A widely prescribed medicine for high blood pressure and heart dysfunction is on the spotlight as many victims file Lisinopril lawsuits. Generally, it is considered a safer drug by the physicians and is prescribed to patients all over the world.
However, the story of victims unveils the darker side of the medication with adverse and life-altering side effects of Lisinopril.
Have you or your loved one encountered the pernicious side effects Lisinopril? A ransacking medical record review can bring to light the evidence to win your claim.
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Drug and device manufacturing companies are responsible to ensure that the drugs and devices they produce are safer to use by doing rigorous clinical trials and post-market surveillance programs. It is their liability to promptly investigate the adverse reports of side effects or deaths when reported.
But the manufacturers of Lisinopril failed to ensure safety and thereby became the root cause of the victims’ fatal destinies.
This blog tries to unravel the Lisinopril adverse effects, the tales of victims, Lisinopril lawsuits and the liability of the defendants.
What is Lisinopril?
Lisinopril is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure. It belongs to the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) group of inhibitors. Lisinopril is prescribed mainly to relax the blood vessels and thereby reduce the blood pressure. It is also used widely by the physicians to treat congestive heart failure.
The ACE enzyme induces the production of the hormone angiotensin II, which constricts the blood vessels and increase the blood pressure. Lisinopril inhibits the ACE hormone and thereby relaxes the blood vessel and make the pumping of the blood easier for the heart.
Lisinopril was considered safe to use in the beginning and so was widely prescribed by the physicians.
Backdrop of Lisinopril
Captopril was the first angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, which was obtained from the venom of a Brazilian pit viper, the jararaca. Captopril was not effective with normal doses whereas higher doses though effective led to persisting rashes and loss of taste.
Lisinopril was patented in 1978. In 1987, Merck produced Enalapril, a better version of the Captopril. Lisinopril got the approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for hypertension in 1987 and for congestive heart failure in 1993.
Later the medicine was marketed under the brand names Prinivil and Zestril by Merck in collaboration with AstraZeneca.
Lisinopril was first approved by the FDA
- For the treatment of hypertension in adults and children aged six and up.
- As an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of heart failure.
- As a therapy for st-segment elevation myocardial infarction (stemi) in hemodynamically stable patients within 24 hours to increase survival.
How it Works?
After Merck’s patent ended in 2002, many pharma companies started manufacturing it and even many generic versions of it were made available in the U.S.
This is mainly manufactured, distributed, or labeled by Solco healthcare U.S., LLC, a subsidiary of Prinston Pharmaceutical Inc., in the U.S. under the brand name, Lisinopril.
Some of the other manufacturers that make Lisinopril are noted below.
Lisinopril Black Box Warnings
Lisinopril has a black box warning as instructed by the FDA to notify its adverse side effects. Lisinopril labels warn the women not to take Lisninopril during pregnancy as the drug could cause serious fetal damage or mortality.
It also lists out warnings like swelling, hypotension and other life threatening complications. In case of overdose or accidental consumption by the children, consumers are requested to contact the nearby poison control.
The ACE inhibitors side effects were identified in early 1990s when a patient admitted to the ER with breathing trouble could not be saved as the nursing staff was unaware that he was taking Lisinopril.
His breathing issue was from angioedema in the neck and throat, which couldn’t be diagnosed as the emergency room staff was not informed of the ACE inhibitor intake.
Lisinopril Side Effects
Common side effects:
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Rashes
- Metallic taste
- Elevation in blood urea nitrogen level
- Increases the risk of lung cancer
- Increased potassium levels
Serious side effects
- Allergic reactions
- Kidney damage
- Hepatocellular liver injury (liver cell death)
- Angioedema (swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat)
- Fetal or neonatal morbidity and mortality if used while pregnant
- Skeletal deformities
- Hypoplasia
- Anuria
- Hypotension
- Death
Many Lisinopril deaths were reported due to severe Angioedema. Because, in the case of swelling in the throat, the breathing becomes difficult. Even if the victim seeks medical help, the possibility for intubation becomes less due to the severe laryngeal edema.
In some cases, emergency surgeries like tracheotomy should be performed to save the patients. People who have diabetes and are taking aliskiren or who have a history of angioedema should not take lisinopril. Lisinopril Angioedema lawsuits and Lisinopril diabetes lawsuits have been filed by patients who were the victims of Lisinopril.
Evidence to Substantiate Lisinopril Dangers
Apart from the kidney failure, liver injury and fetal mortality, a shocking revelation surfaced in a new study.
ACEIs were discovered to have a 14% greater risk of lung cancer than ARBs. After five years of use, the risks became obvious and rose with continuous use, rising by 31% after ten years, says the British Medical Journal.
According to this new study in the British Medical Journal, ACE inhibitors are more likely to cause lung cancer than its counterpart ARB inhibitors (angiotensin II receptor blockers). To find out if ACE inhibitors could cause malignant growths in the lungs, the study examined around 1,000,000 patients over 21 years.
According to the study, ACE inhibitors may raise the risk of developing lung cancer by increasing the levels of substance P and bradykinin in the lungs.
