AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical Web Site Warns Patient About Possible Bacterial Infections

Diabetes Drug Infection Lawsuit News

The maker of XIGDUO (dapagliflozin/metformin) fails to mention Fournier's Gangrene by name despite a lawsuit accusing the drug of causing the disease

Friday, June 5, 2020 - Drugs that are used to treat diabetic patients that are unwilling to inject themselves daily with insulin are coming under pressure from attorneys filing lawsuits for reasons ranging from the drug causing stomach, bladder and a host of other types of cancer, all the way to causing Fournier's Gangrene, a rare yet hideous form of necrotizing fasciitis, a.k.a. the flesh-eating disease of the male genitals. SGLT2- blocker medications like XIGDUO (dapagliflozin/metformin HCI extended-release tables) are being accused of causing Fournier's Gangrene in a lawsuit filed the other day in Superior Court in Delaware USA. The suit on behalf of the plaintiff, Tommy Jones, Jr accuses the drug's maker, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, of failing to warn him of the risks of developing Fournier's Gangrene as they should have and as other SGLT2 makers have done. The lawsuit states that the warnings that were given on the company's website were grossly inadequate and amounted to no warning at all. The complaint states: "the Defendant knew or should have known of the significant risk of serious genital infections, including Fournier’s gangrene, caused by Xigduo, but did not adequately and sufficiently warn consumers (including Plaintiff) or the medical community of the severity of such risks. " Fournier Gangrene diabetes drug infection attorneys are helping individuals affected from necrotizing fasciitis infection and offer a free no obligation consultation.

In defense of AstraZeneca, the drug's website goes into great detail to warn users that they may develop lactic acidosis, a severe build-up of acid in the blood that leads to kidney failure and warns people with kidney problems to avoid taking this medication. The warning goes on to state that users may develop dehydration, ketoacidosis, kidney problems, serious urinary tract infections, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). The site eventually warns that patients may develop bacterial and yeast infections, and describes what appears to allude to Fournier's Gangrene as "Bacterial infections under the skin of the genitals and areas around them. Rare but serious infections that cause severe tissue damage under the skin of the genitals and areas around them have happened with dapagliflozin, one of the medications in XIGDUO XR. This infection has happened in women and men and may lead to hospitalization, surgeries, and death. Seek medical attention immediately if you have a fever or you are feeling very weak, tired, or uncomfortable and you also develop any pain or tenderness, swelling, or redness of the skin in the genitals and areas around them." The website also warns: "Talk to your healthcare provider if you experience redness, itching, or swelling of the penis; rash of the penis; foul-smelling discharge from the penis; or pain in the skin around penis. Certain uncircumcised men may have swelling of the penis that makes it difficult to pull back the skin around the tip of the penis."

Mr. Jones' lawsuit contends that the defendant down-played the seriousness and life-threatening nature of developing Fournier's Gangrene and that had the defendant known of the risks he may have chosen an alternative form of managing his diabetes.

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Lawyers for Fournier's Gangrene

OnderLaw, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.