When Tepezza was introduced to the marketplace, medical professionals and those with thyroid eye disease (TED) were hopeful that this medication could effectively treat the rare condition. Instead, those with TED face serious and life-altering side effects. Cases of permanent tinnitus and hearing loss have been reported by those receiving Tepezza infusions, and the drug manufacturer Horizon Therapeutics did not include the potential risks on the warning label.
What is Tepezza?
Tepezza is an intravenous treatment for thyroid eye disease. It is administered by infusion over several months. Those with thyroid eye disease can experience inflamed muscles and fatty tissue behind the eye. This inflammation can lead to double vision, irritation, itching, and eye bulging. Before the introduction of Tepezza, the only other treatments for TED were surgery, steroids, and monoclonal medications. Tepezza works by blocking the IGF-1R receptor, which reduces muscle and tissue swelling.
Tepezza was welcomed by medical professionals and those suffering from thyroid eye disease. While some Tepezza users have had success in treating TED, advocates and patients have been raising an alarm that the drug manufacturer did not adequately warn them about the potential for severe and permanent hearing loss and tinnitus. As a result, Tepezza lawsuits have been filed.
Since the medication’s label did not include a warning that permanent hearing loss and tinnitus were possible, it left medical professionals and patients unaware of these risks. While no recall has been issued, the FDA has now updated the warning label on Tepezza to include hearing loss and tinnitus as possible risk factors, but only after patients started reporting hearing loss and tinnitus as side effects.
Tepezza Side Effects
Common Tepezza side effects include muscle cramps or spasms, nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, fatigue, high blood sugar, headache, dry skin, weight loss, and nail disorders. Serious side effects such as tinnitus and hearing loss, autophony (hearing your own voice echo in your ear), plugged ears, and muffled hearing have also been reported after Tepezza infusions.
If you have experienced Tepezza side effects, especially hearing loss and tinnitus, seek medical attention. Your healthcare provider can help manage any symptoms and determine the best next steps for treatment. You should also report your Tepezza side effects to the FDA using MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program. Your medical provider can also report any potential side effects utilizing this program. Reporting your side effects can provide the FDA with additional information they can use to investigate the treatment.
After seeking medical treatment, consider consulting with an attorney. Look for attorneys with experience with Tepezza and product liability cases. During a case consultation, an attorney can evaluate your case and see if it has merit to proceed. They will ask for documents like your medical records and listen to your experience receiving Tepezza infusions. Consulting with an attorney can help determine if you should seek compensation for any Tepezza side effects.
Tepezza Lawsuits Consolidated
Drugmaker Horizon Therapeutics continues to face increasing Tepezza lawsuits for failing to warn medical professionals and patients of potential hearing loss side effects of taking Tepezza. Multidistrict litigation (MDL) was approved for Tepezza lawsuits in the Northern District of Illinois. An MDL transfer order offers an opportunity to streamline court time and resources, reducing duplication of discovery and pretrial obligations. Horizon Therapeutics opposed the creation of the MDL and “insists that centralization is premature, that informal cooperation is ongoing, and, in any event, an MDL is not needed to streamline the litigation.”
Drug manufacturers should be held accountable for failing to warn patients and medical professionals about potential risk factors. Medical professionals rely on the list of medication risk factors and use this information to inform their patients. Patients’ lives are at risk if a warning label doesn’t notify users of the potential dangers. Consulting with a Tepezza attorney and bringing legal action can help pay for current and future medical expenses associated with your Tepezza side effects. They can also protect those receiving this treatment in the future.
