Bayer, the manufacturer of the anti-cholesterol drug
Cerivastatin, also known as Baycol, has been the recipient of many
lawsuits recently. These lawsuits have been filed on behalf of
persons
who were prescribed this potentially deadly drug.
As a member of
the cholesterol-lowering drug class known as “statins”,
Baycol has been most commonly prescribed by doctors for their patients
suffering from high cholesterol and
triglycerides. Baycol lowers cholesterol levels by blocking a specific
enzyme in the body that is involved in the manufacture of cholesterol.
Unfortunately,
the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that
although all statins have had reports made of
rhabdomyolysis occurring, the number of fatal cases of this same
disease have been shown to be significantly higher with the use
of Baycol. Rhabdomyolysis is a condition that results in muscle
cell breakdown and release of the contents of muscle cells into
the bloodstream. Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include muscle pain,
weakness, tenderness, malaise, fever, dark urine, nausea and vomiting.
Background
More than 480 reported cases of the potentially deadly condition
Rhabdomyolysis had been reported to the FDA, including over 50
deaths
connected with patients who had used Baycol. In early August 2001,
the FDA announced that Bayer Pharmaceutical had voluntarily withdrawn
Baycol from all of their markets excluding Japan. Later that month,
Bayer also removed their Baycol product known as Lipobay from the
Japanese market.
In an effort to consolidate the growing number
of
lawsuits being brought against Bayer, the Judicial Panel on Multi-District
Litigation ruled in December 2001 that Judge Michael Davis, United
States District Court for the District of Minnesota, be appointed
Litigation Manager.
It is believed that the number of patients who
have died or continue to suffer the serious side effects from using
Baycol
is far greater than originally estimated. Many people may be still
struggling with illnesses as yet undiagnosed as being caused by,
or associated with taking Baycol. Due to the lack of communication
between Bayer and the medical community, the general public was
not sufficiently warned of the possible connection between the
use
of Baycol and such serious side effects as Rhabdomyolysis, or even
death.
