It was announced recently that on April 15, 2012, Sanofi-Aventis’s heart drug Multaq has lost reimbursement in France due to the serious side effects linked to the drug. The Financial Times has even reported that the drug will now face new restrictions in other countries, as well.

Multaq (dronedarone) is an anticoagulant medication that often is given to patients suffering from atrial fibrillation (AF), which causes a fluttering heartbeat and irregular heartbeats. The drug was approved by the FDA in 2009, but by 2011, the FDA added stricter warnings against Multaq after it was discovered that the drug was causing liver failure. By December of 2011, the FDA had Multaq’s labels revised to include the warning that “health care professionals should not prescribe Multaq to patients with permanent atrial fibrillation because of increased risk of death or serious cardiovascular events.”

Those stricter warnings were included after patients participating in the PALLAS study of Multaq started dying and experiencing a worsening of their heart conditions. The PALLAS study was originally intended to see if Multaq could be used to treat patients suffering from permanent AF, since the drug was already approved to treat patients suffering from temporary AF. Since then, doctors rarely prescribe Multaq unless patients are not responding to treatments with other medications.

These days, patients are being advised to take Rivaroxaban and Warfarin in treating their AF and to help them prevent having strokes, which is a common occurrence among AF patients. Some patients are even opting to have catheter ablations instead of taking prescription medications.

If you or a loved one has suffered from liver failure or a worsening heart condition after being treated with Multaq, contact the attorney’s at Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.