Propulsid Litigation Lawyer Says: Unnecessary Drug Killed 80 People

Propulsid was a popular nighttime heartburn drug before it was pulled in the market in March of 2000. It was linked to dozens of fatal heart rhythm abnormalities. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) document associated the drug with 341 reports of heart rhythm abnormalities and 80 reported deaths. The FDA also acknowledges that only a small fraction of problems with a drug are ever reported.

Propulsid was used to treat severe nighttime heartburn in adult pations with gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD. The labeling had to be changed many times to account for the growing toll of heart disease and death caused by the drug, and finally after 7 years on the market it was pulled by the FDA. At the time of the Propulsid recall more than 350,000 Americans were taking Propulsid. It is estimated that over 30 million Americans took the drug since it went on the market in 1993. At the time of the recall it was one of Johnson & Johnson