Valsartan Cancer Lawsuits Being Filed Following Recall for NDMA Contamination
Last Updated on January 12, 2024
Investigation Complete
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have finished their investigation into this matter. Check back for any potential updates. You can also sign up for our free newsletter for the latest in class action news and settlements.
If you still have questions about your rights, contact an attorney in your area as there is a time limit for filing all lawsuits. The information on this page was posted when the investigation began and is now for reference only.
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Case Update
- January 10, 2024 – Official Website Now Live for Valsartan Class Action Lawsuit
- Consumers are being notified of a class action lawsuit filed over valsartan blood pressure medications that were contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals, and an official website has now been established to provide information about the case.
The court-approved website can be found at ValsartanMedicationLawsuit.com.
Though no settlement or resolution has been reached, the multidistrict litigation (MDL) is aiming to cover individuals in the U.S. and its territories and possessions who, between January 1, 2012 and the date of the final valsartan recall (as of November 10, 2021), paid any amount of money for a valsartan-containing drug that was manufactured, distributed or sold by any of the defendants. The case also looks to cover certain individuals who consumed a threshold amount of nitrosamines in valsartan-containing drugs since January 1, 2012.
More information about who is covered can be found here, and you can check your eligibility on this page.
Importantly, no benefits are available yet since the case is still progressing. If you are covered by the lawsuit, there’s nothing you need to do at this point to remain in the class.
Consumers can register to receive updates about the lawsuit’s progress here.
Want to stay in the loop on class actions that matter to you? Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here. - May 16, 2023 – Investigation Closed
- The attorneys who started this investigation are no longer handling these cases - meaning the investigation is now closed.
If you are interested in pursuing a lawsuit, we encourage you to speak with an attorney in your area. They typically offer free initial consultations and would be able to explain your legal rights and what options you have going forward. We outline finding attorneys in this blog post.
You can find a list of open investigations here.
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 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.
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.)
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