Notice: Our firm is no longer accepting Darvon and Darvocet cases.
Despite decades of evidence about the dangers of Darvon and Darvocet, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not recall these painkillers until 2010.
If you took either one of these medications before the recall and experienced severe side effects, you could be entitled to compensation. O'Connor, Acciani & Levy's
defective drug attorneys are committed to holding manufacturers of dangerous drugs accountable and obtaining fair compensation for injured patients and families who lost loved ones. You can review your claim with our attorneys for free and we will not charge legal fees unless your case has a favorable result.
HISTORY AND SIDE EFFECTS OF DARVON AND DARVOCET
Darvon is the brand name of propoxyphene, a prescription painkiller approved by the FDA in 1957 for the treatment of post-surgical pain. Darvocet is essentially the same medication, except it also contains acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol.
By the 1970s, Darvon had become one of the most popular prescription drugs in the nation, with an average of 39 million prescriptions written each year.
Decades later, Darvocet became almost as popular, with more than 20 million prescriptions written in 2007. As recently as 2009, approximately 10 million Americans were prescribed a form of Darvocet.
However, Darvon and Darvocet have been linked to more than 2,000 accidental deaths since 1981. These medications have also been shown to cause severe side effects, including:
- Heart arrhythmia
- Heart attack
- Decrease in proper contractions of the heart
- Interruption of electrical impulses in the heart
Research shows the risk of these side effects is higher in patients who change medications or experience dehydration or changes in kidney function.
Consumer watchdog group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA for a Darvon and Darvocet recall as far back as 1978 citing evidence that the drugs increased suicidal tendencies and caused toxins to build up in the heart.
FDA PRESSURED INTO DARVON AND DARVOCET RECALL
Despite the fact that the United Kingdom issued a Darvon and Darvocet recall in 2005, the FDA did not do the same for five more years.
In 2006, Public Citizen renewed its petition for a recall, citing various dangers of these drugs. This led to an FDA advisory panel investigating the safety of both medications.
After waiting two years for a recall, Public Citizen sued the FDA in 2008, alleging the regulatory agency was breaking the law by not acting on the petition.
In February of 2009, an advisory committee to the FDA recommended a Darvon and Darvocet recall. The FDA website noted there were 3,000 instances of severe problems with the medications.
Unfortunately, the FDA rejected the recommendation in July 2009. Instead, the agency called for a boxed warning about the risk of overdose from Darvon and Darvocet.
The FDA also ordered a new safety study to research unanswered questions about how medications with propoxyphene affect the heart.
The study revealed these drugs caused significant changes to electrical activity in the heart, even when taken at recommended doses. These changes can be seen on an electrocardiogram and they increase the risk of heart arrhythmias, which have been linked to sudden death and other severe side effects.
The results of this study led to the FDA issuing a Darvon and Darvocet recall in November 2010. An FDA statement noted these drugs' risk to the heart are not outweighed by their effectiveness as painkillers.
If you lost a loved one or suffered severe side effects from Darvon or Darvocet, our Cincinnati lawyers could help you file a lawsuit against the manufacturer for marketing and distributing these harmful medications.
WHY YOU SHOULD CONSULT OUR CINCINNATI DARVON AND DARVOCET ATTORNEYS
Drug manufacturers have a legal obligation to produce safe drugs that do not cause death or dangerous side effects. If they continue to produce and market these drugs, they must warn doctors and consumers about the risks.
When manufacturers fail in their obligations, they could be held liable for the damages suffered by patients who took these drugs.
The Cincinnati Darvon and Darvocet lawyers at O'Connor, Acciani & Levy have the resources to thoroughly investigate these cases to uncover negligence. We are committed to building the strongest case possible to help ensure a favorable outcome.
