3 Arizonans Join Suit Over Baycol

Aug 15, 2003 | Arizona Republic Three elderly Arizonans have climbed on the international bandwagon of consumers suing Bayer Corp. over side effects from a medication that was designed to reduce cholesterol levels.

According to a class-action complaint filed this month at U.S. District Court in Phoenix, the trio suffered from fatigue, muscle pain and other symptoms after taking the product, Baycol, which was withdrawn from the market two years ago after similar complaints worldwide.

Bayer officials could not be reached for comment, but a news release on their Web site says the company "acted responsibly, promptly and appropriately in the management of Baycol."

Chemical News & Intelligence, a trade publication, reported in June that Bayer had reached out-of-court settlements in 1,042 cases and still had nearly 10,000 suits pending. The statutory deadline for seeking damages against Bayer was Aug. 8.

Arizona plaintiffs are identified as Arthur Reiners, 79, Sun City; Ed Dauphinais, 68, Yuma; and Norman Novak, 77, Tucson.

The lawsuit, like others filed elsewhere, alleges that Bayer officials knew the medication could cause a condition known as rhabdomyolysis among some users but aggressively marketed the product to doctors and patients. Rhabdomyolysis attacks muscles and, in severe cases, may cause renal failure, liver damage and death.