01/05/2014
Pfizer and the Lipitor Settlement
Call 1-800-499-6652 to see if you may be eligible.
lipitor settlementPfizer is being sued and pressured to reach a Lipitor Settlement by Attorneys representing women who claim they developed Type II Diabetes due to the usage of their Cholesterol lowering drug Lipitor.
This particular demographic may expand.
Studies have demonstrated that there is a direct link between Lipitor and an increased risk of this particular disease.
Hundreds of Thousands of women may be eligible to file lawsuits against the pharmaceutical company.
Pfizer did not disclose the serious adverse side effects that Lipitor caused, they concealed it.
Pfizer is now being pushed to reach a Lipitor Settlement, just as it was pressured to reach a settlement for 2.9 billion dollars for violating the False Claims Act Law, by off-label promotion on their drugs Bextra, Geodon, Zyvox and Lyrica.
It is relatively unknown as to how much Pfizer will have to pay for settlements, we have been told that qualified claimants will receive between $100,000-$200,000, some possibly quite a bit higher.
We are getting calls from people coming out of diabetic comas caused by Lipitor and had no idea they hadType 2 Diabetes.
Lipitor´s Side Effects
Lipitor is the brand name of the cholesterol lowering drug Atorvastatin. It is a member of the family of drugs called statins which lowers the levels of LDL cholesterol also known as “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides.
It also reduces heart attacks, and other heart related conditions in people with Type II Diabetes and other risk factors.
Side effects listed by Pfizer are:
· Confusion and memory problems
· Muscle pain and weakness for no apparent reason
· Fever, tiredness and dark urine color and stools as well as jaundice
· Increase in thirst, hunger, dry mouth and skin, weight loss
When the company lists the known side effects, this act reduces the drug companies liability for future claims.
When side effects are concealed it is a whole different story.
Type II Diabetes was not a side effect listed by Pfizer, even though there is evidence that they knew about it and decided not to disclose it.
In 2011, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) ran an investigation on Lipitor and eventually found out that indeed Lipitor caused imbalances in glucose levels.
The FDA told Pfizer to change its label warnings. However, the new Lipitor label warning doesn´t explicitly say that the drug may cause Type II Diabetes so many people are still to this day falling victims of this statin type of drug.
Both past and future victims are could be entitled for a Lipitor settlement for damages made.
Studies Linking Lipitor to Type II Diabetes
Annually, Lipitor has billions of dollars in sales, which is what Pfizer seems to care about most. This financially successful drug has produced devastating results in the population who religiously takes it for their high cholesterol problems. Lipitor settlements should be arranged because of this.
It is documented that Pfizer knew or at least should have known given the amount of studies done and the correlation of data.
Lipitor does work for lowering cholesterol levels but at the same time it has also shown that its side effects are severe and not as mild as what Pfizer alleged and published when it started being sold.
Studies made regarding the use of Lipitor
1) The Mayo Clinic did a study in which it was proven that Lipitor decreased the risk of cancer in the oesophagus.
2) In 2010 the medical journal “The Lancet” published a study correlating risk increase of Type II Diabetes and Lipitor use in women taking it. The study compared two groups of women. The first group was taking Lipitor and second group didn´t take Lipitor. The study concluded stating that prevalence of Type II Diabetes was higher in women taking Lipitor..
3) The journal “Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes” stated that Lipitor and statins in general are effective in lowering cholesterol levels. In 2004 however, a new study was made in which Lipitor use was responsible for the increase in glucose control levels when taken in large doses.
4) In March 2011, a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that also showed a prevalence of Type II Diabetes in women taking Lipitor
5) In 2013, after a 5 year study with more than 100,000 post-menopausal women in 40 Medical centers across the United States the JAMA Medical journal finally concluded that Lipitor and statins increased the risk of Type II Diabetes in that specific population (post-menopausal women).
The study also concluded that women with a BMI (body mass index) below 30 have an increased risk in Type II Diabetes than women with a BMI above 30.
Statins in general were linked to an increased risk of Type II Diabetes.
Lipitor is a high potency statin compared to other moderate and low potency statins such as Lovastatin and Fluvastatin, putting Lipitor users at a high risk of getting Type II Diabetes.
Development of Type II Diabetes can be a very uncomfortable life changing experience for people. They have to start testing their glucose levels on a regular basis, They will also have to change their whole lifestyle and restrict themselves to a diabetic diet, which can be a punishment for most people.
There are also studies that show a type 2 diabetic lives 5-10yrs less then the average individual.
On top of that, Type II Diabetes is an incurable disease. Sufferers will have to start taking medications for life for that condition, which will farther put at risk their health because of the side effects of those new medications.
Some of the newer medications such as Actos and Avandia causes heart attacks and bladder cancer.
For this reason and because the quality of life of the individual is greatly diminished physically, emotionally, and financially, Lipitor victims are prompted to take action against Pfizer for its unethical practices.
Lipitor Settlement Assistance
If you are a woman who is suffering Type II Diabetes and has taken Lipitor before for the purpose of reducing your cholesterol you may be entitled to file a lawsuit against Pfizer.
To find out if you qualify please fill out the form or contact us at 1-800-499-6652.
Written by: Bill Bohack
