The manufacturer of an ARB-type high blood pressure medicine is being sued by patients who were injured by the drug. Some of the victims have sustained permanent injuries to the gastrointestinal tract.
Daiichi Sankyo, the U.S. wing of the Japanese producer of Benicar, had been warned twice by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – once as far back as 2006 – to stop making misleading and unsubstantiated claims. The company exaggerated effectiveness while downplaying the risks and side effects of Benicar.
Irresponsible marketing claims lead to tragic consequences
Between 2002 and 2008, Daiichi Sankyo spent a staggering $1 billion on an aggressive marketing campaign that claimed the drug was safer and more effective than similar blood pressure medications. Clinical trials only took place over a 3 month period despite the fact that a high blood pressure diagnosis tends to be a lifelong condition.
Adverse patient effects following the marketing blitz and launch of the product also showed that the company was aware of the GI tract dangers, but did not disclose this information. Should that be a surprise to anyone?
When the Mayo clinic reported a link between olmesartan and an untreatable version of Celiac-like gastroenteropathy, in 2012, patients with these symptoms were advised to stop taking Benicar. However, many of these persons now have permanent injuries from taking the drug – with some requiring hospitalization and suffering with severe pain for years.
For example, a Texas patient required over 100 days of hospitalization and now has to use a feeding tube due to permanent damage to his GI tract. The companies that create drugs like this (and claim they are ‘safe and effective’) have no regard for public safety.