Ofloxacin - Current Litigation

Current Litigation

The manufacturers (Johnson and Johnson/Ortho McNeil) of ofloxacin are currently embroiled in litigation concerning levofloxacin/ofloxacin in regards to spontaneous tendon ruptures. There are a significant number of cases currently pending before the United States District Court, District of Minnesota, involving spontaneous tendon ruptures alleged to be caused by these drugs. On June 13, 2008 a Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) granted the Plaintiffs’ motion to centralize individual and class action lawsuits involving levaquin in the District of Minnesota over objection of Defendants, Johnson and Johnson / Ortho McNeil. Such ruptures have also been associated with ofloxacin, as well as other drugs found within this class.

Douglas & London in New York, who represents more than 200 such plaintiffs from 38 States, expects to file many additional product liability suits involving levofloxacin/ofloxacin. As plaintiffs attorney, lawyer Michael London had recently asked the New Jersey Supreme Court to accord mass-tort treatment to their suits against the manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc.

The various manufacturers have countered these allegations stating that they believe that these drugs are both safe and effective antibiotics, well tolerated with a minimum of side-effects, that such reactions are “rare” and the benefits of such therapy outweigh the perceived risks.

Several class action lawsuits had been filed in regards to the adverse reactions suffered by those exposed to Ciprofloxacin during the Anthrax scare of 2001 as well.