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Parker & Waichman, LLP Files Suit Against Pfizer Inc. On Behalf of Victim Diagnosed With Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy, NAION, After Using Viagra for 4-1/2 Years - PFE
Apr 18, 2006 | PrimeZone
Parker & Waichman, LLP (http://www.yourlawyer.com) announced that it has filed suit against Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) on behalf of a victim who was diagnosed with Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy, or NAION, after using Viagra for 4-1/2 years. In July 2005, the FDA issued alerts to physicians and patients about potential vision loss associated with the use of Viagra.
The suit, which was filed on behalf of the victim and his wife, was filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. For more information on Viagra or NAION please visit http://www.viagra-vision-loss.com or http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/Viagra.
The plaintiff was diagnosed with NAION after using Viagra from July 1998 to January 2003. Prior to this diagnosis, the plaintiff did not suffer from any serious eye or vision problems. The plaintiff has incurred significant economic losses, including lost pay and medical treatment expenses, which will continue in the future. The suit seeks damages from Pfizer for the defective design of Viagra, and for the failure to warn consumers about the potential risk of vision loss that is associated with the drug.
NAION is a vascular event that occurs when blood flow to the small arteries that supply the optic nerve is decreased or blocked. The lack of blood supply to the optic nerve causes damage to the nerve, which may result in permanent vision loss in one or both eyes. NAION is usually permanent and often leads to legal blindness. NAION usually develops without pain, and patients often awake one morning with reduced vision or total vision loss in one or both eyes. The condition typically worsens over the next one to two weeks. Risk factors normally associated with NAION are age, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and other eye problems.
The July 2005 FDA alerts about NAION were issued after the agency received 43 reports of varying degrees of vision loss, including blindness, among users of erectile dysfunction drugs. The FDA stated that 38 of the 43 reports it received were from Viagra patients, and that six patients had vision loss within 24 hours after using the drug. After the FDA alerts were issued, Pfizer added a section to the "Information for Patients" section of the Viagra label notifying patients that a potential link between Viagra and NAION may exist. Over 30 million men worldwide have used an erectile dysfunction drug since Viagra came onto the market in 1998.
About Parker & Waichman, LLP
Parker & Waichman, LLP is a leading products liability and personal injury law firm that represents plaintiffs nationwide. The firm has offices in New York and New Jersey. Parker & Waichman, LLP has assisted thousands of clients in receiving fair compensation for injuries resulting from defective medications and medical devices. For more information on Parker & Waichman, LLP please visit: (http://www.yourlawyer.com) or call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).
More information on this and other class actions can be found on the Class Action Newsline at www.primezone.com/ca.
CONTACT: Parker & Waichman, LLP
Jason Mark, Esq.
Melanie H. Muhlstock, Esq.
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