Is there currently a valsartan class-action lawsuit?
A valsartan class-action lawsuit was initiated in August 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. A class-action lawsuit lets a single individual file suit against a defendant that harmed a group, or class, of people in the same way. It allows the fact of a case to be established in a single case and then apply the judgment to hundreds or thousands of members of the class.
You don’t have to be in New Jersey to participate; McIntyre Law is helping clients join the valsartan class-action lawsuit nationally. An experienced attorney for valsartan litigation can help you navigate the complicated process, and regardless of where you live in the United States, we are always available for questions or concerns as the case moves forward.
What to Know Before You File a Valsartan Lawsuit
Whether you’re joining the valsartan class-action lawsuit or filing an individual lawsuit, you’ll need to gather many documents to prove that you were harmed by taking the contaminated drug. It may seem like this is something that you can do on your own, but our legal team knows this process inside and out. It’s best to rely on a professional, especially when the process is tedious and the consequences of a mistake could be the loss of your right to compensation.
With the experienced valsartan lawyers from McIntyre Law, you can level the playing field when going up against the high-powered legal teams employed by drug manufacturers.
What is a contingency fee?
When we take cases, it’s always on a contingency fee basis. That means that our right to a fee is completely dependent on our performance. If we don’t obtain compensation through a settlement or trial judgment, you don’t have to pay us.
The Statute of Limitations for Valsartan Lawsuits
Statutes of limitations vary from state to state, but in any case, you have a limited amount of time to file a valsartan lawsuit. In most states, the injured party has two years from when the injury was discovered, or should have been discovered, to file suit over injuries.
What compensation can I get from a valsartan lawsuit?
The dangerous chemicals that people who took valsartan or other angiotensin II receptor blockers were exposed to can have long-lasting consequences. In your valsartan lawsuit, we’ll seek compensation for all the physical and financial harm caused by the contaminated drug.
You could be compensated for:
- Medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Punitive damages (if warranted by the facts of the case)
Working with McIntyre Law
At McIntyre Law, we’re committed to helping the injured, especially when they’re going up against large companies that likely won’t do the right thing unless legally required. We pride ourselves on helping the injured day in and day out. We also know that holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for their actions is the best way to make our medications safer.
Do you have a case for a valsartan lawsuit??
If you took valsartan or a related drug for at least one year during 2014 or later and have been diagnosed with cancer or liver failure, you are likely eligible to participate in a valsartan lawsuit. Contact us for a free case evaluation and the experienced valsartan lawyers of McIntyre Law can help you determine your best course of action. The drug manufacturers may have a team of lawyers working on their side, but the legal team at McIntyre Law is here to protect your rights and make sure you receive compensation for your injuries.
Meet Our Valsartan Attorneys
McIntyre Law’s legal team has more than 90 years of experience litigating cases involving dangerous drugs. We’re ready to assist with your valsartan lawsuit today.
What Is Valsartan?
Valsartan is the generic version of the brand-name drug Diovan that has been on the market since 1996. Valsartan is popular for the treatment of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and heart attacks. There’s widespread use of the generic along with other angiotensin II receptor blockers, like losartan and irbesartan, and most production of the drug is done by companies based in India and China.
Who manufactures valsartan?
The primary reason for recent valsartan lawsuits is that patients were harmed by contamination that took place during the manufacture of the drugs in India and China. At this time, there’s no indication that any of the brand-name version of the drug, Diovan, manufactured by Novartis, has been contaminated.
What Are the Dangers of Valsartan?
The valsartan manufactured in the suspected facilities in India and China showed alarmingly high levels of NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine), a suspected human carcinogen and known carcinogen in animals. For those who took contaminated valsartan, cancer risks will be higher than normal in the coming years. Because it’s a maintenance drug, some may have been exposed for a prolonged period of time, and the valsartan cancer risk could be a long-term health concern.
Valsartan Cancer Risks
Several forms of cancer have been associated with prolonged exposure to contaminated valsartan, losartan, and irbesartan.
Contaminated-valsartan cancer risks include:
- Stomach cancer
- Liver cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Bowel cancer
Signs of NDMA Toxicity
NDMA is a common byproduct produced in the manufacture of things like pesticides, rubber, and dyes. It is a suspected human carcinogen, and those exposed should consult with their doctor and remain aware of the potential valsartan cancer risk for years to come. In the short term, there are physical symptoms that serve as signs of exposure to NDMA.
- Headache
- Fever
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea
- GI hemorrhage
- Jaundice
- Enlarged liver
- Liver failure
- Reduced function of kidneys and lungs
Valsartan Recalls
In addition to being a popular generic drug for the treatment of high blood pressure, valsartan is also a component used in numerous other drugs. In fact, drugs sold under their own brand name could include generic valsartan as a component. If you suspect that you may have been prescribed a drug containing contaminated valsartan, contact McIntyre Law.
We can help you determine whether you were exposed and guide you through next steps if you were. You can also find out more about the valsartan recall and check the FDA’s list of all the drugs involved.
Valsartan and the FDAA
The Food and Drug Administration has processes in place to monitor drugs produced outside of the United States, but the current need for a valsartan recall indicates that testing and enforcement are inadequate.
Valsartan Timeline
First valsartan recall
Class-action lawsuit initiated
Additional recalls by manufacturer and lot number
First lawsuit filed over contaminated valsartan
Plaintiffs’ attorneys file to combine cases in multidistrict litigation
Multidistrict litigation pending containing 55 individual cases
How did valsartan get contaminated with NDMA?
After the contamination was discovered, the Chinese plant owned by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical that produced the NDMA-tainted valsartan was inspected by regulators from the FDA and the European Medicines Agency. Both agencies found that the company failed to comply with proper manufacturing practices for multiple years. The company altered the manufacturing process in 2011 and introduced the use of a solvent that’s suspected of causing the NDMA contamination.
FDA documentation reveals that Zhejiang Huahai failed to implement any testing process to determine whether their new process introduced any dangerous elements to the end product. All products produced by Zhejiang Huahai have been banned from use in products sold in the United States and Europe.