After analyzing over 500,000 reports of adverse events experienced from Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) drugs, STAT found that over 1,000 people who used Actemra died from heart attacks, stroke, heart failure and lung complications. Other RA medications warn of these side effects, but Actemra does not.
About Actemra
Over 1.5 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis, which is a debilitating autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints of the hands, feet, knees, elbows, and ankles. Inflammation occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy joint tissue. This results in swelling and pain around the joints. If untreated, damage to cartilage and bone can occur. In some cases, irreversible joint deformity happens. This is why treatment is vital.
In early 2010, the FDA first approved the Roche manufactured drug, Actemra to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The drug works by reducing inflammation. The drug is Roche’s fifth highest-grossing drug, according to health and medicine publication STAT, netting $1.7 billion in global sales last year alone.
Failure to Warn
The FDA should monitor the safety of prescription medications. However, it doesn’t verify the adverse event reports it receives. If they did, they would have known to immediately consider warnings for heart failure and pancreatitis. In its acute forms, it can kill up to 50% of patients.
These reports also hint that manufacturer, Roche knew their drug could kill. After a 62-year-old woman’s heart attack in 2014, Roche assessed the fatal myocardial infarction and determined Actemra caused it. Yet, no one warned the public. More than 750,000 people globally use the RA medication and unbeknownst to them may die from it.
We Want to Help Victims
It is your right to be informed about the long-term risks associated with the medications you take, and it is the responsibility of drug companies to provide this information. If you or a loved one has developed pancreatitis and have taken Acterma, you should demand accountability. Why didn’t Roche tell you of these serious side effects?
Additionally, we want to help send a message that this is not acceptable. We are advocates for consumers who have been harmed by dangerous products, and we have the experience necessary to successfully litigate these cases.
Contact the Michael Brady Lynch Firm today for a free consultation to learn more about seeking justice. Compensation may be available for any medical expenses associated with this ordeal, as well as for your physical and emotional suffering. There is no obligation.
