Elmiron Lawsuit Investigation

HealthDay reports that “[t]he widely used bladder drug Elmiron may cause eye damage” according to a new study in 2019.

This research builds on a 2018 study, which found “that the drug — known as pentosan polysulfate sodium and used by hundreds of thousands of people for decades — may be toxic to the retina,” according to HealthDay.

After reviewing the 2018 study, three eye specialists (ophthalmologists) at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California examined a database of 4.3 million Kaiser patients, HealthDay reports. The researchers identified patients who had been taking Elmiron for 15 years or longer, and asked them undergo an eye exam, HealthDay reports.

After examining detailed images of the back of the patients’ eyes, the researchers concluded that 24% of the long-term Elmiron users showed “clear signs of eye damage,” HealthDay says. The prevalence of eye damage was even higher among patients who took larger doses of Elmiron (1,500 grams or more): 42% of such patients had eye damage from “Elmiron toxicity,” accordingt o HealthDay.

One of the study authors said:

“It’s unfortunate. You have a patient with a chronic condition like interstitial cystitis, for which there is no cure and no effective treatment. They get put on these medications because it’s thought to have few side effects and few risks, and no one thinks about it again. And year after year, the number of pills they’re taking goes up and up.”

According to HealthDay, Dr. Robin Vora, one of the study authors, said that “[i]t’s unclear how much Elmiron is too much, so patients who show no signs of toxicity should be screened for retinal damage at least once a year.”