Darvon / Darvocet
As of November 2010, Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc. voluntarily pulled the two popular prescription pain medications Darvon and Darvocet from the market.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested the pharmaceutical company permanently pull both medications after a recent study showed that individuals who use propoxyphene (the medication found in both Darvon and Darvocet) are at risk for developing a potentially life-threatening heart rhythm abnormality called QT prolongation, which can cause sudden cardiac death.
According to the FDA, the effects of taking the drugs do not add up over time, so once patients stop using the drug, they are no longer at risk. Patients taking the drug also have an increased risk of heart attack and other serious side effects. They can strike without warning or prior symptoms and can occur in patients of all ages.
Sudden Cardiac Death or Heart Rhythm Abnormalities From Taking Darvon or Darvocet?
Did you take Darvon, Darvocet, or a generic form of the drug propoxyphene and suffer from an irregular heartbeat or a life-threatening heart problem? Did someone you love die from sudden cardiac death after taking the brand name drugs or any generic version?
If so, contact Edgar Snyder & Associates right away for a free legal evaluation – no strings attached. You may have a case.
Our experienced attorneys go up against the big pharmaceutical companies that make, sell, and distribute dangerous drugs. From the moment you choose our highly rated law firm, we go above and beyond to get you the money you deserve.
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Darvon and Darvocet Information
Darvon is the brand name for propoxyphene and was used to treat patients with mild and moderate pain. It was commonly prescribed for people with arthritis and other conditions that cause pain. Darvocet contains propoxyphene and acetaminophen (the drug found in Tylenol). Both painkillers were sold for more than 50 years.
In 2009 alone, there were more than 10 million prescriptions written to battle everything from minor aches to post-surgery pain.
The FDA first approved propoxyphene for consumer use in 1957. Several complaints about the heart risks associated with the drug were filed over the past several decades. Public Citizen, a non-profit public interest group, filed a complaint more than 30 years ago. In 2005, the British government ordered that the drug be removed gradually from its market, and Canada and Japan followed suit shortly thereafter. In 2006, Public Citizen filed a petition requesting that the U.S. do the same, but the FDA rejected it – saying that it was still studying the drug’s effects.
In January 2009, the FDA organized an advisory panel to decide whether propoxyphene should remain on the market in the U.S. The panel voted 14 to 12 in favor of removing the drug, but the FDA ignored the panel’s opinion and instead issued a black box warning on the medication’s label.
The FDA then asked Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, which marketed Darvon and Darvocet, to do a study on the potential heart-related risks of propoxyphene, which led to pulling Darvon and Darvocet from the market. All generic versions of the drugs were removed as well.
Victim of Darvon, Darvocet, or Propoxyphene? Get a Free Case Review
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