Baycol Claims Settled >
Baycol Litigations
Baycol
Litigations Update
Baycol litigations:
2003 has seen a number of Baycol claims settled in the U.S. -
These settlements have been involving injuries related to a condition
called rhabdomyolysis, which the patients developed after taking the
drug. Between 1997 and 2001 the drug was prescribed for more than
6 million patients worldwide.
Baycol is a prescription
drug manufactured by Bayer A.G. Pharmaceutical. Baycol (cerivastatin)
was initially approved in the U.S. in 1997 to treat patients with
elevated cholesterol levels. Baycol belongs to the family of drugs
reffered to as statins: Statins lower cholesterol by blocking a specific
enzyme in the body that is involved in the sythesis of cholesterol.
Baycol was recalled
on August 8, 2001 following the deaths of 31 patients taking the drug
in the U.S. Fifty-two deaths had been reported worldwide. The deaths
had been caused by rhabdomyolysis, a muscle condition/ailment that
had been known to be a possible side effect of all statin drugs, however,
its incidence has been much higher and more serious among Baycol patients.
Rhabdomyolysis is a condition where the muscle cells are damaged,
thus releasing a pigment called myoglobin into the bloodstream. It
is filtered out of the bloodstream by the kidneys. Myoglobin may occlude
the structures of the kidney, causing damage such as acute tubular
necrosis or kidney failure. Myoglobin breaks down into potentially
toxic compounds, which will also cause kidney failure. Symptoms of
rhabdomyolysis include muscle pain, weakness, tenderness, malaise,
fever, dark urine, nausea, seizures, and vomiting. The pain may involve
specific groups of muscles or may be generalized throughout the body.
Following is an Associated Press article from March 10, 2004:
Bayer
Reaches Deal On Cholesterol Drug
03/10/04 - German
drug maker Bayer AG has reached an agreement with most of its insurers
on coverage of around $1.2 billion for litigation related to the
2001 withdrawal of a cholesterol-lowering drug.
In a statement
Tuesday night, Bayer also said it had put aside 300 million euros
($369 million) in its 2003 fiscal year to cover additional settlements
and defense costs. The insurers "had previously proceeded only
on a provisional basis," the company said.
Bayer pulled
Lipobay, marketed as Baycol in the United States, in August 2001
after it was linked to a rare muscle-wasting syndrome and about
100 patient deaths.
On Tuesday,
the Leverkusen-based company said it has now reached 2,224 cases
related to the drug, paying out $842 million without admitting liability.
Another 9,948
cases were pending in the United States as of March 5, Bayer said.
"Where
facts have been developed in the course of the litigation, it so
far appears that the vast majority of plaintiffs did not suffer
serious side-effects," its statement said.
As of the end of
February 2003, the pharmaceutical companies had settled 450 Baycol cases
for amounts ranging from $200,000 to $1 million. Plaintiffs lawyers
have praised Bayer for acknowledging the problems quickly and settling
lawsuits rapidly. As you can see from the following chart, many Baycol
litigations were scheduled in state courts throughout the year.
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Baycol
Trial Dates
2003 Trial Dates in State Courts
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|
State Court
Texas
Mississippi
Texas
Louisiana
Oregon
Nevada
Texas
Mississippi
Oregon
Texas
Alabama
Oregon
Illinois
Oklahoma
Texas
Washington
Oregon
Louisiana
Washington
|
Scheduled
Feb. 2003
March 2003
April 2003
May 2003
May 2003
June 2003
June 2003
July 2003
July 2003
July 2003
August 2003
Sept. 2003
Sept. 2003
Sept. 2003
Sept. 2003
Sept. 2003
Nov. 2003
Nov. 2003
Dec. 2003
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If you have an
interest in the Baycol lawsuits, it is much to your advantage to contact
an attorney who advertises having experience and knowledge in Baycol
litigations.
ref:
Julie Kay, "A Sudden Rush to Settle Suits Over Baycol" Miami
Daily Business Review - 2-26-2003
