Valsartan Cancer Lawsuits Being Filed Following Recall for NDMA Contamination
Last Updated on December 14, 2021
At A Glance
- This Alert Affects:
- Anyone who took a recalled valsartan medication and was diagnosed with one of several types of cancer.
- What’s Going On?
- Lawsuits are being filed alleging that the manufacturers of recalled valsartan lots are responsible for the medical bills and other damages of patients who developed cancer as a result of taking the drug. Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are now available to handle these cases and are offering to review potential claims free of charge.
- What Can I Do?
- If you or a loved one took a recalled valsartan product and were later diagnosed with cancer, fill out the form on this page. After you get in touch, one of the attorneys we work with may reach out to you to ask you a few questions and to explain more about your rights.
- What Does This Cost?
- It costs nothing to contact us or to speak to an attorney. Plus, you’re not obligated to move forward with a lawsuit just because you spoke to someone about your rights.
- How Could a Lawsuit Help?
- A lawsuit could help provide money for medical bills, lost wages, physical and mental suffering, and more.
Lawsuits are now being filed on behalf of patients who took recalled valsartan medications and were diagnosed with certain types of cancer.
These lawsuits are alleging that the manufacturers failed to adhere to safe manufacturing practices and sold an “unreasonably dangerous” drug. If the cases are successful, patients and their loved ones could receive money for medical bills, lost wages and other damages.
If you would like to learn more about filing a lawsuit, fill out the form on this page. After you get in touch, one of the attorneys working with ClassAction.org may reach out to you directly via phone or email. It doesn’t cost anything to contact us or to speak to one of the lawyers we work with.
What Kinds of Cancer Have Been Linked to Recalled Valsartan?
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are specifically looking into claims on behalf of people who took recalled valsartan drugs and were diagnosed with any of the following types of cancer:
- Colorectal cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Intestinal cancer
- Leukemia
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Stomach cancer
How Do I Know If My Medication Was Recalled?
The best way to find out whether your valsartan medication was recalled is to check the FDA’s list of recalled blood pressure medications here. You can find more information on how to use the database and where to find your medication’s lot number and other identifying information over on our blog.
You can also reach out to your pharmacist or the FDA’s Division of Drug Information by emailing druginfo@fda.hhs.gov or calling 1-855-543-DRUG (3784) to see if your medication was recalled.
Why Was Valsartan Recalled?
The FDA first announced a recall in July 2018 for certain batches of valsartan after N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen, was found in the drugs. NDMA’s presence in certain valsartan-containing medications likely stemmed from “changes in the way the active substance was manufactured,” the agency stated, noting importantly that not all valsartan products were being recalled.
Several days later, the FDA put out another press release stating that it had concluded that the recalled valsartan products pose “an unnecessary risk” to patients and that NDMA may have been present in the drugs for as long as four years.
Since the initial recall, the FDA only continues to expand its list of recalled valsartan products, with a November 2018 announcement noting that additional lots of valsartan-containing drugs were being recalled due to the presence of N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), another probable human carcinogen.
What Are the Lawsuits Saying?
Lawsuits are claiming that the manufacturers of recalled valsartan-containing drugs:
- Failed to warn patients and the medical community about the serious side effects of their medications
- Created drugs that were defectively designed and unsafe for their intended purposes
- Failed to use reasonable care in creating and testing their drugs to the detriment of patients’ health and wellbeing
- Used false and deceptive labeling and advertising to induce the public into purchasing and using their drugs
- Misrepresented that their drugs only included the ingredients on the label
This is a Class Action, Right?
While class action lawsuits have been filed to help the thousands of patients who purchased recalled valsartan medications, attorneys working with ClassAction.org are interested in filing individual lawsuits on behalf of those who were diagnosed with cancer due to their use of the drug.
The main difference is that class action lawsuits are seeking compensation for the cost of the medication for a large group of people, while individual lawsuits are seeking larger sums of money for medical bills, lost wages and other losses specific to one’s situation. You do not need to have been diagnosed with cancer to participate in any settlement resulting from the class actions, but you will need a diagnosis to proceed with an individual lawsuit.
You can learn more about the differences between these two types of lawsuits here.
How Could a Lawsuit Help?
Through a lawsuit, you could potentially recover money for:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Lost wages and loss of earning capacity
- Disability
- Medical services, including hospital, nursing and rehabilitative care
- Funeral expenses in the event of death
- Loss of life’s enjoyment
- Loss of consortium (spousal support, companionship, care, comfort, etc.)
How Much Does a Lawyer Cost?
Lawyers working with ClassAction.org work on a contingency-fee basis, which means you will only pay if they win your case. Their fee will come as a percentage of your settlement or jury award.
If you are interested in taking legal action for a cancer diagnosis you believe stems from use of a recalled valsartan drug, fill out the form on this page to get in touch.
It’s free and you’re under no obligation to move forward with a lawsuit after learning more about your rights.
Before commenting, please review our comment policy.