Deer Park product injury attorney notes that Darvocet, a popular pain killing medication, was in use for decades. Darvocet ranked in the top 25 most frequently prescribed drugs in America before its recall by the FDA and drug maker Xanodyne in November 2010. The recall included Darvon and generic equivalents in the propoxyphen painkiller category. The U.K. issued a recall on the dangerous drugs in 2005.
Over the years, some physicians became reluctant to prescribe the drug because of its perceived addictiveness. Other doctors, nonprofit groups, and concerned citizens petitioned the FDA repeatedly to restrict or recall the drug due to its link to heart problems, overdosing, and suicides. Petitions were filed as early as 1978 as data began to accumulate showing that Darvocet could allow potentially lethal toxins to build up within the heart.
Darvocet combines acetaminophen and propoxyphen to create a powerful painkiller and muscle relaxer. The drug has been linked to increased risks of:
Darvocet was linked to more than 2,000 deaths between 1981 and 1999, or to almost 6% of drug related fatalities during that time period. But Darvocet was an enormously popular and profitable drug, and efforts to get it off the market made little headway. An FDA advisory panel even recommended in 2009 that Darvocet and its equivalents be removed from the market. The FDA usually heeds its advisory panel, but in that case it merely recommended a stronger warning on the product label.
More than 22 million people have used Darvocet. Many have suffered serious or life-threatening injuries from the dangerous drug. Other people have lost loved ones to suicide, overdose, or fatal heart attacks related to the painkiller.
If you’re among the many thousands suffering the ill effects of Darvocet, contact our Deer Park product injury attorneys for a free and confidential case evaluation. You might be eligible for substantial financial compensation because of your injury or loss.