Drug Warning: Propulsid

Generic name: cisapride

Manufactured and marketed by: Janssen Pharmaceutica, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson

Purpose: Prescribed to treat the symptoms of severe nighttime heartburn in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, also referred to as GERD.

Side Effects Reported

• Propulsid has been linked to causing heart rhythm abnormalities in patients with predispositions for these heart abnormalities, and even in those with no previous history of heart disease.
• Reports of ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, torsades de pointes, cardiac arrest, sudden death, and QT prolongation have all been reported in patients who have taken Propulsid.

Industry Report

Propulsid was voluntarily removed from the market in the year 2000 by Janssen Pharamceutica. The withdrawal of Propulsid from the market came after 341 reports of patients taking Propulsid suffering from heart rhythm abnormalities. These reports of heart abnormalities included the deaths of 80 patients, as of December of 1999. Reports from the public interest group, Public Citizen, indicate that approximately 23 additional deaths linked to Propulsid occurred around the time the withdrawal of Propulsid was announced. Propulsid is now only available to special patients who are signed up by their doctors to a limited access program.

Seeger Weiss has held national leadership positions in pharmaceutical products liability litigation against Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc., the manufacturers of Propulsid. Seeger Weiss is a member of the court-appointed Plaintiffs' Steering Committees in both the federal litigation, which have been consolidated by the JPML in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and in the statewide consolidated actions in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The firm served as counsel to numerous individuals who have commenced personal injury damage actions in various courts throughout the country.

Check out more drug injury information on Propulsid:

• Manufacturers Propulsid Liability

Seeger Weiss is not currently pursuing lawsuits on this drug, but its drug warnings will remain on our radar.

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