Our Lawyers Respond to Recall of Double-Strength Digitek Tablets. The firm has been contacted by families who may have lost loved ones to the toxic dose.

Breaking news from the Digitek lawyers of Weitz & Luxenberg: May 15, 2008, New York, NY—A Class I recall was issued by Actavis Totowa LLC on April 25, 2008 for all lots of the heart medicine Digitek (generic name digoxin) because some have been found to contain twice the approved levels of active ingredient than is appropriate.
Unfortunately, this recall comes too late for the families whose loved ones ingested the potentially deadly dose. According to the Food and Drug Administration, several reports of illnesses and injuries have been received.

Glenn Zuckerman, a Digitek lawyer with the Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. Drugs and Medical Devices Litigation unit said, “It is alarming that a pharmaceutical tablet with double the approved thickness and strength is out on the market and putting lives at risk. Our Digitek lawyers have spoken with the families of several people who died following ingestion of the defective pills, and who suffered symptoms consistent with digoxin toxicity before they passed away. The public has a right to know what quality assurance measures have been in place and why these overdosed tablets were being sold.”

Digitek is used to treat heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms. The existence of double strength tablets poses a risk of digoxin toxicity in patients with renal failure.

Digoxin toxicity can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, low blood pressure, cardiac instability and bradycardia. Death can also result from excessive intake of digoxin.

This was also not the first time Actavis has had problems with digoxin. According to an FDA warning letter from 2006, an inspection between January and February 2006 revealed that there were six potentially serious and unexpected adverse drug events dating back to 1999 for products such as digoxin, and other pharmaceuticals, that were not reported to the agency.

Patients taking Digitek should contact their physician immediately for medical advice.
The Actavis press release on the recall can be found at the FDA website.
A number of families have already come forward to say the death of a loved one was caused by defective Digitek tablets. People who have been harmed by Digitek should complete the form below for a free legal review of their potential case.