she claims to have suffered.
The product liability suit, filed in Madison County, Illinois, names pharmaceutical giant Pfizer—the makers of Bextra—as a defendant.
Bextra Risks
Bextra was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2001 for the treatment of symptoms of adult rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Like other similar painkillers, Celebrex and Vioxx, Bextra belongs to a class of drugs known as Cox-2 inhibitors, which have been linked to a host of severe cardiovascular side effects including:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Other heart risks
- Death
As a result of these life-threatening risks, the FDA ordered Pfizer to pull Bextra off the market in 2005. However, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States had already taken the drug.
Details of the Lawsuit
Rita Fohne took Bextra for approximately six months before suffering a serious heart attack and other cardiovascular injuries due to blood clots and thrombosis, which she claims was the direct result of Bextra.
According to the lawsuit, Bextra was defective and unreasonably dangerous, greatly increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other heart injuries that exceeded the potential benefits of the drug.
Fohne alleges that the drug manufacturer knew of these risks, but continued to make, market, and sell Bextra to maximize profits and sales at the expense of the public’s safety and health. Furthermore, the suit claims Pfizer failed to warn doctors and patients of the risk for serious adverse events.
Fohn seeks more than $250,000 in damages including other costs the court deems appropriate.
Injured by a defective drug? Please click here to find out if you’re eligible to recover your losses through a product liability lawsuit.
