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Seroquel Side Effects Lawyers

Keywords: Seroquel | Lawyer | Diabetes | Side Effects | Lawsuit

The lawyers and attorneys at our firm are currently offering free consultations to individuals who suffered from diabetes or other side effects as a result of treatment with Seroquel.  Seroquel is one of a class of drugs known as an "atypical antipsychotics" that was approved to treat bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia. Our Seroquel side effects lawyers have represented many people who developed diabetes and other ailments associated with this medication with dignity and compassion.

 

Seroquel, known generically as quetiapine fumarate, was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997.  Seroquel, marketed by AztraZeneca, is taken by mouth two or three times a day to control the psychotic symptoms of bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia.  Seroquel is also sometimes used "off-label" to treat unapproved conditions, including dementia, autism and psychotic depression.  Unfortunately, Seroquel is associated with some very serious side effects, including diabetes and death in dementia patients.  The Seroquel side effects lawyers at our firm believe that the extensive "off-label" use of this medication contributed to the high number of reported Seroquel injuries.

 

Seroquel and Diabetes

On August 22, 2003, The Wall Street Journal published an article detailing an abstract from a study on atypical antipsychotic medications, including Seroquel, that indicated that people taking these drugs were more likely to develop diabetes than patients taking older medications.  The study was conducted on U.S. military veterans and demonstrated that Seroquel and other members of a new class of antipsychotic drugs were linked to a higher risk of diabetes, but the risk of diabetes was greatest with Seroquel.  Our Seroquel side effects lawyers believe AstraZeneca should have taken steps to warn doctors and patients of this risk as soon as the study's finding were known.

 

In January 2004, the FDA asked AstraZeneca to include warnings about the risk of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and diabetes associated with the use of Seroquel.  The warning stated that patients with risk factors for diabetes (eg, obesity, family history of diabetes) who are starting treatment with Seroquel should undergo fasting blood glucose testing at the beginning of treatment. Any patient treated with atypical antipsychotics, including Seroquel, should be monitored for symptoms of hyperglycemia including polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, and weakness.

 

The warning also said that patients who develop symptoms of hyperglycemia during treatment with atypical antipsychotics such as Seroquel should also undergo fasting blood glucose testing. The FDA said that in some cases, hyperglycemia has resolved when these drugs were discontinued; however, some patients required continuation of anti-diabetic treatment despite discontinuation of the suspect drug.

 

Seroquel and Dementia Patients

Our Seroquel side effect lawyers are also offering free case evaluations to the families of dementia patients who died after beginning treatment with Seroquel.  In 2006, the FDA warned that Seroquel and other atypical antipsychotics had been associated with an increased risk of death when they  used to treat dementia. The agency required these drugs to carry its strongest "black box" warning on their labels.  

 

The new black box warning was based on an analysis of data from 17 placebo-controlled, 10-week trials in 5106 patients, showing that use of the atypical antipsychotic drugs, including Seroquel, was linked to an increased risk for mortality relative to placebo (4.5% vs 2.6%). According to the FDA, the majority of deaths appeared to be related to cardiovascular (eg, heart failure, sudden death) or infectious (eg, pneumonia) causes.

 

Seroquel was never approved to treat dementia, and this constitutes an "off-label" use of the drug.  Our Seroquel side effect lawyers believe that AstraZeneca's promotion of this unapproved use led to countless Seroquel-related deaths.

 

Other Seroquel Side Effects

Seroquel is associated with numerous other serious side effects.  These include neuroleptic malignant syndrome and tardive dyskinesia,  potentially deadly neurological disorders usually caused by a reaction to antipsychotic drugs like Seroquel.  Our Seroquel side effect lawyers are also offering free case evaluations to victims of these disorders and their families.

 

Seroquel Warning Letter

In November 2006, the FDA issued AstraZeneca a warning letter alleging  that some of the company’s promotional material for Seroquel contained “false or misleading” information. According to the FDA, AstraZeneca failed to adequately detail the risks of hyperglycemia and diabetes and omitted important data about neuroleptic malignant syndrome and other relevant conditions associated with Seroquel.  The promotional piece mentioned in the letter was a fact sheet about Seroquel distributed to doctors along with the drug's FDA-approved product label.

 

Our Seroquel side effect lawyers believe that AstraZeneca's illegal promotion of Seroquel led to many more patients suffering from its dangerous side effects.  Our clients can be assured that we will do everything possible to make sure AstraZeneca is held accountable for this deception.

 

Legal Help for Victims of Seroquel Side Effects

If you or a loved one suffered from diabetes or other serious side effects while taking Seroquel, you have valuable legal rights.  Please fill out our online form or call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636) to discuss your case with an experienced Seroquel side effects lawyer.