Levaquin Cited as Cause for Tendon Rupture

In 1996 the FDA issued its first Report of Adverse Effects on the fluoroquinolones. Since then, however, it has been recorded that at least 200 reports of tendon rupture occurred through the class of drugs within a 10-year period and no recall or major investigation has occurred to increase warning labels on the drugs, especially Levaquin. Additionally, a report from the United Kingdom found that levofloxacin-induced tendonitis potentially affects approximately 3.2 out of every 1,000 patients who have taken Levaquin.

Levaquin, the best-selling prescription antibiotic in the US in 2009, has been linked to thousands of reports of Levaquin side effects, most notably tendonitis, tendon rupture, and Levaquin rotator cuff tears.
In 2009, more than 10 million Levaquin prescriptions were dispensed in the US generating more than $1.3 billion in revenue for drugmaker Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
Levaquin is prescribed to treat pneumonia and bronchitis as well as bacterial infections of the sinus, urinary tract, kidney, prostate and skin.

More than 2,500 Levaquin lawsuits are currently making their way through the US legal system, with more than 1,500 Levaquin lawsuits consolidated in a New Jersey state court. Just one Levaquin tendon rupture lawsuit has so far reached a jury, with the plaintiff winning damages worth $1.8 million. Similar jury awards may be dispensed as more cases reach trial in the coming weeks.

According to the report from The Journal of American Board of Family Medicine, the onset of tendon ruptures among patients characteristically is abrupt, causing extreme sharp pains and swelling of legs when walking. The study also reports that while most of the tendonitis among Levaquin patients occurs within the first two weeks of taking the drug, it can occur in patients long after the drug’s cycle has been completed. In some patients, the Levaquin tendon ruptures occurred longer than six months after treatment administration of the drug.