Heart Failure Stroke and Death Caused by Uloric

In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required a manufacturer's warning to be affixed to prescriptions of the drug Uloric (febuxostat), which medical professionals commonly prescribe to treat gout. The drug, the FDA warned bluntly, can increase a patient's risk of death when compared with other gout medications. After closely reviewing results garnered by a clinical trial, the FDA concluded that Uloric (febuxostat) could cause heart-related complications that could lead to a user's death.

The boxed warnings required for Uloric (febuxostat) prescriptions are the most prominent type of warnings that the FDA can mandate for medications sold in the United States. In addition to the boxed warnings, the FDA required healthcare professionals to limit prescriptions of the medication to those patients who have not had positive outcomes with other medications, and it required Uloric to produce a new patient medication guide.

These warnings, unfortunately, did not stem the tide of persons injured by the drug. Persons injured by Uloric may possess time-sensitive legal rights, and should speak with a legal professional immediately about their potential claims.

The FDA approved Uloric (febuxostat) in 2009 as a treatment for gout, a type of serious arthritis in adults. When uric acid builds up in the human body, the body can attack the uric acid, causing swelling, redness, and pain in one or multiple joints. That condition is called gout. Uloric (febuxostat) lowers a patient's uric acid levels in the blood, decreasing gout patients' severe symptoms.

Gout is one of the most common medical problems in the United States, with some 2.3 million adults seeking treatment for the condition on an annual basis. Given the limited number of medications available to treat gout, many medical professionals have prescribed Uloric (febuxostat). A patient with a history of stroke or heart problems in addition to gout should inform one's health professional about preexisting medical conditions, so that the health professional can appropriately consider the effect Uloric might have on a person's body. Uloric (febuxostat) use can cause serious medical side effects in at-risk persons, including the following symptoms:

• Shortness of breath;
• Irregular or rapid heartbeat;
• Dizziness;
• Sudden intense headaches;
• Difficulty speaking;
• Chest pain;
• Weakness or numbness in one side of the body.

The use of Uloric (febuxostat) has been linked to an increased risk of cardiac death, including stroke and fatal heart attacks. This link became evident after a study showed that persons suffered from cardiac side effects after taking Uloric (febuxostat). The study compared patients taking Uloric (febuxostat) with patients taking another type of gout medication.

The six-year study of gout patients showed that the patients who used Uloric (febuxostat) were thirty-four percent (34%) more likely to suffer cardiac death than those who are taking the other gout medication. Patients taking Uloric who had a cardiac disease history were at an increased risk of death from a cardiac event. Additionally, patients taking Uloric (febuxostat) were twenty-two percent (22%) more likely to die from other causes.

Takeda marketed Uloric as a more effective treatment than the common alternative for treating gout, Allopurinol. The company claimed that Allopurinol left patients without adequate relief from gout symptoms. Patients have alleged that Takeda did not adequately warn of the risks associated with the use of Uloric (febuxostat). As a result, thousands of patients who suffer from gout were put at risk of developing severe cardiovascular side effects or even death, as a result of taking the medication.

Thousands of patients have filed lawsuits stemming from injuries caused by Uloric (febuxostat). Plaintiffs and their family members allege that they have suffered heart failure, stroke, heart attack, or cardiac death while taking Uloric (febuxostat), or shortly after they stopped taking the medication. Victims of injuries caused by Uloric (febuxostat) can seek economic and non-economic damages for their injuries. The families of those who have died due to complications arising from Uloric (febuxostat) ingestion can bring wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of their loved ones' estates.

If you or your loved one has suffered injury related to the gout medication Uloric (febuxostat), you may be entitled to compensation. It is essential that you contact an experienced product liability lawyer as soon as possible. The experienced Charlotte product liability lawyers at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are here to review your case and offer you direction as to your best legal strategy. Contact us today to schedule your free initial consultation.