Expect Allergan, the maker of Botox Cosmetic, to fight the lawsuit filed by users who claim they were injured or by survivors of Botox victims.
The suit claims that Allergan failed to warn of the dangers of the drug, used to relax wrinkles both for aging skin and for some medical uses it’s not recommended for as well.
While Botox has been used successfully by millions around the world, there have been exceptions.
In Orange County Superior Court, the suit links Botox to three deaths; last March a 69-year old Texas nurse who received injections for pain in her neck and shoulder and died; a 7-year-old with cerebral palsy who died in 2004; and a third death that occurred just last week in Arizona of a 71-year old who was unable to swallow, speak, breathe or eat before she died.
Botox has been used for relaxing muscles since the 1970s and it’s often injected into patients who have debilitating neurological conditions.
The cases involved Botox uses that were not approved. Approved uses by the FDA include smoothing out wrinkles or treating migraines.
The FDA is reviewing reports of one death and other serious reactions to Botox, and its competitor, Myobloc. The most serious reactions are in children who have nerve disorders and are treated to relax arm and leg spasms.
Public Citizen has reviewed patient records and reports that 16 deaths are linked to the use of Botox or Myobloc and that 87 have been hospitalized with life-threatening conditions.
The suit also charges that a dozen other plaintiffs were left disabled with blurred vision and allergic reactions to Botox that was given for approved uses.
Allergan says 15 million treatments have been performed around the world.
Botox comes from botulinum toxin Type A, know to interrupt the communication between nerves and muscles.
Allergan says Botox Cosmetic is purified and highly diluted and safe. Sales reportedly topped $1.2 billion last year.
Farah and Farah has a team approach to defective drug cases. Let our experienced attorneys and case managers, many with medical backgrounds, review your information to see if you have a case.
