Lawsuits Filed Against Manufacturer of Hypertension Drug
Patients have continued filing lawsuits against the manufacturer of a blood pressure medication after suffering sprue-like enteropathy and other serious side effects. Benicar, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), is known generically as olmesartan and is manufactured by Daiichi Sankyo.
Patients suffering from sprue-like enteropathy allegedly caused by the medication have experienced chronic diarrhea, weight loss, colitis, and other gastrointestinal problems that often mimic Celiac disease. Some patients experienced symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in 2013 that olmesartan could cause gastrointestinal problems. It updated the labels of drugs containing olmesartan to warn patients of the risk of sprue-like enteropathy.