Viberzi, an irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) medication, has been linked to an increased risk for pancreatitis in patients who have had their gallbladder removed.
Free Confidential Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one had pancreatitis from Viberzi, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and our lawyers can help.
Viberzi Side Effects May Include Pancreatitis: FDA
March 15, 2017 – The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warned today that side effects of Viberzi (generic: eluxadoline) may include pancreatitis in patients who have had their gallbladder removed. Cases of pancreatitis associated with Viberzi may be serious enough to cause hospitalization or death, according to the FDA.
Viberzi was approved for the treatment of IBS and diarrhea in May 2015, but it has already been linked to at least 2 deaths and 120 reports of serious pancreatitis.
Viberzi is a controlled substance that works by activating opioid receptors in the gut, which decreases bowel contractions, reducing incidents of diarrhea and sometimes alleviating abdominal pain.
FDA said it has received at least 120 reports of severe pancreatitis or death associated with Viberzi since it was approved. Of these, 76 patients had to be hospitalized and 2 died.
Many of the cases occurred after just 1 or 2 uses; however, other cases occurred after prolonged use.
Cause of death in one of the cases was attributed to severe pancreatitis, with onset of symptoms within an hour of taking Viberzi. They died within 3 days of taking their first Viberzi dose, according to the FDA.
“Patients should talk to your health care professional about how to control your symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), particularly if you do not have a gallbladder,” FDA said. “Health care professionals should not prescribe Viberzi in patients who do not have a gallbladder and should consider alternative treatment options in these patients.”
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The Class Action Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Viberzi lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new pancreatitis cases in all 50 states.
Free Case Evaluation: Again, if you or a loved one had pancreatitis from Viberzi, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a lawsuit and we can help.