Elmiron is manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals in the Netherlands. It’s under the umbrella of Johnson & Johnson which is headquartered in New Jersey.
It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996, for the purpose of treating interstitial cystitis (IC), a painful bladder condition that is mostly suffered by women. In fact, Elmiron is the only medicine that is approved by the FDA for IC.
What comes to issue with Elmiron is strong evidence that vision problems and even blindness are possible side effects of the medication. As lawsuits have been filed across the country on the alleged side effects of Elmiron, they’ve been consolidated into federal multidistrict litigation in New Jersey.
The pivotal question in all of the consolidated lawsuits is at what point in time did Jannsen learn of the possible risks involved in taking Elmiron?
The Studies and Their Effect
In 2018, one study found some Elmiron patients to have damage in the macular area of their eyes. Another study performed elsewhere raised conclusive evidence that about one-quarter of the patients who used Elmiron displayed clinically significant eye damage in the form of maculopathy as a result of prolonged use of the drug. These studies triggered a ripple effect across the United States that continues to grow.
If you were prescribed Elmiron, purchased the drug and took it, and you were later diagnosed with a retinal or macular disorder, you can find out more info on the Elmiron class action suit by contacting our offices and speaking with an Elmiron product liability lawyer from our law firm.
Class Action vs. Multidistrict Litigation
Right now, every Elmiron lawsuit that has been filed in any federal court in the United States has been consolidated with other such cases and placed in multidistrict litigation. There’s a difference between a class action and multidistrict litigation though. In a class action, there’s one trial for all of the people who joined the class. In multidistrict litigation, there is also a class of people who suffered injuries or damages from one or more defendants, but each such class member is entitled to both their own attorney and a trial.
Bellwether Trials
With the input of the attorneys for the parties, judges in multidistrict litigation cases will select certain cases to proceed to trial as bellwether cases. The rationale behind bellwether cases is that they help in determining the settlement value of the pending cases that are yet to go to trial.
In a class action, there is only one trial for all similarly situated plaintiffs. There are no separate trials of their individual claims.
When did Janssen Learn of Elmiron’s Possible Risks?
So when did Janssen Pharmaceuticals learn about the purported connection between Elmiron and vision degradation, and did it conceal that information? That information will be disclosed with the trials of the bellwether cases.
As Elmiron lawsuits continue to be filed, any answer to that question will be pivotal in determining the settlement values of other cases.
Filing a lawsuit against any pharmaceutical company is a Herculean endeavor. Much more will be learned after the series of bellwether trials.
Time limits have been put in place though for the filing of Elmiron lawsuits, so you need to consult with an Elmiron lawyer from our law firm as soon as you can. We offer free consultations and case evaluations in that regard.
Contact us at your earliest opportunity in that regard. If you believe that maculopathy or vision loss that you suffer from was caused by taking Elmiron, victims of Elmiron deserve to be compensated for their damages.
