Anne Bucher  |  August 27, 2020

Category: Drugs

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woman having trouble seeing regarding the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit

The prescription medication Elmiron, which is used to treat interstitial cystitis and bladder pain, poses significant vision damage risks to patients that were not disclosed to medical professionals and the public in general, a class action lawsuit Canada alleges.

“At all material times, the Defendants knew or ought to have known that Elmiron causes vision impairment and injury, including retinal toxicity and pigmentary maculopathy, with signs and symptoms, including but not limited [to] blurred vision, difficulty reading, vision spots and/or floaters, poor adjustment to changes in light, line distortion, and poor colour perception,” the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit states.

Plaintiffs Lorean Patricia Pritchard and Bruce Edward Pritchard (Ted), a married couple who reside in London, Ontario, filed the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit on behalf of themselves and a proposed Class of all Canadian residents who were prescribed and/or ingested Elmiron.

Lorean says she began taking Elmiron to treat interstitial cystitis in February 2002, and continued to take the medication through July 2015. She subsequently began to notice vision problems including difficulty reading, difficulty adapting to lighting changes, and observing floaters or spots in her vision.

In May 2020, Lorean says she was diagnosed with severe vision loss. As a result, she will require ongoing ophthalmological treatment, as she experiences vision impairments that affect her activities of daily living. She says she was not given any warning about the risk of impaired vision from taking Elmiron, and that if she had known of this risk, she would not have agreed to have the prescription.

Lorean and Ted claim that the defendants failed to disclose the serious link between the use of Elmiron and vision damage, including pigmentary maculopathy. They allege that tens of thousands of patients have been harmed due to the misrepresentation of Elmiron as safe and effective.

The defendants named in the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit include Janssen Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Janssen-Ortho Inc., Johnson & Johnson Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D Inc., Teva Canada, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., and Ivax Research Inc. (aka Ivax Research LLC and/or Baker Norton Pharmaceuticals Inc.).

According to the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit, the defendants were “negligent in the design, development, testing, research, manufacture, licensing, labelling, warning, marketing, and sale of Elmiron.”

The defendants “misrepresented that their Elmiron products are safe and effective” even though the medication can cause significant risks to patients, according to the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit.Vision test regarding the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit

Elmiron is a drug used to treat interstitial cystitis, a medical condition that affects the bladder. Interstitial cystitis can cause bladder pressure, bladder pain and pelvic pain. Symptoms of this condition can range from mild to severe.

There is reportedly no known cure for interstitial cystitis. However, there are several treatment options, including physical therapy, surgery, bladder distention, nerve stimulation, Elmiron and other medications.

Elmiron was reportedly approved on Dec. 31, 1993 by Health Canada to treat interstitial cystitis and painful bladder symptoms. According to the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit, Elmiron does not have an immediate effect on a patient’s symptoms. Patients who are prescribed Elmiron are typically advised to take the medication for at least six months to determine if it is helping.

Patients who take Elmiron tend to use the medication for years, and may continue to take the medication for decades.

“The administration of drugs that are physiologically foreign to the body can lead to adverse side effects or toxicity with significant consequences,” the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit says. “The retina is especially susceptible to the effects of systemic drugs.”

“The retina has an extensive blood supply and vascular network. The retina has minimal ability to regenerate and is therefore at high risk of drug toxicity,” the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit continues. “Thus, it is critical that eye care professionals are aware and monitor for adverse drug effects, especially those effecting the retina.”

The plaintiffs allege that the defendants knew or should have known about the risks associated with taking Elmiron yet failed to disclose the risks to medical professionals or to the public. They point to several studies that have been published since 2018 that suggest long-term use of Elmiron may lead patients to experience significant vision loss.

According to the Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit, the product packaging for Elmiron did not contain any warnings about the risks of retinal toxicity, pigmentary maculopathy or any other vision-related effects prior to Sept. 23, 2019.

This Elmiron vision damage class action lawsuit Canada is not the first to allege serious vision impairment associated with the drug. One Elmiron class action lawsuit was filed in British Columbia and a second was recently filed in Quebec.

Do you take Elmiron? What do you think about the Elmiron vision damage allegations? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Charles Wright and Jill S. McCartney of Siskinds LLP.

The Elmiron Vision Damage Class Action Lawsuit is Lorean Patricia Pritchard, et al. v. Janssen Inc., et al., Case No. CV-20-00001036-00CP, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Canada. 

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5 thoughts onElmiron Hit With Another Class Action Lawsuit Over Vision Damage Risks

  1. Marjorie (Seary) Nelson says:

    My wife was prescribed elmiron for bladder problems for 8 years, now has to have injections in both eyes every 5 weeks. All her symptoms are the same as described above. The cost of these injections are $1500. each

  2. Robert Alexander says:

    Please add me

  3. Carina says:

    I have been taking Elmiron for almost 2 years. I had taken it for a couple years 10 years prior as well. I have eye problems that started about a year ago. How do I join please?

  4. Brigitte Bourbonniere says:

    I’ve been taking Elmiron for 20 years. I have extreme dry eyes and vision loss.

    How do I join the Class Action?

  5. Jody A Ezell says:

    Please add me

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