File Your Claim Request Today
Individuals who have experienced retinal damage after short- or long-term use of Elmiron may be entitled to financial compensation, including:
- Coverage for medical care
- Pain and suffering damages
- Lost wages (past and future)
- Lost future earnings
Why is Elmiron Dangerous?
Emiron’s active ingredient pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS) can harm some patients’ maculas, which can lead to pigmentary maculopathy – a type of eye condition unique to Elmiron users. Pigmentary maculopathy can lead to vision problems such as seeing dark spots, blurriness, and even blindness.
The macula is the backside of the retina. The retina is responsible for sensing light which is the necessary for our vision. It is responsible for:
- Reading
- Recognizing fine details
- Recognizing faces
- Recognizing colors
In the United States, no other condition causes blindness more than maculopathy.
How can I tell if my vision has been affected by Elmiron?
At the onset of pigmentary maculopathy, one might encounter only mild vision problems like:
- Difficulty driving at night
- Difficult reading fine print/newsprint
- Difficulty looking through screened or blinded windows
However, if left untreated, pigmentary maculopathy can lead to more severe abnormalities such as:
- Yellowish lesions under the macula
- Developing dark spots on the retina
- Abnormal blood vessels and capillaries
- Seeing dark spots
- Difficulty seeing nearby objects
- Eye pain
- Blindness
Macular degeneration is difficult to detect because it is painless and may only effect one eye. Additionally, progression can happen rapidly or take as long as several years.
To diagnose pigmentary maculopathy, a retinal specialist (not a common optometrist or ophthalmologist) may need to administer one of many specialized tests.
How frequently does Elmiron cause pigmentary maculopathy?
The 6 studies below show that roughly 1 out of 4 of patients who have taken Elmiron for six months develop this condition.
- May 2018 (Emory Eye Center study) - Six patients with chronic exposure to Elmiron developed unique pigmentary maculopathy.
- April 2019 (Emory Eye Center study) - 10 patients with a history of IC that didn’t take Elmiron, did not have pigmentary maculopathy.
- October 2019 (Kaiser Permanente study) - 22 of 91 Elmiron users showed retinal toxicity. Those who took more of the drug had increased levels of toxicity.
- November 2019 (Jain study) - People who used Elmiron for 7 years showed significantly increased odds of macular disease compared to those who took the drug for 5 years.
- November 2019 (Huckfeldt and Vavvas study) - A patient’s pigmentary maculopathy continued to get worse six years after stopping Elmiron.
- January 2020 (Vora, Patel and Melles study) - 27 out of 117 patients who took Elmiron experienced pigmentary maculopathy. Those who took over 1,500 grams showed higher risk.
Has Elmiron been recalled?
No. Despite the growing number of studies associating Elmiron use to potentially permanent vision damage, its manufacturer Janssen continues to distribute the drug.
The company instead added a maculopathy warning to Elmiron labels in June 2020. It has also failed to issue any communication about the danger of taking this drug.
Take Action Today
If you have experienced vision problems after taking Elmiron on a short-term or long-term basis, you may be entitled to compensation through an Elmiron lawsuit. The time to file a claim in now.