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Our sense organs help us perceive the world, and hearing has a vital role to play in it. When an internal issue affects our hearing capacity or there’s an after-effect of any prescribed drug, our entire life gets disturbed. Such has been the fate of patients who used Tepezza.
The Ireland-based drugmaker, Horizon Therapeutics, is currently facing an increased number of lawsuits for manufacturing the drug Tepezza. Patients who used it complained of permanent hearing loss or tinnitus thereafter. The drug, also known as teprotumumab-trbw, is the first FDA-approved prescription drug for thyroid eye disease or TED. Since it is an autoimmune condition, TED can cause swollen and red eyes, double vision, and bulging eyes.
Daniel Weibel was one victim who filed a lawsuit against Horizon Therapeutics in August 2022. He asserted that the drugmaker should have been aware of the side effects of the drug and informed people about it. In this article, we will discuss the connection between Tepezza and hearing loss and how patients can get fair compensation for their sufferings.
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Patrice McCracken’s Tragic Tryst with Tepezza
In November 2023, AboutLawsuits.com reported the story of Patrice McCracken, a Texas woman, who witnessed permanent damage to her ears after using Tepezza.
McCracken filed her Tepezza Lawsuit in the Northern District of Illinois, alleging that Horizon Therapeutics should have been aware of the risk of hearing loss. There were also no correct instructions for the medical community and users concerning the steps that are essential for detecting and averting the damage altogether.
It was in January 2020 that Tepezza was introduced as the initial treatment for double vision and bulging eyes caused by thyroid eye disease. The underlying conditions lead to inflammation of the eyelids, eye muscles, and tear glands, along with fatty tissues right behind the eye.
Even though Tepezza was considered safe by several doctors, many users today are filing lawsuits after experiencing tinnitus. They also witnessed irreversible hearing damage that lasted for a prolonged time after using the medicine.
McCracken complained that she was diagnosed with thyroid eye disease in July 2020, and the doctors suggested Tepezza infusions to treat it. She used it until December 2021 without knowing the relevance of a before and after hearing test to check for early signs of hearing loss. It would have helped to stop the treatment on time to avert any permanent damage.
She asserted that the drugmaker was selling and promoting the medicine with misleading data that has been causing health issues in patients.
Tepezza Side Effects
The FDA in July 2023 updated the Tepezza drug label using a warning. It made both patients and doctors aware that this medicine can result in hearing problems that include permanent hearing loss as well.
That aside, some other side effects of the drug are:
- Cramps
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- High blood sugar
- Dry skin
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Weight Loss
- Nail disorders
- Hair loss
- Spasms
If you are using this drug because your doctor prescribed it, it is essential to keep an eye on all these symptoms. Once you notice any one or more of them, you must let your doctor know about it so that the dose can be minimized, or the medicine gets stopped altogether depending on the severity of the side effects.
Taking Legal Action
All the lawsuits that have been filed to date claim that Tepezza results in hearing loss by blocking the IGF-IR. It’s a protein that affects hair cells in the ear responsible for hearing and balance. The hair cells in the inner ear are efficient at recognizing sound waves and transmitting them to our brain. Therefore, when these cells get damaged, it can result in hearing loss and other types of auditory issues as well.
If you have faced the side effects mentioned above, you can file a lawsuit seeking fair compensation. TorHoerman Law states that these legal claims can be resolved via a settlement negotiation with Horizon Therapeutics. The settlement amount can vary between $75,000 and $200,000 based on available evidence, strength of the claim, medical costs, damages incurred, and severity of the injuries.
Getting in touch with a lawyer to file your lawsuit is a wise decision, as they can guide you through the legal process and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
In conclusion, the cases of hearing loss caused by using Tepezza are increasing. It acts as an awareness for other patients who suffer from TED and have been prescribed to use this drug by their doctor. Patients must ask their doctor about the consequences of the drug before using it. If they start to face the side effects and early signs of hearing loss, it is necessary to seek the required medical and legal aid.
