Elmiron MDL Update: What’s Happening with Elmiron Lawsuits?
UPDATE: Elmiron lawsuits alleging that Elmiron causes eye damage have been consolidated into multi-district litigation (MDL) in the District Court of New Jersey. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred almost 130 lawsuits to the court of District Court Judge Brian Martinotti on December 15, 2020.
IMPORTANT: As of January 2024, we are no longer investigating or taking new Elmiron cases.
Several manufacturers of the prescription drug Elmiron face allegations that long-term use of Elmiron causes eye damage including
pigmentary maculopathy, a degenerative eye disorder affecting the macula and a primary cause of permanent blindness.
Elmiron vision loss lawsuits have been filed and are currently pending consolidation into multi-district litigation (MDL) in the District Court of New Jersey.
Should the cases be consolidated, Riddle & Brantley’s
Elmiron lawyers expect thousands more plaintiffs who have suffered permanent eye damage potentially from taking Elmiron to sue the manufacturers for compensation for their injuries in the near future.
IMPORTANT: If you’ve suffered from eye damage potentially caused by Elmiron, you may be eligible for an Elmiron lawsuit and our attorneys are ready to help however they can. For a FREE consultation with an experienced Elmiron lawyer, please call 1-800-525-7111. There is no obligation and you won’t pay any attorney fees unless we win your case and you receive compensation.
Elmiron Litigation Update
IMPORTANT: As of January 2024, we are no longer investigating or taking new Elmiron cases.
As of December 2020, nearly 130 lawsuits have already been filed against the three pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the prescription drug Elmiron:
These lawsuits allege multiple causes of action against Elmiron manufacturers, including:
- Negligence
- Failure to warn consumers of the drug’s risk
- Defective drug design causing Elmiron to be hazardous to consumers’ health
- Fraudulent misrepresentation of the risks associated with Elmiron
Plaintiffs allege that not only did these big pharma companies have evidence and were put on notice by the FDA that Elmiron was linked to serious vision damage in nearly 25% of patients, but they also failed to warn consumers of the significant risk associated with taking the drug.
Evidence shows that although Janssen Pharmaceuticals began taking steps in 2019 to revise Elmiron’s label in Canada to reflect the serious side effects associated with the medicine. However, the company did not revise
Elmiron’s U.S. label to reflect the risk of serious vision damage until only a few months ago — after lawsuits were filed against the pharmaceutical giant in the United States.
If you’ve been diagnosed with eye damage such as pigmentary maculopathy, retinopathy, or scotoma after taking Elmiron, you may be entitled to compensation — call 1-800-525-7111 for a FREE consultation regarding a potential Elmiron lawsuit today.
While eligibility is open to a wide range of eye damage, you may have a stronger case if vision loss has occurred in both eyes.
We don’t get paid unless you do. If we don’t recover compensation for you, you won’t pay any attorney fees. It’s as simple as that.
Please call
1-800-525-7111 for a FREE, no-obligation consultation and case review today.
Pending Elmiron Lawsuits
The current Elmiron lawsuits involve mostly female plaintiffs between the ages of 37 to 79 years old. Early plaintiffs include women who filed suit in March, April and May against Teva Branded Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceuticals in the Districts of Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
With nearly 130 lawsuits filed and more likely on the way, plaintiffs asked the District Court of New Jersey in October 2020 to consolidate the cases as multi-district litigation (MDL). On December 3, 2020, a hearing was held before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to hear arguments for consolidation into an Elmiron MDL.
UPDATE: As of December 15, 2020, Elmiron cases have been consolidated into MDL in the District Court of New Jersey.
Elmiron MDL: What is Multi-District Litigation?
Multi-district litigation, or MDL, is a special procedure in federal court often used when lawsuits involve
dangerous drugs, defective medical devices, or other complex legal issues affecting a large number of separate plaintiffs.
MDL allows the federal court system to better manage the wide number of similar cases by transferring multiple civil cases based on a common issue to a single district court. By transferring similar cases to a single court district, MDL helps foster consistent judicial rulings across multiple similar lawsuits, promote efficiency, and conserve judicial resources.
To qualify for MDL, the cases must have at least one common question of fact. A question of fact is an issue that can be determined based on the evidence presented in the case. For example, the Elmiron vision loss lawsuits contain a common question of fact — does Elmiron cause severe retinal damage after long-term use?
