Another Reglan tardive dyskinesia lawsuit was filed on May 8, 2012, in the California Superior Court for the County of San Francisco. The suit comes after Kelli Stokes developed tardive dyskinesia due to taking the acid reflux drug between 2006 and 2010.
Stokes’ lawsuit names the McKesson Corporation, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc., Pfizer Inc. and Schwarz Pharma Inc. as defendants in her lawsuit. The lengthy use of Reglan has caused Stokes to claim that she suffered from overexposure to metoclopramide, causing her conditions which include restless leg syndrome, TD and other conditions that are permanent and disabling. Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological movement disorder that is characterized by “involuntary and uncontrollable movements of the face, neck, head, arms and/or trunk, and also facial grimacing and tongue movements like tongue chewing or thrusting.”
Stokes is accusing the defendants of “participating in, authorized and directed the production and promotion of Reglan when they knew, or should have known, of the hazards and dangers associated with the drug.” She is also accusing the defendants of wrongful conduct, fraudulent misrepresentation and various acts and omissions. Her complaint for damages lists allegations of strict product liability, failure to warn, negligence, fraud, deceit by concealment, negligent misrepresentation, breach of express and implied warranties and violation of local business and professional code.
Like most Reglan plaintiffs, Stokes took Reglan for far longer than the time that the FDA lists as safe. The FDA currently recommends that Reglan not be taken for a period lasting longer than 12 weeks. The problem is that the warning didn’t get included in the drug’s labels until 2009, which is years after Stokes started taking the drug. Because of the TD dangers linked to Reglan, the FDA also issued a black box warning against it. Still, some doctors continue to prescribe Reglan for longer than 12 weeks and patients continue to suffer from injuries because of it.
