Tepezza lawsuits claim that Horizon Therapeutics, the drug's manufacturer, failed to warn doctors and patients about health risks. People who took Tepezza and experienced permanent hearing loss or tinnitus are filing lawsuits.
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As of October 2023, 54 Tepezza cases were pending in the MDL. Tepezza lawsuits are in the early stages, and as of July 2023, there have been no trials scheduled or court-approved settlements.
Plaintiffs filed a motion to consolidate the cases in multidistrict litigation in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in March 2023. In June 2023, judges created an MDL in the Northern District of Illinois.
Horizon opposed moving cases to California. However, the company said that if the court rules in favor of consolidation, cases should be consolidated in Illinois because a group of Tepezza lawsuits already exists in the state.
Ultimately, the multidistrict litigation panel voted to move the cases to Illinois. The cases will move forward in discovery next.
People are filing Tepezza lawsuits after they took the drug and suffered permanent hearing problems, such as hearing loss and tinnitus. According to lawsuits, the drug’s label doesn’t warn patients or doctors about the risk of hearing loss or tinnitus, and it doesn’t warn that these problems may be permanent.
The FDA approved Tepezza, also known as teprotumumab, to treat thyroid eye disease, or TED. The agency approved the drug in January 2020, and it’s the only drug available to treat TED.
During clinical trials, about 10% of patients reported hearing issues. But a 2021 study found the risk could be as high as 65%.
In July 2023, Horizon added the following warning to the drug’s label:
“Hearing Impairment Including Hearing Loss: Tepezza may cause severe hearing impairment including hearing loss, which in some cases may be permanent. Assess patients’ hearing before, during, and after treatment with Tepezza and consider the benefit-risk of treatment with patients.”
People who took Tepezza and suffered permanent hearing loss or tinnitus may file a Tepezza lawsuit to receive compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and decreased quality of life. Filing a lawsuit may also help warn other patients about the risks of taking Tepezza.
These permanent side effects of Tepezza don’t just cost money, they can also decrease a person’s quality of life. Studies show permanent hearing loss or tinnitus can make it difficult to understand others, potentially leading to feelings of frustration, anxiety and depression.
In a study of 26 people who had at least four infusions of Tepezza, 23% suffered hearing loss. Study authors said hearing loss was new or worse after taking the drug.
For some patients, the symptoms went away a few months after stopping the drug. However, others continued to experience symptoms even after stopping treatment.
In the same study, 27% of people who took Tepezza suffered tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. Some patients’ symptoms resolved after a few months.
Study authors said they didn’t know if symptoms could be reversed in patients whose tinnitus continued after stopping treatment.
You may qualify to file a Tepezza lawsuit if you took the drug and experienced permanent or persistent hearing loss or tinnitus. Only a lawyer can tell you if you qualify.
If you are interested in filing a Tepezza lawsuit, you should consult a Tepezza attorney right away. There are time limits to file your case.
Depending on the state you live in, the statute of limitations for a Tepezza lawsuit could range from two to four years. Attorney consultations are free and could preserve your right to file a claim.
Tepezza lawsuits are still in the early stages, and there have been no jury verdicts or settlements. Attorneys are still accepting cases.
Arizona man Daniel Weibel filed one of the first Tempezza lawsuits in August 2022 in Illinois after he took the drug and developed permanent hearing loss.
Weibel’s lawsuit against Horizon Pharmaceuticals claimed that “numerous patient reports, scientific studies, and even Defendant’s post-marketing studies have established that Tepezza causes hearing loss. Nevertheless, Defendant failed to warn, instruct, advise, educate, or otherwise inform Tepezza users.”
After Weibel received a thyroid eye disease diagnosis, he underwent Tepezza treatment from June 2020 through September 2020. Neither he nor his treating physician were aware of the risk of permanent hearing loss or tinnitus, according to the complaint.
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