FDA pressurized to issue a Benicar recall

FDA pressurized to issue a Benicar recall

Introduction

Public Citizen, a prominent consumer watchdog group, filed a recall petition for the FDA to issue a Benicar recall and ban all the other olmesartan drugs, such as Benicar HCT, Tribenzor, and Azor stating these have been linked to the development of sprue-like enteropathy causing severe diarrhea and weight loss that may surface months or even years after the first use of the drug, endangering the patients with unnecessary risks. The group highlighted the fact that the use of the active ingredient olmesartan, outweighs any potential benefits provided to the consumers, stating the use can cause permanent damage to the intestines known as villous atrophy from Benicar. Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories who faced more than 2,000 Benicar lawsuits together announced a settlement amount of $300 million in mid-2017 for those who suffered chronic diarrhea and other gastrointestinal injuries after using Benicar, Azor, and Tribenzor without accepting any liability.