What is Xeljanz?
Xeljanz, which was developed and manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, is used to treat certain serious, chronic, and progressive inflammatory conditions. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012 to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Xeljanz works by decreasing the immune system’s activity, as an overactive immune system contributes to the conditions listed above.
In 2019, the FDA issued a drug safety communication after interim results from a safety trial found an increased risk of serious heart-related problems and cancer associated with Xeljanz. The trial studied two doses of the drug – 5 mg twice daily (the approved dose for RA) and 10 mg twice daily – comparing it to another RA drug called a TNF inhibitor. The interim results showed an increased risk of blood clots and death associated with the 10 mg dose, and accordingly, the FDA approved a Boxed Warning to the Xeljanz prescribing information.
Symptoms
The FDA’s review of the final trial results found an increased rate of serious heart-related complications, including heart attack and stroke, cancer, blood clots and death in patients treated with both doses of Xeljanz. The FDA advises anyone taking Xeljanz to talk to your health care professionals if you have any questions or concerns and to seek medical attention immediately if you are experiencing symptoms of a blood clot or other unusual symptoms, including:
- Severe tightness, pain or pressure in your chest, throat, neck or jaw
- Unusual pain in your arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Feeling lightheaded
- Slurred speech
- Swelling of a leg or arm
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Leg pain or tenderness
Do you have a Xeljanz lawsuit?
If you or a loved one experienced heart-related problems or cancer after taking Xeljanz, you may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit against Pfizer, the manufacturer of Xeljanz.
Fill out the intake form on this page for a free and no-obligation review of your case. Constant Legal Group is here to help – we’d be honored to speak with you.
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