Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. is being sued in a class action by Canadians who took it’s irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) drug Zelnorm. The suit was filed by legal firms Rochon Genova LLP and Himelfarb Proszanski LLP, both of Toronto, Canada.
Zelnorm was marketed in Canada between March, 2002 and March, 2007 for the treatment of IBS symptoms. At the request of the Canadian health department, Novartis pulled the drug from the market. This was based on analysis of clinical data the showed a significant increase in the incidence or cardiovascular events in people taking Zelnorm.
The suit charges that Novartis was aware of the increased risk of cardiovascular damage prior to the drug being pulled from the market, and that they failed to inform consumers or doctors.
Further, the plaintiffs claim that Novartis had results from clinical trials conducted before Zelnorm was ever marketed in Canada that exposed an increase in the risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Plaintiffs also claim that data analysis requested by Swiss regulators in 2004 and 2005 showed the same dangerous cardiovascular profile.
The named plaintiffs include Trudy Metzger and her husband, Tim, of Elmira, Ontario. In November 2006 the healthy mother of 5 had a severe heart attack two days before her 37th birthday. She had been prescribed Zelnorm for about five months and says she was not given any warnings about the risks to her heart.
If I had known that taking this drug would have such a devastating impact on my life, I would have kept using my former coping methods to deal with my IBS. – Trudy Metzger
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