Currently, there are nearly 130 Elmiron vision loss lawsuits brought on behalf of individual plaintiffs across the United States, all alleging substantially the same issue: the pharmaceutical manufacturers concealed the fact that evidence shows
Elmiron may cause serious and permanent vision loss. Additionally, these lawsuits allege the manufacturers failed to worn consumers of the serious risks associated with the drug.
Elmiron MDL
On December 3, 2020, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multi-district Litigation (JPML) heard oral arguments during a hearing session to evaluate whether to consolidate nearly 100
Elmiron vision loss lawsuits before one federal judge in the District of New Jersey. The JPML granted the request on December 15 and these cases will now be centralized before U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti in New Jersey District Court and follow a coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings plan.
All parties agreed that the suits against Janssen Pharmaceuticals should be consolidated into multi-district litigation, with the only issue at the JPML hearing being which District court would hear the case.
As of December 2020, Elmiron lawsuits have been consolidated in MDL in the District of New Jersey.
At the December 3
rd hearing, a group of plaintiffs and Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical team both agreed that the lawsuits alleging that the company concealed its drug’s harmful side effect of vision loss from consumers should be heard in New Jersey District Court because Judge Martinotti had already been treating the cases as a mass tort.
For example, both parties noted that instead of setting individual trial dates and discovery plans, the judge used processes and procedures to move the cases forward together as a group. The parties also noted that Judge Martinotti has held monthly status updates on the cases as a group over Zoom and is well-prepared to oversee the MDL litigation. Finally, Janssen Pharmaceuticals argued that New Jersey District Court would be a convenient forum for the defense, as the pharmaceutical company is headquartered in New Jersey and therefore the documents, evidence, and witnesses are located in the state.
The Elmiron MDL status is currently pending. Should the case be approved for MDL, Riddle & Brantley’s Elmiron vision loss lawyers expect thousands more Elmiron vison loss cases will be filed by the time the judge sets a future trial date.
Since the first Elmiron lawsuits are still in the very early stages of litigation, these initial trials will offer a first look into what kind of
Elmiron settlements for compensation plaintiffs may possibly expect.
IMPORTANT: As of January 2024, we are no longer investigating or taking new Elmiron cases.
For a FREE consultation concerning a potential Elmiron vision loss claim, please call 1-800-525-7111 today.
One of our experienced Elmiron vision loss attorneys will review your claim, advise you on your eligibility for an
Elmiron lawsuit or Elmiron MDL, and if you decide to hire us, fight aggressively for your right to compensation.
Justice Counts for those injured due to dangerous drugs, and we would love to help you seek the justice and compensation you deserve.
Please call
1-800-525-7111 today and let’s review your claim.
What is Elmiron?
Elmiron is the only oral medication currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat interstitial cystitis (IS), also known as painful bladder syndrome.
Elmiron has been on the market for nearly 25 years and is one the most popular prescription drug for treating IS. The three major manufacturers of Elmiron are Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals, and Teva Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson).
“What types of vision damage is Elmiron linked to?”
The prescription drug Elmiron has been linked to several types of serious eye damage, including:
“What symptoms of eye damage are associated with Elmiron?”
Elmiron has been shown to cause a multitude of symptoms indicating
serious eye damage or permanent vision loss. If you have any of the following symptoms, consult with your doctor immediately:
- Blurry vision
- Vision disturbances
- Distorted vision or vision loss
- Trouble adjusting to low light conditions
- Dark spots
- Halo vision
- Unilateral or bilateral blindness
- Difficulty reading
“I think Elmiron caused my vision loss. What should I do?”
IMPORTANT: As of January 2024, we are no longer investigating or taking new Elmiron cases.
If you’ve been diagnosed with a qualifying form of eye damage and believe it is related to your long-term Elmiron use, you may qualify for an Elmiron vision loss lawsuit.
Elmiron lawsuits are heating up, and legal analysts expect these cases could be worth millions of dollars in total compensation for damages.
Riddle & Brantley’s defective drug attorneys have spent decades holding big pharmaceutical companies accountable for their dangerous drugs, and we want to help you seek the compensation you deserve for life-changing damages you have experienced potentially from taking Elmiron.
Call our Elmiron lawyers at 1-800-525-7111 for a free, no-obligation consultation to see if you qualify for an Elmiron vision loss lawsuit today.
“This settlement changed me and my family’s lives.”
-
Linda B., Riddle & Brantley client
Don’t wait — the longer you wait, the harder it may be to win your case and recover the compensation you need and deserve.
Please call
1-800-525-7111 for a free consultation concerning an
Elmiron lawsuit or MDL today.
Justice Counts.