Crestor Diabetes Lawsuit Filed On Behalf of Twelve People

A group of twelve different individuals from across the country have filed a joint lawsuit against the AstraZeneca and a drug distributor, alleging that they developed diabetes from side effects of Crestor.  

The complaint (PDF) was filed in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles on March 4, but was removed to the federal court system late last week.

According to allegations raised in the Crestor lawsuit, AstraZeneca knew about the potential risk of diabetes associated with their popular cholesterol drug, yet failed to adequately warn consumers of the medical community. The drug, which lowers cholesterol in order to reduce cardiovascular risks, can actually increase the risks of cardiovascular problems because of the diabetes, and can do more harm than good, the plaintiffs claim.

The plaintiffs join a growing number of other people pursuing similar diabetes lawsuits over Crestor, following a number of studies and an FDA decision in February 2012 to require new warnings for Crestor and other statin medications about the potential impact on blood glucose levels.

“Defendants endeavored to deceive Plaintiffs, and the general public, by not disclosing the findings of the various studies, including its own that revealed problems concerning the dangers of Crestor,” the plaintiffs claims. “Further, Defendants did not provide warnings and instructions that would have put Plaintiffs and Plaintiffs’ physicians, and the general public, on notice of the dangers and adverse effects caused by Crestor.”

The lawsuit presents claims against AstraZeneca for strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty, fraud, loss of consortium, and fraudulent concealment.

Statin Diabetes Concerns

Crestor is part of a class of medications known as statins, which are among the best-selling drugs in the United States. The medications use the liver to block the body’s creation of cholesterol, which is a key contributor to coronary artery disease. However, a number of studies have linked the drugs to an increased risk of potentially serious injuries, including muscle damage, kidney problems, and diabetes.

In February 2012, the FDA required the makers of Crestor and other statins to add new warnings about the potential impact of the medication on blood glucose levels. However, many critics have suggested that the warnings are not strong enough for certain medications, indicating that users and the medical community should be provided with more accurate information about the diabetes risks with Lipitor, Crestor and other statins.

In addition to the claims against Crestor, which have mostly been limited to California state court, Pfizer currently faces hundreds of Lipitor diabetes lawsuits filed by women who raise similar allegations that inadequate warnings were provided by the drug maker. Plaintiffs in the Lipitor litigation generally claim that they took the medication as a preventative measure to reduce their risk of heart failure, yet now they are left with a number of health risks associated with diabetes, including an increased risk of heart disease.

Plaintiffs claim that Pfizer and AstraZeneca both knew or should have known about risk diabetes from Lipitor and Crestor for years, but withheld information to avoid a negative impact on sales and growth of the blockbuster medication.