Tepezza Hearing Loss Plaintiffs Seek to Consolidate Lawsuits in Illinois
With more and more former Tepezza users pursuing injury claims against Horizon Therapeutics, plaintiffs seeking compensation from the manufacturer for hearing damage side effects have filed a motion to consolidate at least 10 lawsuits before one judge in the Northern District of Illinois. Each Tepezza lawsuit raises similar allegations that Horizon failed to adequately warn users about the potential for the thyroid eye disease (TED) medication to cause permanent hearing loss side effects in users. If you or someone you love has suffered hearing loss, tinnitus, muffled hearing, deafness, or another alleged Tepezza side effect, contact Consumer Safety Watch today. You may have grounds to file a Tepezza injury claim against Horizon Therapeutics.
Tepezza Use Linked to Irreversible Hearing Damage
Tepezza (teprotumumab-trbw) is an intravenous prescription drug used to treat thyroid eye disease, a rare but severe autoimmune disease that causes an outward bulging of the eyes and can threaten patients’ vision. Tepezza, approved by the FDA in January 2020, has been aggressively marketed over the past several years as a means of improving the symptoms of TED, including swelling, redness, and eye pain, and reducing the eye bulging and double vision issues that are characteristic of the condition. In fact, Tepezza is the first and only treatment that has been FDA-approved to treat thyroid eye disease, which means many people with TED are prescribed Tepezza. However, emerging evidence suggests that patients who take Tepezza may be at risk for a number of debilitating hearing-related side effects, which may persist even after Tepezza treatment is discontinued. The most common adverse events linked to Tepezza include the following:
- Hearing loss
- Muffled hearing
- An ear-plugging sensation (autophony)
- Difficulty hearing (hypoacusis)
- A ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Deafness
Tepezza Lawsuits Seek Compensation for Inadequate Warnings
Amid growing concerns about the potential for Tepezza to cause hearing loss and other hearing-related side effects in users, a growing number of Tepezza lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, where Dublin-based Horizon Therapeutics has its U.S. headquarters. At least 10 plaintiffs have already filed claims against Horizon, alleging that they have suffered permanent hearing damage that could have been avoided had the drug maker provided accurate information about Tepezza side effects to users and the medical community. Each Tepezza lawsuit involves similar claims that Horizon knew or should have known about the link between the TED drug and hearing loss before Tepezza entered the market and became available for consumer use.
Given common questions of fact and law raised in each of the Tepezza hearing loss lawsuits brought against Horizon in Illinois, a group of 10 plaintiffs recently filed a motion asking the court to consolidate the claims before one federal judge. Horizon has objected to the proposed consolidation, claiming in its own motion that the Tepezza cases involve “substantially different facts” that have a direct impact on the claims and applicable defenses in each case. “There would be little or no judicial savings in efficiency because of the different issues of law and fact applicable to each case,” Horizon argues. “For the same reasons, the cases cannot be determined in a single proceeding, as individual determinations are necessary.” In fact, Horizon states, “distinct motions to dismiss – based on differing facts and laws – are being filed in each case.”
Find Out How Consumer Safety Watch Can Help
As consumers, we expect the prescription drugs we take to provide effective treatment without exposing us to serious adverse side effects. Sadly, no pharmaceutical drug is 100% safe, and all too often, the potential risks associated with a dangerous or defective drug outweigh the possible treatment benefits. Tepezza has only been on the market in the United States for a few years, and the Tepezza litigation is still in its early stages. However, it is widely expected that many more lawsuits will be brought against Horizon Therapeutics in the coming months, as former Tepezza users experiencing hearing loss discover that their issues may have been caused by the TED drug. If you took Tepezza and have since suffered from hearing loss, tinnitus, muffled hearing, or any other adverse hearing-related event, do not hesitate to discuss your legal options with a Tepezza injury attorney. With a knowledgeable product liability lawyer on your side, you may be able to recover compensation from Horizon for the harm you have suffered while taking Tepezza.
