Reglan Lawsuit in Louisiana Turns Into Supreme Court Issue

A lawsuit against the gastrointestinal drug Reglan is currently being heard by the United States’ Supreme Court after many patients have complained of severe, disabling, and permanent side effects of the medication. Gladys Mensing was the first plaintiff associated with the case, and her name is widely mentioned. Julie deMahy is talked about less often in association with the case, but her lawsuit too has been consolidated with the Pliva Inc. v. Mensing Supreme Court case. Both plaintiffs developed tardive dyskinesia after extended use of Reglan, generic name metoclopramide.

The drug’s label until recently only warned of a very rare chance that the medication might cause tardive dyskinesia in patients, but evidence has more recently proven that there is a considerable risk with Reglan of the condition, which is permanent and causes involuntary muscle contractions of the face and other body parts. Tardive dyskinesia is often grotesque-looking, embarrassing, and there is no known cure for it.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Reglan for use in 4-12 week intervals, but studies have shown that about 20 percent of patients use the drug for longer periods of time; the longer Reglan is used the more likely it is that a patient will develop tardive dyskinesia or another movement-related disorder. Luckily, when a patient stops taking Reglan the progress of his or her disease will likely stop; unfortunately, the symptoms that have already developed will likely remain with the patient for the rest of his or her life.

Pliva Inc, the defendant in the Supreme Court lawsuit, is a generic manufacturer of metoclopramide. Generic producers of the drug, which also include Actavis Inc, did not update their warning labels in accordance with the findings. Federal law prevented them from doing so – which provides the defense with a solid argument, the reason the case has made it all the way to the Supreme Court.
However, state law requires that all risks are accurately represented on a medication’s warning label. This conflict is exactly what the Supreme Court will be debating about in the weeks to come. For those who have suffered from Reglan side effects, it is highly recommended that they equip themselves with a Reglan lawyer to go over your options.