Did you know that one of the most significant settlements with a pharmaceutical company was for $3 billion in 2012? GlaxoSmithKline settled and pleaded guilty to 3 counts and paid $1 billion as a criminal penalty and $2 billion to resolve civil liabilities.
A lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company can result in compensation for your injury or loss. Keep reading, and we will walk through why so many people are filing lawsuit claims against pharmaceutical companies.
What is a Class Action Lawsuit?
A class-action lawsuit lets multiple plaintiffs file and prosecutes a case on behalf of a larger group. It’s a representative action where a group of people faces similar injuries caused by the same product, company, or action.
Pharmaceutical and medical device companies have faced these lawsuits. This happens when many people have the same issue with medicine or medical devices.
Drug and medical device companies have to deliver safe products and warn consumers of any potential risks.
Manufacturer negligence and flaws in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval process can put millions of people at risk of injury, including death.
We are going to go through examples of pharmaceutical lawsuits. These are common today, and they are usually settled with large amounts of money.
Pharmaceutical Lawsuit Claims
If a prescription or over-the-counter medicine has harmed you, there might be a class-action lawsuit. We will walk through some recent examples of pharmaceutical lawsuits. Some are still in process.
1. Takeda Pharmaceutical
Takeda had to settle around 8,000 federal and state lawsuits because of their diabetes medication, Actos.
They ended up paying over $2 billion in settlements. They were found guilty of hiding the risks of getting bladder cancer related to the drug.
2. Merck Zostavax Vaccine
Zostavax is a vaccine to avoid shingles that were introduced in 2006. Years later, consumers were submitting claims to the FDA that it had adverse effects.
The FDA required that Merck, who developed the vaccine, warns that it could cause chickenpox and shingles. That is what it’s supposed to prevent. If you need more information about this case, they are currently working on refiling 173 lawsuit claims.
3. Johnson & Johnson
John & Johnson had to pay over $400 million as a criminal fine and forfeiture of over $1 billion to settle various charges in 2013. They off-labeled marketing of prescription drugs, including Risperdal, Invega, which are antipsychotic drugs.
Also, the heart failure drug, Natrecor. They offered payments to healthcare providers for their illegal marketing targeting elderly patients with dementia.
4. Opioid Cases
In 2019, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson Corporation, along with Johnson & Johnson and Teva, face 2,300 lawsuits in federal and state courts. The settlement was $50 billion for the opioid cases and deaths related to them.
Do Your Research Today
Pharmaceutical lawsuit claims are more common today than ever before.
There are massive class-action lawsuits when a medicine or medical device harms or injures a group of people. If you feel that you have been harmed, consult a lawyer.
Keep reading about Merck and the shingles vaccine or stay up to date with the latest in marketing and finance here.
