Remicade Lawsuit Filed Over Nerve Paralysis, Breathing Problems

An Indiana couple has filed a product liability lawsuit in Pennsylvania state court, claiming that Remicade side effects caused nerve paralysis and that the manufacturers failed to adequately warn about the risks associated with the rheumatoid arthritis drug.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Linda Snyder and Charles Snyder in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas on November 15, naming the Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries Centocor, Inc. and Janssen Biotech, Inc. as defendants.

According to allegations raised in the Remicade lawsuit, Linda Snyder took the drug for almost five months in the second half of 2011 to treat her rheumatoid athritis. She indicates that in November 2011, she began suffering shortness of breath and phrenic nerve paralysis, which involves the nerve that originates in the neck and passes down between the lung and heart to reach the diaphragm. It serves an important function in breathing, passing information to and from the diaphragm, and the complaint indicates that she continues to suffer from the injury.

Remicade (infliximab) is an autoimmune disorder drug known as a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) blocker, which is approved by the FDA for treatment of psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis. It is a blockbuster medication, with estimated worldwide sales for the drug last year topping $7.5 billion.

Snyder claims that Centocor and Janssen concealed information about the risk of serious health problems from Remicade failing to adequately warn doctors or the medication community, and failing to instruct how to mitigate risks of infections, including asymptomatic infections that may be caused by Remicade.

Side effects of Remicade and other TNF blockers, such as Humira and Enbrel, have been associated with a number of potentially serious health risks, including fungal infections, childhood cancers and other injuries.