Erivedge Side Effects Injury Lawsuits. Erivedge (vismodegib), a drug used to treat basal cell carcinoma, may be associated with a number of adverse events, including:
- Death Loss of taste
- Muscle cramps
- Hair loss
- Weight loss
A number of people treated with Erivedge died during the drug’s clinical trials, and it is yet to be determined what role Erivedge may have played in those deaths. During one study, more than half of those treated with Erivedge stopped therapy because of side effects that included loss of taste, muscle cramps, hair loss, and weight loss.
If you or a loved one were treated with Erivedge for basal cell carcinoma, and suffered a side effect or adverse event that could be related to this medication, the defective drug lawyers at Parker Waichman LLP would like to hear from you. We are offering free lawsuit evaluations to victims of Erivedge side effects and their families. To discuss a potential Erivedge lawsuit claim with one of our defective drug attorneys, please call 1 800 YOURLAWYER (1-800-529=4636) today.
Erivedge Deaths and Adverse Events
Erivedge was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in January 2012 for the treatment of adults with metastatic basal cell carcinoma or with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma that has recurred following surgery or who are not candidates for surgery, and who are not candidates for radiation. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, which is generally considered curable by surgery. However, when it advances, basal cell carcinoma can cause disfiguring and debilitating effects and in some patients can ultimately be life-threatening. Erivedge is the first FDA-approved medicine for people with advanced forms of the most common skin cancer. It is a capsule that is taken orally once-a-day.
Two clinical trials have shown that Erivedge blocks the hedgehog signaling pathway that’s involved in basal cell carcinoma, improves control of tumor growth in advanced disease and prevents the appearance of new lesions in severe forms of the cancer. However, seven people died during one of those trials. So far, the relationship between Erivedge and the deaths isn’t clear.
During the trials, half of those taking Erivedge ceased therapy because of adverse events that included loss of taste, muscle cramps, hair loss, and weight loss. The authors of one of the trials wrote that the adverse events are “considerable and frequent, resulting in high rates of drug discontinuation, and these rates will probably be even higher in clinical practice. Taste loss, hair loss, and muscle cramps are class effects and are unlikely to be attenuated by alteration of the compound structure.”
Need Legal Help Regarding Erivedge Side Effects?
The personal injury attorneys at Parker Waichman LLP offer free, no-obligation case evaluations. For more information, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
