Tepezza Lawsuits: Hearing Loss Linked to Thyroid Eye Disease Medication

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org would like to speak to anyone who has received at least three Tepezza treatments and developed permanent hearing loss or permanent tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Lawsuits have been filed against the maker of the thyroid eye disease medication alleging the company failed to properly test the product before releasing it to the market. The lawsuits also claim that even though the manufacturer knew – or should have reasonably known – via patient reports, published research and its own post-marketing studies about the risk of permanent and irreversible hearing loss with Tepezza, doctors and patients were not adequately warned about this risk.

If you received at least three Tepezza treatments and developed permanent hearing loss or permanent tinnitus, fill out the form on this page to find out more about your options.

You may be able to file a lawsuit to recover money for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more.

How Could Tepezza Potentially Cause Hearing Loss?

The antibody teprotumumab, sold under the brand name Tepezza, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2020 for the treatment of thyroid eye disease, an autoimmune disease primarily associated with an overactive thyroid gland due to Graves’ disease.

The drug, which is administered as an intravenous infusion once every three weeks for a total of eight infusions, helps decrease inflammation behind the eye by blocking insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptors. Studies have shown that IGF-1 plays a central role in hearing and protects the inner ear hair cells from damage. Low levels of IGF-1 have been associated with hearing loss, and one recent study concluded that teprotumumab’s inhibition of IGF-1 and its receptor pathway could result in irreversible hearing loss.

Tepezza Lawsuits: Inadequate Testing, No Warning About Hearing Loss Risk

Lawsuits are now being filed claiming that Tepezza’s manufacturer, Horizon Therapeutics, failed to adequately test the drug prior to putting it on the market and did not properly warn doctors and patients of the known risk that Tepezza could cause adverse effects, including permanent hearing loss and tinnitus.

According to the lawsuits, limited clinical trials for Tepezza revealed that as many as 10 percent of patients experienced hearing issues, including tinnitus and hearing loss, after receiving treatments. However, a more recent study presented at the Endocrine Society’s 2021 meeting found that the rate of patients who experience otologic symptoms — including hearing loss, tinnitus, ear plugging or other hearing dysfunction, after receiving Tepezza treatments — could be as high as 65 percent.

The lawsuits claim Horizon did not conduct enough tests to determine Tepezza’s mechanism of action or long-term side effects prior to its approval and that the company misrepresented to the FDA that the hearing loss reported during clinical trials was only temporary.

In the summer of 2023, the FDA updated Tepezza’s label to include a warning that the drug could cause “severe hearing impairment including hearing loss, which in some cases may be permanent.”

Is This a Class Action Lawsuit for Tepezza?

No. Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are handling Tepezza hearing loss lawsuits on an individual basis — and not as a class action lawsuit. This is because they’re working with patients who claim to have developed deafness and other injuries serious enough to warrant individual lawsuits.

Typically, in a class action lawsuit, the person filing the case is seeking compensation for a relatively small harm — say, the cost of purchasing a shampoo that didn’t work as advertised — on behalf of themselves and a larger group of consumers as it wouldn’t be cost effective to bring an individual case over such an injury. Click here to learn more about why lawsuits involving dangerous drugs or defective medical devices are not typically handled on a class action basis.

For a Tepezza personal injury case, you would need to file your own lawsuit and be represented by your own attorney, who would gather information about your case, file a complaint describing your injuries and the damages you’re seeking, and attempt to resolve the matter on your behalf.

How Much Does a Tepezza Lawyer Cost?

Most attorneys handling Tepezza lawsuits, including those working with ClassAction.org, are operating on a contingency-fee basis. This means you only pay if they win your case, and their payment will come as a percentage of your settlement or jury verdict.

What Kind of Payout Could I Get From a Tepezza Lawsuit?

Though each case is different, you could potentially file a lawsuit to recover money for your medical bills, the pain and suffering you’ve experienced, lost wages and decreased quality of life.

What You Can Do

Interested in learning more about how an attorney could help you? Fill out the form on this page today to get in touch, free of charge.

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