People who take Elmiron for bladder pain are at risk of developing a serious eye disease that can cause blindness.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Elmiron induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with an eye disease after taking Elmiron, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Class Action Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Elmiron Multi-District Litigation (MDL #2973)
Instead of a class action, federal judges have created a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) that will coordinate at least 100 Elmiron lawsuits for people with eye injuries. The Elmiron MDL is centralized in the District of New Jersey under the Honorable Brian Martinotti: MDL 2973 – In re Elmiron (Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium) Products Liability Litigation.
What is the Problem?
All of the lawsuits accuse Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, of failing to warn patients about the risk of retinal damage, maculopathy, or the need to undergo regular eye exams, until the drug-makers updated the label on Elmiron in June 2020.
Studies Link Elmiron and Eye Disease
An alarming number of recent studies have linked Elmiron®, a popular drug for interstitial cystitis (i.e. painful bladder syndrome), with a serious eye disease that progressively destroys the retinas.
Were You Misdiagnosed?
Elmiron is linked to an entirely new eye disease called pigmentary maculopathy, but it is commonly misdiagnosed as an age-related eye disease by doctors who don’t realize Elmiron can permanently damage the eyes.
Doctors May Not Know About the Risk
Doctors may not know about the risk because Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the company that makes Elmiron, has not issued warnings — despite numerous studies and case reports confirming that long-term users of Elmiron are at risk of retinal damage.
Signs & Symptoms of Elmiron Eye Disease
The most common symptoms for people experiencing eye damage due to Elmiron include:
- Trouble reading
- Trouble adapting eyes to dim light
- Blurry vision
- Dark spots in the center of the field of vision
- Distorted images
- Straight lines appear curved
- Colors are less vivid
What is the Risk?
Experts found that Elmiron caused retinal damage in about 25% of patients, according to a study of 140 patients who’d taken an average of 5,000 pills each over 15 years.
Even higher rates of retinal toxicity were seen in patients on higher doses of Elmiron — 42% of patients taking 1,500 grams or more had clear signs of eye damage due to Elmiron toxicity.
Dr. Robin Vora, lead author of the study, explained: “It’s unfortunate. You have a patient with a chronic condition like interstitial cystitis, for which there is no cure and no effective treatment. They get put on these medications because it’s thought to have few side effects and few risks, and no one thinks about it again. And year after year, the number of pills they’re taking goes up and up.”
This study, “Prevalence of Maculopathy Associated with Pentosan Polysulfate Therapy in Kaiser Permanente Northern California” was published in the journal Ophthalmology in January 2020.
Can I Join a Class Action?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is nationally recognized as a class action law firm, but we are not currently filing an Elmiron class action lawsuit. Instead, we are filing individual lawsuits for people who took Elmiron and developed serious eye problems due to pigmentary maculopathy.
About Class Actions
Class action lawsuits are usually filed by one person on behalf of everyone else with the same legal claim against the same defendant. If compensation is awarded, everyone in the class shares the payout.
Why Our Law Firm is Filing Individual Lawsuits as Opposed to a Class Action
The big disadvantage of a class action is that everyone must divide the payout, leaving everyone with just a tiny fraction of the money that is awarded. Class actions are not designed to maximize the payout for individuals who have developed severe side effects from medications.
How Can an Elmiron Lawsuit Help Me?
Instead of a class action, people who were injured by Elmiron may be eligible to file an individual lawsuit. Our lawyers can review your case for free and help you seek justice and financial compensation for your pain and suffering, medical bills, decreased quality of life, and more.
Do I have an Elmiron Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Elmiron induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with an eye disease after taking Elmiron, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Class Action Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
