Multaq and Severe Liver Damage

Multaq is a medication prescribed to help patients with an abnormal heartbeat.  Its manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis, reveals there have been at least 150 cases reported of liver damage to patients who took this anti-arrhythmic drug.  Two of the Multaq liver damage cases were severe enough to require liver transplants.

Multaq -- New Warning Labels are Coming

The FDA will begin to require Multaq’s drug label to warn of the risk of liver injury.  The FDA issued a Drug Safety Alert for Multaq regarding the severe liver injuries that may happen with using Multaq.  According to the FDA, "Dronedarone was approved with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) with a goal of preventing its use in patients with severe heart failure or who have recently been in the hospital for heart failure. In a study of patients with these conditions, patients given dronedarone had a greater than two-fold increase in risk of death."  See the announcement from the FDA here.

Information about the potential risk of liver injury from dronedarone is being added to the WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS and ADVERSE REACTIONS sections of the dronedarone labels.

What is Multaq?

Multaq is the brand name of a medication also known as dronedarone.  It is an antiarrhythmic drug, and is usually prescribed to treat either atrial fibrillation (a fast and irregular heart beat) or atrial flutter (a very fast heart beat).  Multaq is a white film-coated tablet that is usually taken twice a day over a long period of time.

Sanofi-Aventis marketed Multaq as a better alternative to amiodarone, a medication associated with serious liver and lung injury in its users.  Now the question is whether Multaq actually was safer than the cheaper, older drug it was meant to replace.

Multaq  - Liver Injury Danger

Sanofi-Aventis recently admitted to the federal Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) that the company received many reports of liver injury and liver failure in individuals taking Multaq.

Signs of liver damage from Multaq may include:

• nausea,

• vomiting,

• loss of appetite,

• pain or discomfort in the upper right area of the stomach,

• yellowing (known as jaundice) of the skin or whites of the eyes,

• darker urine,

• and itching.

Other less serious side effects that have been reported with Multaq include rashes, stomach pain, slower heartbeat, breathing difficulty and rapid weight gain.

According to Sanofi-Aventis, at least 155 people have reported liver injury since the drug first went on the market in July 2009.  More than half of these injuries were considered serious.  In fact, two of the individuals required a liver transplant because their livers were so severely damages.

Anyone who believes they are showing signs of liver damage related to Multaq should contact their doctor immediately.  It is critical that no prescription be discontinued without consulting with a doctor to discuss the risks involved.

Did You Take Multaq & Suffer a Liver Injury?

Multaq was first sold in the United States in July 2009 to treat abnormal heartbeats.  Close to 150,000 people have taken this drug.  If you are one of them and you have suffered liver damage, the attorneys at Fibich Hampton are available to discuss your injury and the possibility that you may be owed money damages from the maker of Multaq.

The Fibich Hampton Multaq legal team can be reached at 1 888 751 7050, or contact us here.

Signs of liver damage include a loss of appetite, stomach pain, yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes, nausea and vomiting and extreme tiredness.  Severe cases of liver damage can be life threatening.  Indeed, at least two women who took Multaq had to have liver transplants to survive.

Liver damage can be discovered through a liver enzyme test administered by a doctor. 

If you suspect you have liver damage from Multaq, contact your doctor immediately. 

Need a free legal consultation?

If you choose to have a legal evaluation of your use of Multaq and your health problems, we can provide a free confidential consultation.  Our attorneys are familiar with the issues surrounding the Multaq cases and the kind of resources you may require during your recovery.

Our team of professionals can be reached at 1 888 751 7050.