Wayne Wright LLP - Digitek® Lawyers
Digitek® Attorneys Serving San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Austin, Houston, El Paso

---

Defective manufacture of the drug Digitek® leads to deaths due to digitalis toxicity! Many such pills were made with more than double the normal strength, leading to serious problems.

IF YOU or a loved one has been injured by Digitek®, contact us today!

Digoxin, also known as Digitalis, is an extract taken from the foxglove plant.  It is used to regularize and strengthen the heart beat i.e., it is used in the treatment of heart failure, atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeats).  The generic name is Digoxin and it is sold under many trade names such as Digitek®, Lanoxicaps® and Lanoxin®.

The drug helps in increasing the efficiency of the heart and improving its strength which in turn leads to better blood circulation. Hence, the drug reduces the risk of congestive heart failure. This is done by boosting the quantity of calcium present in the heart cells which in turn causes the heartbeat to become stronger. The drug is usually available in the form of pills; however, it can also be given as an IV injection during emergency.

Digitalis toxicity and its side effects

Digitalis toxicity or poisoning arises as a result of an overdose of digitalis. There are many reasons due to which digitoxicity can occur in an individual:

• Prescribing of Digitek®/Digoxin along with diuretics. Diuretics are medicines which are used to pull out excess fluid from the body. This often leads to a loss of potassium from the body which can cause the poisoning.
• Improper functioning of the kidney causes digitalis to remain in the body rather than get expelled out through urine. Therefore, those with kidney related disorders are more susceptible to digitalis toxicity.
• Patients with a low level of magnesium in their body who have been prescribed Digitek® are at risk as well.
• A patient who has been overdosed on Digitalis is also at high risk for digital toxicity.

Digitek® patients need close monitoring since there is a very fine line which divides the effectiveness of the drug and its ability to cause toxicity. Periodic blood tests are required to be taken to monitor the levels of digitalis in the blood.

Complications that can occur in a patient suffering from Digitalis toxicity range from vomiting to cardiac instability and can even lead to death. Some of the other side effects due to inappropriate dosage of Digitek® are nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, palpitations, irregularity of the pulse, visual changes, dizziness and confusion. Some of the more serious but less frequent side effects include amnesia, delirium, severe psychosis and other symptoms related to the heart.

Recall of Digitek® (Digoxin)

In April 2008, the manufacturer of Digitek®, Actavis Totowa LLC initiated a Class I recall across the nation of the drug. The Class I is the strictest of all recalls by the FDA and is issued after reports of many incidents involving grave injuries and even death of patients.

The company, Actavis Totowa LLC is the United States division of the pharmaceutical giant, Actavis Group™. The generic drug Digitek is distributed under the label of “Bertek” by Mylan Pharmaceuticals™ and as “UDL” by UDL laboratories™.

The reason for the recall – the tablets were manufactured with double the required thickness and had the possibility of containing twice the permitted levels of the active ingredient. If these are taken accidentally, they can cause digitalis toxicity, particularly in patients who have been diagnosed with kidney dysfunction or failure.

The company has recalled over 800 million pills which would affect more than 1 million patients with heart problems. It is estimated that hundreds of individuals may have been injured or have died due to this inappropriate dosage of the drug.

Digitek® Digoxin Lawsuits

All Digitek® related lawsuits were combined into a multi-district lawsuit in August 2008, after there was a spurt in the number of litigations filed against Actavis™ and its affiliates against the defective drug.

The manufacturer has been accused of many offenses as well as negligence during production and distribution of the drug including non working equipment and improper working environment.

If you or a loved one has been harmed after taking Digitek Digoxin please contact us right away to discuss your case with our Digitek Defect Lawyer immediately. Legal compensation is due to you and the right Digitek Recall Lawyer can make all the difference to your case.

Our experienced San Antonio Digitek Digoxin Lawsuit Attorney will evaluate the case, provide examples of defective drug compensation and advise you about your options.