Maryland Injury Law Center
If you received the drug Tepezza for treatment of an eye condition and subsequently suffered hearing loss or ringing in your ears (tinnitus), you may be able to bring a Tepezza lawsuit and get financial compensation. Tepezza is a drug recently approved for the treatment of thyroid eye disease, but it causes some patients to suffer serious hearing loss.
Individuals who received Tepezza and suffered damage to their hearing are no filing product liability lawsuits. There is now a class action lawsuit for Tepezza. Our lawyers are currently seeking Tepezza hearing damage cases in all 50 states. Contact us today at 800-553-8082 to see if you have a case.
About Tepezza
Tepezza is the brand name for teprotumumab, a new medication that is used for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED) and a related condition called Graves’ eye disease. TED is a condition in which the eye muscles and tissue behind the eyes are chronically inflamed. The inflammation behind the eyes is the result of an abnormal autoimmune response. It can obstruct vision and result in bulging eyes.
Tepezza was developed by a biopharmaceutical company called Horizon Therapeutics, and the drug was formally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2020. Tepezza is the only medication approved for the treatment of thyroid eye disease. Tepezza treats TED by blocking a specific protein that is believed to trigger the immune response that causes TED. Tepezza is administered by a series of injections over several months.
Horizon performed only minimal clinical testing on Tepezza before seeking FDA approval. This meant that the drug was approved without determining the exact mechanism of action. Fewer than 100 patients were included in the clinical trial which Horizon used for the FDA approval of Tepezza.
Tepezza Causes Serious Hearing Loss
Horizon acknowledged during the approval process (and to a limited extent in its product label) hearing damage was a potential side-effect of Tepezza. However, Horizon minimalized this risk, claiming that the hearing loss was “temporary and generally of limited duration” and that it occurred in less than 10% of patients.
However, it didn’t take long after Tepezza was released on the U.S. market for a stream of reports about serious hearing damage to start coming in from patients and doctors who used the drug. A series of studies on Tepezza were released in 2021, which showed that Horizon grossly understated the true risk of hearing damage associated with Tepezza and how serious that hearing damage could be.
The Endocrine Society journal published a study in March 2021 which reported that 65% of patients who received Tepezza experienced hearing damage or ringing in the ears. That was significantly higher than the 10% estimated risk of hearing loss disclosed by Horizon during the FDA approval process and on its product labeling. More case reports about the risk of hearing loss associated with Tepezza followed and seemed to confirm this.
Horizon Failed to Warn About Tepezza and Hearing Loss
Horizon minimalized the level of hearing damage risk as a side effect of Tepezza infusions. As a result, the limited reference to this risk in the product label was grossly inadequate and did not amount to a real warning because it failed to truly advise and doctors (or patients) about the risk of permanent hearing damage or the need for monitoring. Horizon knew or should have reasonably known about this potential risk associated with Tepezza warned doctors and patients accordingly.
Tepezza Hearing Loss Lawsuits
Individuals who got Tepezza infusions and later experienced hearing damage or tinnitus have started bringing product liability lawsuits against Horizon. These Tepezza hear damage lawsuits claim that Horizon failed to adequately warn doctors and patients about the true level of hearing loss risk presented by Tepezza.
A pair of Tepezza lawsuits were filed in August and September in the Northern District of Illinois, which is where Horizon has its corporate headquarters. The plaintiffs allege in these cases that suffered hearing loss soon after and as a result of taking Tepezza for treatment of their TED.
A sizeable number of Tepezza hearing loss lawsuits are expected over the next year or two as more patients suffer damage to their hearing. The Tepezza lawsuits have not yet been consolidated into a class action MDL, but that could happen in the future if we get enough of these cases filed.
It appears that Horizon’s defense strategy in the Tepezza lawsuits right now is to pursue dismissal based on federal preemption. Preemption is a common defense in pharmaceutical tort cases. The argument basically is that the warning labels on Tepezza are governed by federal law and regulations which preempt the state law tort claims.
Payout Value Estimate for Tepezza Hearing Lawsuits
It is obviously very speculative at this early point in this litigation to say how much Tepezza lawsuits might be worth at trial or settlement. Assuming that these cases are successful, however, we can offer a reasonable estimate based on settlements in prior tort cases involving similar claims and injuries.
Our lawyers anticipate that successful Tepezza hearing damage cases with good facts may have a settlement of value in the range of $140,000 to $250,000. The value of an individual case will depend on various factors, including the age of the plaintiff and whether they had any preexisting hearing issues. Cases with permanent hearing loss in plaintiffs who are relatively young could be worth much more.
Contact Us About a Tepezza Hearing Damage Lawsuit
Our firm is currently seeking Tepezza hearing damage lawsuits across the country. If you took Tepezza for treatment of TED and you subsequently suffered hearing damage, hearing loss or permanent ringing in the ears (tinnitus) contact our office today for a free consultation.