Over 8.3 million adults in the United States suffer from gout. This condition is a version of arthritis that may result in redness, swelling, or pain in a person’s joints. Gout can severely limit a person’s mobility and cause significant pain and suffering.

One major drug that gained FDA approval for the treatment of gout was Uloric (febuxostat). People who took Uloric reported a variety of side effects that could prove fatal.

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The makers of Uloric may carry legal liability for injuries resulting from the use of this medication. An Uloric lawyer could start a product liability lawsuit on your behalf to hold the makers of Uloric responsible for harming you or your loved one.

 

Uloric’s History as a Dangerous Drug

 

Takeda Pharmaceuticals released Uloric to control patients’ gout. Uloric, also called Febuxostat, works by lowering uric acid levels in the blood, helping to control the swelling often associated with gout.

 

In February 2019, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning that there was an increased chance of cardiovascular events in patients who took Uloric. These could lead to a variety of side-effects such as:

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• Chest pain

• Shortness of breath

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat

• Numbness or weakness on one side of your body

• Dizziness

• Trouble talking

• Sudden severe headache

 

Despite these warnings, Takeda continued to market Uloric as a safe way to control uric acid levels as compared to other gout medications. However, in 2019, the FDA released a new set of guidelines naming Uloric as less safe than Allopurinol, another gout medication. The FDA now recommends that patients avoid Uloric unless Allopurinol has failed to relieve their symptoms. This recommendation comes with the mandate that Takeda print new literature concerning the potential dangers associated with Uloric. An Uloric lawyer could provide more information about the dangers that taking Uloric may present to consumers.

 

Helping to Hold the Makers of Dangerous Drugs Liable for Injuries

 

The makers of all products have a legal duty to ensure that their products are safe for customer use. While the facts of a case can become complex in claims alleging unsafe drugs, the simple concept of safe, proper use is universal.

 

If a consumer suffered an injury while taking a prescription medication as intended, the maker may be liable. The exact ways that injured plaintiffs may pursue their claims varies by local statute, but there are generally three ways to prove a dangerous product case.

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• Dangerous design: A maker of a product used an unsafe design or chemical formula. Plaintiffs in these cases often must show that an alternative design that could serve the same purpose while being safer.

• Manufacturing error: These claims evaluate the specific assembly of a product to determine if an error resulted in a dangerous item.

• Improper warnings: These cases are most popular in dangerous drug cases. Although the makers of all medications must pass FDA approval prior to sale, a failure to disclose known hazards may constitute manufacturer negligence.

 

An Uloric lawyer could help to investigate what Takeda Pharmaceuticals knew about the potential hazards associated with Uloric. They can then determine if a failure to provide proper information about the side effects was the source of an injury.

 

An Uloric Attorney Could Help to Investigate the Actions of Negligent Pharmaceutical Companies

 

Gout is a painful and debilitating condition that may lead sufferers to seek any means that might provide relief. For the past ten years, the makers of Uloric, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, marketed their product as a safe way for people to control their uric acid levels but we now know that people who took Uloric suffered from a greater frequency of cardiovascular symptoms and death.

Takeda’s failure to provide notice of these potentially deadly side effects may leave them liable for resulting damage. An Uloric attorney could work to evaluate your symptoms and to make a link between your condition and your use of Uloric. Contact an Uloric attorney today to discuss your legal options for pursuing a claim for compensation.