These compounds have been discovered on lung cancer tissue and may aggressively intensify the development of lung cancer.
The primary care records of patients who took ACEIs and ARBs in the UK between 1995 and 2015 were analyzed by a group of researchers at McGill University in Canada, under the direction of Dr. Azoulay.
A study report by The New England Journal of Medicine, showed that infants exposed to ACE inhibitor during the first trimester were prone to develop birth abnormalities pertaining to heart and central nervous system.
It is proved earlier that the ACE inhibitors like Lisnopril are known to cause birth defects if the mother takes the drug during the second and third trimesters.
The black box warning also insinuates to discontinue Lisinopril once pregnancy is confirmed.
In a syndicate newspaper, a writer discussed about her brother’s tragic death due to the side effect of Lisinopril. Her brother who was taking the medication for a long time suddenly suffered an allergic reaction that resulted in a swelling of his tongue and neck.
His airways were said to have totally closed, making it difficult for emergency department staff at a nearby hospital to implant a breathing tube in an effort to supply life-sustaining oxygen.
Tragically, the man suffered a heart attack, then revived, but it was later discovered that he had severe brain damage, and he died after 20 days. Also, it was stated that after looking at the victim’s prescriptions, medical professionals at the hospital discovered that Lisinopril was the culprit.
In another case, a man who was taking the drug for decades was diagnosed with hepatocellular liver injury and his lab tests revealed abnormal results. He was shocked when his doctor informed that those were the cause of Lisinopril. However, it’s normal as their main concern was to save his heart.
Even if it was to save him from heart disease, he would not need to suffer such fatal side effects. The victim wanted to sue the Lisinopril manufacturers for not revealing the life-threatening side effects earlier.
According to PubMed, chronic liver damage and hepatitis can be caused by Lisinopril. Patients with no prior history of liver damage suffered fatal liver damage after the use of Lisinopril for a few weeks.
Lisinopril Lawsuits
People who believe the drug Lisinopril hurt their kidneys can sue. These Lisinopril kidney failure lawsuit can help them get money for the harm they suffered. Experts say that many Lisinopril lawsuits were filed by the victims, though not as many to be consolidated into an MDL.
Is there any settlement for the blood pressure Lisinopril lawsuit? There are no big news stories or court records about Lisinopril lawsuit settlements. No important legal agreements related to lisinopril have been talked about or noted down.
However, the fact that the outcome of these lawsuits haven’t been revealed gives a suspicion that those Lisinopril lawsuits might have come to a secret settlement.
Is there a class action lawsuit against lisinopril? There are no known MDL or class action lawsuit for Lisinopril.
Some lawyers are still accepting Lisinopril lawsuits. If you are injured by the intake of Lisinopril, contact experienced lisinopril lawsuit lawyers to know the prospects of your claim.
Medical records play a vital role to prove that you have been prescribed Lisinopril for a period and all your symptoms ensue from that. A thorough medical record review can bring to light valid evidence to fortify your lawsuit from serious side effects of taking lisinopril.
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Lisinopril Lawsuit Allegations & Defenses
The Lisinopril lawsuits are filed based on the given allegations.
- Failure to warn: The manufacturers failed to warn the patients of the risks and side effects of the drug. Had they known the risks, they would have chosen safer alternatives.
- Design defect: The design of Lisinopril itself is defective, which made it dangerous for the patients. The makers could have ensured to manufacture a safer drug with lesser side effects.
- Negligence: Manufacturers were negligent in the various processes like design, manufacture, testing, and marketing. Their negligence made many patients encounter adverse outcomes.
- Misrepresentation and fraud: The manufacturers marketed the drug as safe and effective and misled the patients to use the drug by masking the risks.
The manufacturers came up with defenses arguing that the allegations made in the Lisinopril death lawsuits are baseless. Their arguments are:
- Preemption: They argued that the FDA approval itself proved that the drug’s labeling safety warnings were done following the safety standards of the federal government. Therefore the state law’s failure to warn allegations were preempted by the federal law.
- Assumption of risk: They claimed that the potential side effects of the drug are listed out in the label and product leaflets and the patients used the drug knowing the adverse side effects.
- Causation: They asserted that the injuries of the plaintiffs could have been caused by their pre-existing conditions or other medications they had used might have interacted to cause those side effects.
- Adequate warning: They contended that the Lisinopril’s warnings were sufficient enough to alert the patients and doctors based on the FDA guidelines. The healthcare professionals should have been responsible to discuss the risks of the medicine with the patients before prescribing them.
Pernicious side effects like angioedema comes along with the drug label itself. Therefore, contacting Lisinopril lawsuit attorneys to discuss about the peculiarities of your case may clarify your chances of pursuing a lawsuit against the manufacturers.
If the judiciary and the FDA can hold the pharmaceutical companies accountable for causing injuries to the people and restrict them, the dangerous drugs like Lisinopril will not be produced.
Let’s hope the Lisinopril lawsuits will be a wake-up call to the patients who are using Lisinopril to date about its detrimental side effects.
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