Painkiller Darvocet Withdrawn Pursuant to FDA Request
The manufacturer of the prescription painkiller Darvon and Darvocet, and its generic equivalent propoxyphene, announced that it would no longer be marketing the pill after the FDA requested the withdrawal and urged doctors to stop prescribing the drug immediately. The FDA's action is based on the results of a new study that links the drug's active ingredient to serious and sometimes fatal heart rhythm abnormalities that may result in sudden deaths.
The FDA's request follows many years of controversy about the potentially dangerous side effects associated with the drug. Britain banned the drug in 2005, but it has still been widely prescribed in the U.S. resulting in over a thousand deaths since that time. If you were previously prescribed Darvon or Darvocet for pain and have suffered heart rhythm abnormalities, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, represents those seriously injured by dangerous drugs throughout Georgia.
Propoxyphene is one of the oldest and most widely prescribed painkillers in the United States. The FDA approved Darvon in 1957 and Darvocet (also containing acetaminophen) gained approval in 1972. The drug is an opioid used to treat mild to moderate pain and is manufactured by Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Newport, KY. The FDA estimates that Darvon or its generic equivalent was used by as many as 10 million people in 2009. The first deaths associated with the drug occurred in 1978. There also was a significant effort by consumer groups to have the drug banned in 2006. Despite almost three decades of controversy regarding the serious health risks associated with the use of Darvon and Darvocet, doctors continued to widely prescribe the drug to patients because the drug had been around so long and doctors were familiar with the drug.
Although the FDA mandated in 2009 that Propoxyphene manufacturers revise product labeling to better warn patients of the risk of overdose and accidental death, the public was not advised of potential heart complications. If you are or were taking Darvon, Darvocet, or a generic form of Propoxyphene and suffered heart-related side effects such as arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation, you can obtain the best legal advice by contacting an experienced Georgia Darvocet attorney. Despite a wealth of information concerning the potential health risks, the manufacturer continued to make the drug available and failed to warn of the serious heart related side effects. This failure by the manufacturer may mean that the drug company is liable for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, disability and other damages.
If you have suffered serious heart related side effects after taking Darvon, Darvocet or a generic form of Propoxyphene, you should contact Montlick and Associates for a free case evaluation. Our Georgia Darvocet lawsuit attorneys are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. Call us today for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or visit us on the web at www.montlick.com. No matter where you are in Georgia, we are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you.