Olumiant And Rinvoq Lawsuits

Olumiant and Rinvoq are two prescription drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. These medications are prescribed to patients who did not see positive improvement with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers, which are also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. These two prescription drugs are not the exact same, but they are similar forms of Janus kinase inhibitors.

Haggerty Silverman & Justice is no longer accepting Rinvoq and/or Olumiant cases

Janus Kinase Inhibitors

Janus kinase inhibitors are a class of medications often used to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis. Along with Olumiant and Rinvoq, Xeljanz is also a popular Janus kinase inhibitor.

How Do Janus Kinase Inhibitors Work?

This type of medication works by inhibiting the activity of one or more enzymes in the Jinase kinase family. Janus kinase inhibitors are also known as JAK inhibitors or jakinibs. In blocking certain JAK enzymes, the medications stop what is believed to be the cause of certain types of inflammation.

Rinvoq

Rinvoq is also known as upadacitinib or ABT-494. It is typically prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis and atopic dermatitis. Rinvoq is also used to treat eczema, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and ulcerative colitis.

Olumiant

Olumiant is also known as baricitinib. It is typically only prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Side Effects Of Olumiant And Rinvoq

When starting a new prescription drug, there is no guarantee that you will not face side effects. However, many doctors will prescribe medication under the thought process that the benefits outweigh the potential side effects. Olumiant and Rinvoq both list the following as common side effects when taking these medications:

• fever and chills
• fatigue
• muscle pain
• increased and potentially painful urination
• stomach pain
• diarrhea
• coughing and shortness of breath

The listed side effects don’t sound so bad when you consider the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. People with rheumatoid arthritis may depend on these medications to manage their condition. But, the FDA found increased risks of more serious side effects not originally listed on the warning label.

Potential Dangers Of JAK inhibitors

When Olumiant, Rinvoq, and Xeljanz were approved by the FDA, the potential dangers of these JAK inhibitors were not fully known. When the FDA completed a safety clinical trial on Xeljanz, they concluded that the medication increased the risk of serious heart-related complications. This includes cancer, blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes.

While the FDA issued a warning regarding Xeljanz, the medication was never taken off the market and is still available by prescription. The FDA required additional information be added to the warning label for Xeljanz.

Risk Similar To Xeljanz

Since learning about the potential increased risk of serious heart-related complications when taking Xeljanz, no further studies were conducted on Olumiant and Rinvoq as they are drugs in the same class as Xeljanz. While no official research has been done regarding the potential dangers of these drugs, the FDA considers them to have similar risks that were found in the Xeljanz safety trial. Without a separate study, how do we know if the risks are the same or similar?

What Is The FDA Doing To Help?

The FDA is requiring additional warnings on these prescription medications. Although warnings can help educate the public on the potential risks of these medications, the FDA is not even sure of what the risks are. More research must be done to know what the risks truly are and whether the warnings are accurate. A vague warning on the bottle doesn’t provide patients with the information they need to make an informed decision about the risk.

Patient Risk

When a patient knows about the potential risks of using a medication, they can make an informed decision. Side effects not listed on the warning label are sometimes hidden on purpose. Herein lies the problem. Patients deserve to have adequate warning of potential side effects so they can make an informed decision about their health.

What Should Patients Do?

If you or a loved one is prescribed one of these medications, this is not information you should ignore. Although further research needs to be done before we fully understand the risks of these medications, you can still be proactive. Health issues related to taking Xeljanz, Olumiant, and Rinvoq:

• blood clots
• stroke
• deep vein thrombosis
• pulmonary embolism
• skin cancer
• lung cancer
• lymphoma (non-Hodgkin’s)
• breast cancer
• gastric cancer
• prostate cancer
• colon cancer
• pancreatic cancer

Olumiant And Rinvoq Lawsuits

Olumiant lawsuits and Rinvoq lawsuits are based on defective design and failure to warn. The manufacturers knew or should have known its product increased the risks of certain health problems.

Defective Design

These medications are defectively designed because they are unreasonably dangerous when used as directed. Using Olumiant or Rinvoq greatly increases the patient’s risk for serious health problems.

Failure To Warn

Despite manufacturing the medications for extended periods of time, the companies did not warn patients of the increased health risks. The company was aware or should have been aware of these risks.

File A Lawsuit Against Olumiant Or Rinvoq

Contact a lawyer at Haggerty Silverman & Justice today to discuss your claim in a free consultation. At Haggerty Silverman & Justice, our attorneys work on a contingency basis. This means you don’t pay us any fees unless and until we recover money for you. We charge a percentage of the money we win in your case. No win, no fee.

If you or a loved one experienced a serious health event related to taking one of these prescription medications, we can help.

Contact us now to schedule a free legal consultation with one of our attorneys.