MDL Request Filed For Linear GBCA Cases

Introduction

Plaintiffs involved in the Linear Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents (GBCA) lawsuits filed a petition on July 31 in the U.S. Judicial Panel requesting for a multidistrict litigation creation, stating that the number of cases against the Linear GBCAs used in MRA and MRI procedures will likely be in hundreds or more in the ensuing months.

MultiHance and OptiMark exposure have been reported to cause brain damages and complications to other organs due to gadolinium retention inside the human body. The U.S. FDA has already issued a black box warning about Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) for 8 MRI gadolinium agents, applicable to people with a pre-existing kidney disorder. According to a December 2017 FDA new class warning, gadolinium deposits could remain in a patient's body and brain for a prolonged time even after a scan. A recent Gadolinium Deposition Disease (GDD) lawsuit filed by a plaintiff states that the defendants have failed to warn doctors and patients about gadolinium retention resulting in fibrosis and the risks of linear gadolinium-based contrast agents to individuals with normal or near-normal kidney function.

Gadolinium multidistrict litigation related to NSF (MDL 1909; In Re: Gadolinium Contrast Dyes Products Liability Litigation) was created in 2008, presided by Judge Dan Aaron Polster in the Northern District of Ohio.

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