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Tepezza Lawsuit

A growing body of research suggests that patients who receive Tepezza infusions to treat thyroid eye disease face an increased risk of hearing loss and other hearing-related issues. This research further indicates that up to 65% of those receiving Tepezza could go on to develop permanent hearing-related problems, including:

• Total or Partial Deafness
• Eustachian tube dysfunction (pressure abnormalities in the inner ear)
• Hyperacusis (decreased sound tolerance)
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Autophony (increased sensitivity to the sound of your voice)

 If you were diagnosed with any of the above hearing issues after receiving infusions to treat thyroid eye disease, you might be eligible to file a Tepezza lawsuit to recover damages from the drug’s manufacturer, including payment for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Contact a Tepezza Lawyer Today

Our attorneys are investigating Tepezza hearing loss claims and are offering free legal consultations to anyone who suffered hearing-related side effects allegedly caused by this medication. If you’re interested in filing a Tepezza lawsuit, please fill out our online form or call (888) 994-5118 to schedule your free, no-obligation case review.

Tepezza and Thyroid Eye Disease

Tepezza (teprotumumab) was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2020 and remains the only medication approved to treat adults with thyroid eye disease, a rare condition where the muscles and fatty tissues behind the eye to become inflamed, causing the eyes to be pushed forward and bulge outwards (proptosis).

Ireland-based Horizon Therapeutics brought Tepezza to market under the FDA’s Fast Track and Breakthrough Therapy Designation protocols. The drug also received Orphan Drug designation because thyroid eye disease is considered a rare disease for which other treatments are not readily available.

Phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials conducted before Tepezza’s approval suggested that 85% of patients experienced side effects related to treatment, with 10% of patients reporting hearing loss symptoms. However, it was reported that hearing loss and hearing-related symptoms resolved once Tepezza treatment concluded.

Tepezza Hearing Loss Studies

Unfortunately, studies published in the ensuing years suggest this is not the case.

For example, according to a recent study published in The Lancet, hearing loss was one of the most commonly reported adverse events in two Tepezza trials involving patients treated at 28 specialty centers.

In May 2021, another study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society indicated that 46% of patients receiving four or more Tepezza infusions had reported issues with hearing, including:

• Hearing loss
• New tinnitus (ringing of the ears)
• Ear plugging or muffled hearing
• Autophony (the unusually loud hearing of an individual’s voice)

An additional 23% of patients experienced sensorineural hearing loss that had yet to resolve three months after stopping Tepezza infusions. The study authors characterized the hearing loss as a “concerning adverse event” that “should be further studied.”

A third study analyzing hearing dysfunction in 27 patients treated with Tepezza found that 81.5% developed new subjective otologic symptoms, including tinnitus, ear plugging/fullness, autophony, and hearing loss/decreased word comprehension. Three of the five patients who developed sensorineural hearing loss experienced persistent subjective hearing loss at their last follow-up. This particular paper was partly written by a consultant for Horizon Therapeutics and an individual who has served on the corporation’s advisory boards.

Why File a Tepezza Lawsuit?

The consequences of Tepezza hearing loss are usually devasting on both a financial and personal level, often leaving victims to cope with mounting medical bills and unable to work in their chosen profession or participate in many of the activities they once enjoyed.

While Horizon Therapeutics has been aware of the risk for Tepezza hearing loss since at least March 2021, a growing number of legal claims assert that the company actually knew about the potential for these adverse events before the drug’s approval, but failed to communicate this to the FDA or provide doctors and patients with adequate warnings of this risk.

If these allegations are proven in court, plaintiffs pursuing Tepezza lawsuits may be entitled to compensation for their injury-related damages, including:

• Past and future medical bills
• Loss of income and future earning capacity
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma
• Disability
• Inability to perform daily activities
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium (for spouse)

Schedule Your Free Tepezza Lawsuit Review Today

To learn if you qualify to file a Tepezza lawsuit, please fill out our online form or call our office today at (888) 994-5118.

The consultation is free, and because we represent all of our clients on contingency, you won’t pay any legal fees unless your case is successful and our attorneys recover compensation on your behalf.