Dangerous Risks Associated with Testosterone Drug

Earlier this year, five men filed separate lawsuits claiming that the manufacturer of AndroGel, Abbott Laboratories Inc., failed to warn patients or doctors about the increased risk of serious cardiac events associated with using AndroGel. Despite knowing that testosterone therapies were linked to an increased number of strokes, heart attacks, and deaths, Abbott allegedly took no actions to warn consumers of the risks. According to the lawsuits, one man suffered from a stroke, one suffered a mini stroke, and the other three men suffered heart attacks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced its investigation of stroke, heart attack, and death risks in men using testosterone therapy prescriptions. This investigation responded to two Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) surveys, one of which suggested “a 30% increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in the group that had been prescribed testosterone therapy” (FDA Safety Announcement). The second survey stated that men older than 65, and men younger than 65 with a preexisting heart condition, are twice as likely to suffer a stroke or cardiac arrest when undergoing testosterone treatment.

As Rhode Island product liabilities lawyers, we encourage awareness regarding the stated risks of testosterone therapies, and encourage those who have been harmed while using these therapies to consult with experienced counsel to protect their rights.