Prempro, Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer
Recent analysis of a 2002 study conducted by the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) has revealed that short term exposure to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medications are in fact linked to the development of breast cancer. In addition to the researchers previous findings, concluding that long-term exposure to HRT medications can and do have severe adverse effects, the new analysis is the first to warn of the dangers of short term exposure.
Although the original study was published in 2002, its findings and subsequent analysis still send shock waves through the medical community because despite the manufacturer’s original claims that long-term HRT use could actually provide cardiovascular benefits to women suffering from the side effects of menopause, women who use the drugs have become disproportionately ill when compared to non-users.
The study discovered so many dangerous side effects, in fact, that the research was actually terminated at least two years prior to the expected conclusion date because of concern for the health and safety of the women who were participating. The risks and exposure to personal injury simply outweighed the benefits.
Prempro is a popular HRT introduced by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in 1996. The medication was originally dispensed to treat symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and night sweats. The major problem is that upon the drug's introduction to the market, there had not been any large clinical trials to scientifically test and research its long term affects. The aforementioned study was the first to document that Prempro, and similar hormone related drugs, dramatically increased the risk of stroke, blood clots, heart attack and breast cancer.
In light of the new information, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals still has Prempro on the market. The company did add additional safety warnings stating that it should not be used for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, in addition to warning that it should only be taken for the shortest possible duration; however, the new warnings do not cover all of the possible risks related to the drug and are arguably inadequate.
While practically every medication has some anticipated side effects, companies that manufacture drugs have a duty to sufficiently and adequately inform health care providers of the known risks associated with the prescriptions of its drugs. When and if a manufacturer fails to warn, the company can be held liable to those patients who are injured as a result of inadequate warnings or marketing misrepresentation.
If you are currently taking, or have taken, one of these drugs and experienced any unusual side effects or suffered injury, you should immediately contact your health care professional for proper medical advice. Then, contact the experienced Missouri personal injury lawyers at Page Cagle for a free consultation.
