Over one thousand plaintiffs are now involved in a lawsuit against Wyeth, Schwarz Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and PLIVA Inc., manufacturers of both brand-name and generic forms of Reglan. The drug, prescribed for gastrointestinal complaints in patients with diabetes, undergoing chemotherapy, or with other conditions that can inhibit digestion. Reglan is also used to treat gastroparesis and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Many Reglan patients developed tardive dyskinesia after using the medication, a neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle movements or spasms in the face and limbs. This condition has no known cure and symptoms are permanent in most patients, even if the drug is no longer being taken.
Reglan, which is only approved for use in increments between 4 and 12 weeks, has been prescribed and dispensed in much longer increments, and Walgreens is named in the most recent legal complaint because the drugstore chain often dispensed Reglan to patients for periods longer than the approved 12 weeks.
The recent lawsuit, filed in Illinois, adds several plaintiffs to the growing pool of Reglan lawsuits, which seeks damages for plaintiffs that can hopefully cover medical bills, wages lost, and other costs associated with serious and long-term side effects. This case is being overseen by Judge Andrew Gleeson. On the 27th of June, a conference will be held to determine whether or not this suit will be consolidated with more than 940 Reglan lawsuits that are being decided in a New jersey state court, which could speed the legal process.
In March, a Reglan lawsuit reached the Supreme Court – testing liability came into question in terms of generic versus brand-name drugs, and conflicting state and federal laws drove the case up to the highest court in the country. The decision made in this case could have a heavy impact on the pharmaceutical industry in years to come. The ruling is expected in June.
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