What Are The Dangers of Axiron?

Ryan Bradley | September 28, 2015 | Personal Injury

Axiron is a synthetic testosterone gel that is used by men to treat low testosterone levels and hypogonadism. When this medication was released in 2010, sales skyrocketed immediately, with initial sales topping 50 million dollars in the first year alone.

Unfortunately, the use of this drug is now linked to serious, adverse side effects. If you or a loved one has experienced a serious side effect from using Axiron, it is important to speak with The Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers for guidance. You could be entitled to compensation for your injuries including loss of income, pain and suffering, and reimbursement of your medical expenses.

What is Testosterone?

Testosterone is a hormone that is made in the reproductive glands. The amount of the hormone that is made is controlled by the brain via the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. In the body, testosterone is responsible for:

  • Development of hair
  • Thickening of vocal chords
  • Muscle mass
  • Strength
  • Growth and maturation of prostate gland and sex organs

What is Hypogonadism?

Hypogonadism is a condition that occurs where the body is not producing adequate levels of testosterone for masculine growth and development. This can be caused by a genetic disorder, or can be the result of an injury or infection. The symptoms one can experience depend on what age the male is, but generally low testosterone levels cause:

  • Fatigue
  • Reduced libido
  • Depression/irritability
  • Loss of muscle mass
  • Impaired function of sexual organs
  • Development of breast tissue (gynomastia)

What is Axiron?

Drug Manufacturer Eli Lilly & Co. developed a prescription medication known as Axiron, which is used to treat men that have low testosterone and hypogonadism. It is a gel, which is applied much like deodorant. Between the years of 2000 and 2011 testosterone therapy increased five times over, with sales topping 1.9 billion by 2012.

This gel is found to be much more efficient in supplementing the hormone. If the supplement was ingested, it has to go through the liver which greatly reduces its’ effectiveness. Unfortunately, it has come to light that that this drug is linked to serious side effect such as:

  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Blood clots
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Sudden death

In 2010, The New England Journal of Medicine reported that men who took Axiron reported high rates of respiratory, heart, and dermatologic events.

As studies have come out, it has become apparent that patients that have taken Axiron have experienced serious health problems. The Journal of the American Medical Association conducted a study of 8,700 veterans over the age of 60. Those who used supplemental testosterone were 29% more likely to have a stroke.

Another study published in PLOS One in 2014 looked at 55,593 men, with a large number of participants under the age of 65. Younger men with heart disease were 2x more likely to have a heart attack during the first 90 days of taking Axiron. For men over the age of 65, their risk of heart attack doubled, whether they had previously had heart disease or not.

On January 31, 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety announcement reporting to the public that they are investigating the risks associated with this drug. These risks include heart attack, stroke and death. The drug Axiron was part of this investigation. The FDA recommends that if you are taking this drug you stop taking it, and contact your doctor right away.

Are there any Axiron Lawsuits?

It can be argued that drug manufacturer Elli Lilly put profits before consumer safety, and men across the country have been injured because of it. Patients have suffered:

  • heart attacks
  • strokes
  • pulmonary embolism
  • deep vein thrombosis
  • blood clots

According to one complain recently filed Chicago, stated that Eli Lilly engaged in an extensive advertising campaign encouraging men to talk to their doctors about treatment for low testosterone. They framed the issue as a common consequence of aging and said it could be corrected with the proper medication, such as their drug Axiron.

This complaint alleged many causes of action which included failure to warn, design defects, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, breach of expressed warranty, fraud and wrongful death. This case is currently awaiting trial.

Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers is currently evaluating legal claims regarding the possible life-threatening side effects of using Axiron. 

Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm For Help Today

For more information, please contact Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers at your nearest location to schedule a free case evaluation today.

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(314) 400-0000

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