Lemtrada Patients Dying At An Alarming Rate

A European study links Lemtrada to many more deaths and sooner than expected after taking the first infusion

Monday, February 10, 2020 - A study recently published in the European journal BMC Research Notes titled "Adverse events with fatal outcome associated with alemtuzumab treatment in multiple sclerosis," revealed that not only is Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) suspected of causing spontaneous strokes and heart attacks in patients taking the drug, but also more often than originally estimated. Lemtrada patients have reported having good results from taking the drug, however, some patients have suffered severe and often fatal adverse reactions. These reactions include bacterial infections, listeriosis, and bleeding in the lungs.

According to an article published on Multiple Sclerosis News Today, a group of scientists alarmed by the reports by patients taking Lemtrada of severe adverse reactions queried the European Adverse Medical Events database to see what other adverse events may have been reported and linked to Lemtrada. The paper reports: "Ten fatal adverse reactions, nine among females, were identified as being most probably related to Lemtrada. Six of these cases had not been previously reported. All 10 patients were adults and died after receiving at least one treatment cycle. They ranged in age from 34 to 47 (data missing in one patient). Nine cases were deemed probably caused by Lemtrada, with six of these patients dying within one month after receiving just one treatment infusion. Five patients died from infection or multiple organ failure and septic shock. One patient (a woman) died from intracerebral hemorrhage after developing hypertension (high blood pressure). As it occurred soon upon a treatment, and as Lemtrada has been linked with early strokes, this fatal case was also considered probably associated with the therapy." Lemtrada attorneys helping Americans nationwide, offer a free no obligation consultation before filing a lawsuit claim.

Lemtrada causing more deaths than expected is not new but is the next step in a series of negative events surrounding the drug's safety. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier forced Sanofi, Lemtrada's maker, to update the drug's warning label to reflect the side effect of causing tears in the lining of the arteries leading to their heart and brain shortly after taking the drug potentially leading to a heart attack or stroke. On April 12, 2019, the European Medicines Agency opened an investigation of Lemtrada over reports of "immune-mediated conditions and problems with the heart and blood vessels (leading to strokes) of those taking the medicine, including deaths," and recommended that the drug be taken only in extreme and highly active cases of RRMS.

RRMS physicians are warned to watch their Lemtrada patient for negative effects of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and liver. Doctors should monitor their patients before, during, and for three months after taking Lemtrada for "chest pain, difficulty breathing, bleeding lungs resulting in coughing up blood, signs of a stroke such as a drooping of the face, sudden severe headache, weakness on one side, difficulty with speech or neck pain,"yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, and bleeding or bruising more easily than normal indicating a liver problem."

More Recent Lemtrada Stroke Lawsuit News:

No-Cost, No-Obligation Lemtrada Lawsuit Case Review If You or a Loved One Suffered from Lemtrada Stroke Complications

OnderLaw, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.