Azathioprine (Imuran)
The dangerous drug attorneys at the Law Offices of Gregory Krasovsky can provide legal advice and representation to individuals and families considering pursuing an Azathioprine lawsuit.
In order for a plaintiff to secure a maximum settlement in litigation of an Azathioprine claim, regardless of whether in an individual lawsuit or in a class action lawsuit, it is crucial that the law firm representing you have a competent and experienced Azathioprine (Imuran) lawyer to guide you through all of the legal hurdles as well as direct you to sufficient funding (litigation funding or legal finance) to cover pharmaceutical litigation costs.
Contact an Azathioprine (Imuran) attorney today to schedule a free consultation and take your first step to obtaining compensation for losses caused by Azathioprine (Imuran) side effects.
Azathioprine (brand names Imuran and Azasan) is a purine analogue immunosuppressive drug used for a variety of indications, including prevention of organ rejection, treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, pemphigus, Crohn's Disease, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune hepatitis, atopic dermatitis, myasthenia gravis, restrictive lung disease, and many more.
Azathioprine is a rather old drug, being in clinical use since 1978.
Azathioprine has a number of serious side effects, which include the following:
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Hepatosplenic-T-Cell Lymphoma (HSTCL)
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Rash
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Cancer
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Mesenchymal Tumors
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Acute Pancreatitis
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Hair Loss
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Fatigue
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Opportunistic Infections
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Fetal Harm
Azathioprine (brand names Imuran and Azasan) is listed as a carcinogen by the US Department of Health and Human Services, which means that this drug is a known cause of cancer.
Young adults and teenagers who are suffering from Crohn's Disease or other bowel diseases are the most likely to develop Hepatosplenic-T-Cell Lymphoma as a result of taking Azathioprine.
As such, on April 14, 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black box warning about the risk of developing Hepatosplenic-T-Cell Lymphoma in young people and teenagers who have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (See warnings below).
A number of other drugs such as Remicade and Humira can also cause these types of cancer.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a side effect potentially attributable to Azathioprine, a competent and experienced Azathioprine lawyer can help you secure a settlement that you deserve.
Contact one of our dangerous drug attorneys today to schedule a free and confidential consultation and take the first step to recovering damages, normalcy in your life and obtaining justice.
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Black Box Warning:
Chronic immunosuppression with this purine antimetabolite increases neoplasia risk, mutagenic risk, and hematologic toxicities
Reported malignancies include posttransplant lymphoma and hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Prescribing physicians should be familiar with mutagenic potential and with possible hematologic toxicities
Hepatosplenic-T-Cell Lymphoma is a very aggressive cancer, and in all of those who were diagnosed with this cancer who were also taking the drug, all but one of the young people passed away.
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IMPORTANT WARNING:
Azathioprine may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, especially skin cancer and lymphoma (cancer that begins in the cells that fight infection). If you have had a kidney transplant, there may be a higher risk that you will develop cancer even if you do not take azathioprine.
Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had cancer and if you are taking or have ever taken alkylating agents such as chlorambucil (Leukeran), cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), or melphalan (Alkeran) for cancer. To decrease the risk that you will develop skin cancer, avoid prolonged or unnecessary exposure to sunlight and wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any changes in your skin or any lumps or masses anywhere in your body.
Some teenage and young adult males who took azathioprine alone or with another medication called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker to treat Crohn's disease (a condition in which the body attacks the lining of the digestive tract causing pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fever) or ulcerative colitis (a condition which causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum) developed hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL).
HSTCL is a very serious type of cancer that often causes death within a short period of time. Azathioprine has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, but doctors may sometimes prescribe azathioprine to treat these conditions. If you develop any of these symptoms during your treatment, call your doctor immediately: stomach pain; fever; unexplained weight loss; night sweats or easy bruising or bleeding.
Azathioprine can cause a decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow, which may cause serious or life-threatening infections. The risk that the number of blood cells that you have will decrease is highest if you have a genetic (inherited) risk factor. Your doctor may order a test before or during your treatment to see if you have this risk factor.
Taking certain medications may also increase the risk that your blood cells will decrease, so tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following: angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril, enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril, lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), Ramipril (Altace), or trandolapril (Mavik); trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra); and ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol, Virazole).
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: unusual bleeding or bruising; excessive tiredness; pale skin; headache; confusion; dizziness; fast heartbeat; difficulty sleeping; weakness; shortness of breath; and sore throat, fever, chills, and other signs of infection.
Your doctor will order tests before, during, and after your treatment to see if your blood cells are affected by this medication.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking this medication.
See https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682167.html
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