Lawsuits you should know about

Digitek, a brand name of the drug Digoxin, is a medication used to treat many different types of heart conditions including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and heart failure that cannot be controlled by other medication. It works to strengthen the force of the heartbeat by adding more calcium to the cells of the heart. It helps control irregular heartbeats by slowing the number of electrical impulses through the AV node.

However, Digitek tablets were recently recalled due to the fact that it is believed that they may contain as much as twice the approved dosage of digoxin. Digitek is manufactured by Actavis Totowa and distributed by Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

It is believed that this double dose can cause digitalis toxicity, which means a patient may suffer from nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, cardiac instability, loss of appetite, bradycardia (slow heart rate), visual changes, palpitations, dizziness, cold sweats, difficulty breathing when lying down, and possibly death.

On April 25, 2008, Actavis Totowa issued a voluntary recall of Digitek tablets distributed between March 2006 and April 2008 saying there was a possibility that “tablets with double the appropriate thickness may have been commercially released.” This occurred after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began receiving reports of illness of patients having taken Digitek. Even Actavis admitted to getting 11 reports of patients suffering adverse side effects due to the double dosage. It is not known what caused the double dosage of the tablets or exactly how many tainted tablets had been distributed.

Bobbie and Robert Dyal were the first to file a federal Digitek lawsuit against Actavis Totowa. Bobbie was taking Digitek and in the lawsuit, claims to have suffered permanent heart damage from the defective tablets. On March 21, she was flown to Trinity Hospital suffering from the effects of digitalis toxicity. In the two months she spent at the hospital, she had to have a pacemaker installed. In the lawsuit, the Dyals believe that Actavis was negligent in not heeding FDA warnings that were issued in July and August of 2006 and February 2007, stating that the Digitek Bobbie received was not “the identity, strength, quality and purity they purport to possess.” Since that first lawsuit, a class action lawsuit has been file in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey.

If you or someone you know took Digitek between March 2006 and April 2008 and suffered serious side effects, you should contact your doctor for medical advice.

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 21st, 2008 at 6:23 am and is filed under Lawsuits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.