Colson Hicks Eidson Files Lawsuit In Elmiron Case Against Janssen Pharmaceuticals

This Medication Can Cause Severe Eye Damage

Coral Gables, Fla. (May 2020) – Coral Gables-based Colson Hicks Eidson has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Plaintiff who sustained severe eye damage after taking Elmiron, also known as pentosan polysulfate sodium, Elmiron is a prescription drug used to treat interstitial cystitis (also known as “bladder pain syndrome” or “IC”).

The lawsuit alleges that Elmiron caused the Plaintiff harmful retinal damage and maculopathy, which ultimately resulted in impaired vision. The lawsuit alleges that Janssen Pharmaceuticals knew or should have known that Elmiron, when taken as prescribed or intended, causes eye damage.

In 2018, researchers at the Emory Eye Center at the Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA discovered that the retinal cells of those taking Elmiron accumulated pentosan polysulfate sodium over time, leading to the retinal damage and maculopathy. These findings were later confirmed by findings presented to the American Academy of Ophthalmology and others.

The Plaintiff in the case filed by Colson Hicks Eidson is Tara O’Flaherty. She was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, and took Elmiron as prescribed by her physician from approximately 1994 through 2019. She was given no warning and had no knowledge of the serious risk of retinal damage and vision loss posed by Elmiron. Her attorneys say she suffers from maculopathy, blurriness, and distorted vision.

The Plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages for lost earnings in the past; loss of earning capacity in the future; medical expenses incurred in the past; medical expenses to be incurred in the future; other economic damages; pain and suffering; disability; physical impairment; disfigurement; mental anguish; inconvenience; aggravation of a disease or physical defect; loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life sustained in the past and to be sustained in the future; and other non-economic damages.

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About Colson Hicks Eidson

The Law Firm of Colson Hicks Eidson is a trial firm it has more than 50 years of experience handling local, national, and international litigation and arbitration cases. Members of Colson Hicks Eidson have been involved and numerous high-profile and landmark cases resulting in precedent-setting and impactful rulings.