Propulsid

Propulsid was approved in 1993 for use in the Unites States to treat nighttime heartburn in patients who suffered with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. An estimated 30 million people used the medication up until July 2000, when it was removed from the mass market. The reason: Propulsid had been associated with heart rhythm abnormalities and at least 80 reported deaths.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had issued prior orders calling for the strengthening of warning labels on Propulsid (cisapride monohydrate), manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceutica. The government agency noted that the popular heartburn medicine could cause irregular heartbeats and even sudden death in some cases and should be taken only as a last resort. It also warned about mixing the drug with other drugs - such as antibiotics, antidepressants, antifungals, protease inhibitors, antiarrhythmics - and even one food, grapefruit juice.

The FDA also required Janssen to issue a "Dear Doctor" letter alerting physicians to the potential risks of Propulsid. (The drug is still available to some patients but only through an investigational limited access program.)

Propulsid has been linked to serious cardiac arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, torsades de pointes, and QT prolongation.

In September 2001, in the first Propulsid lawsuit in the nation to go to trial, a Mississippi jury returned a $100 million verdict for a group of plaintiffs against Janssen and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson.

If you or someone you know took Propulsid and suffered heart problems...

Philadelphia Propulsid Side Effect Claim LawyersDisclaimer: Kline & Specter, P.C. only provides legal advice after having entered into an attorney client relationship, which our website specifically does not create. Only after having entered into a written, signed agreement with Kline & Specter will an attorney-client relationship have been created. It is imperative that any action taken be done on advice of counsel. Because every case is different, the descriptions of awards and cases previously handled are not meant to be a guarantee of success. The firm practices law in New Jersey as Kline & Specter. Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America and other organizations that rate attorneys are not designations that have been approved by the State Supreme Courts or the American Bar Association.

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