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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required that warnings be placed on the labels of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra because of reports that some users had developed a form of blindness.
The FDA took the action in 2005 after looking into reports of blindness among men who used the impotence drugs that have gained popularity in recent years. Viagra alone has been used by 23 million men over the past seven years.
In addition, erectile-dysfunction drugs have been associated with sudden hearing loss. The FDA in October 2007 approved labeling changes for Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra, to more prominently display this risk of sudden hearing loss. (See FDA News.) If you or someone you know suffered vision or hearing loss as a result of using an erectile-dysfunction medication, you may want to contact a Viagra lawyer, Cialis lawyer or Levitra lawyer for a free evaluation of your case. The reports of blindness involved 43 men who experienced blindness or, more specifically, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a type of sudden vision loss that occurs when blood flow is blocked to the optic nerve. At least one man who suffered blindness after using Viagra was reportedly filing a lawsuit against Pfizer Inc., the manufacturer of Viagra. Other lawsuits may follow. The FDA has noted that people with a higher chance of suffering NAION are those who are older than 50, who smoke, already suffer eye problems or who have heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. The impotency drugs are big sellers worldwide. Viagra sales increased to $438 million in the first quarter of 2005. Reports of blindness among Viagra users have also surfaced in other countries, including England and Australia. Kline & Specter, P.C., with some 30 attorneys (several of whom are also doctors) has a successful track record of handling lawsuits invovling defective products, including a long list of problem pharmaceuticals. Our law firm has won large settlements and jury verdicts, particularly in the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware region. (See Tom Kline interviewed on Fox-TV on Viagra lawsuits, 1/3/07)
Background: The possible link between Viagra and blindness became public in March 2005 when an opthamology journal reported on seven patients who suffered NAION within 36 hours of taking Viagra. While there currently is no concrete evidence of a link, the author of the report, Dr. Howard Pomeranz, an eye specialist at the University of Minnesota, said it seemed logical that there could be a link since Viagra works by affecting blood flow, also a cause of NAION. (Viagra dilates arteries to increase blood flow to the penis. Pomeranz has said that some effect on the optic nerve is also plausible.) Public concern was heightened after CBS News reported on May 26, 2005 that the FDA was investigating 43 reports, saying the federal agency was "urgently meeting about it with experts and Pfizer." CBS also quoted an FDA medical supervisor as saying, "We're very concerned." Pfizer executives have said that studies show no more evidence of vision loss among men who took Viagra than those who did not. In its news report, CBS cited the case of one man, Jimmy Grant, who began using Viagra in 1998, when he was 57. Grant said he experienced pressure in his temples and color changes in his vision within 45 minutes to an hour after taking Viagra. He later went blind. Grant is now reportedly suing Pfizer. Kline & Specter, P.C. is one of the nation's leading law firms with the ability to litigate pharmaceutical lawsuits. Kline & Specter has the skill, experience and ability to achieve the right result for you and your family. For a free evaluation, contact an experienced Viagra lawyer, Cialis or Levitra lawyer today. Kline & Specter handles cases in the areas:
In Pennsylvania:Allentown, Altoona, Bethlehem, Doylestown, Erie, Franklin, Gettysburg, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Hershey, Johnstown, Lancaster, Media, Norristown, Pittsburgh, Pottstown, Reading, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, State College, Sunbury, West Chester, Williamsport, York.
In New Jersey: Atlantic City, Cape May, Cherry Hill, Hackensack, Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark, New Brunswick, Montclair, Newark, New Brunswick, Trenton, Union City, Voorhees. In Delaware: Dover and Newark regions. *** Kline & Specter handles major cases throughout the United States. Select a state: Alabama AL, Alaska AK, Arizona AZ, Arkansas AR, California CA, Colorado CO, Connecticut CT, Delaware DE, District of Columbia DC, Florida FL, Georgia GA, Hawaii HI, Idaho ID, Illinois IL, Indiana IN, Iowa IA, Kansas KS, Kentucky KY, Louisiana LA, Maine ME, Maryland MD, Massachusetts MA, Michigan MI, Minnesota MN, Mississippi MS, Missouri MO, Montana MT, Nebraska NE, Nevada NV, New Hampshire NH, New Jersey NJ, New Mexico NM, New York NY, North Carolina NC, North Dakota ND, Ohio OH, Oklahoma OK, Oregon OR, Pennsylvania PA, Rhode Island RI, South Carolina SC, South Dakota SD, Tennessee TN, Texas TX, Utah UT, Vermont VT, Virginia VA, Washington WA, West Virginia WV, Wisconsin WI, Wyoming WY Viagra / Cialis / Levitra NewsNPR - Health and Science News - Medical.net medpageToday Disclaimer: Kline & Specter, P.C. only provides legal advice after having entered into an attorney client relationship, which our website specifically does not create. It is imperative that any action taken be done on advice of counsel. Because every case is different, the description of awards and cases previously handled do not guarantee a similar outcome in current or future cases. 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. |Home|
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