The U.S. Food and Drug Administration required that warnings be placed on the labels of Viagra following 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 drug that gained popularity in recent 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.
The reports of blindness involved dozens of 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.
The FDA 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.
Kline & Specter, PC, with some 30 attorneys (several of whom are also doctors) handled Viagra cases and has a successful track record of litigating cases involvling defective products, including a long list of problem pharmaceuticals. (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 opthalmology 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, PC 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.
