Patient Sues Optimark over Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis

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March 19th, 2007

"Optimark Suit"

A man who developed nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) allegedly because he was injected with a drug before his MRI has filed a lawsuit against the drug maker.

John Walker's skin had hardened to the point where he could barely move. For six weeks, the 71-year-old man was bedridden as a result of his NSF.

The Lawsuit

“It affects his daily living,” said walker's attorney, Peter Brodhead. “He doesn't know if this will ever be cured.”

The lawsuit comes months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it was investigating what seemed to be a link between certain contrasting agents injected into patients before MRIs and NSF.

The problem has only been observed in patients that had kidney problems of some sort before they were given the contrasting agent.

A few days after he was injected with the substance, his arms, legs, hands, and joints were swollen and hardened. The substance caused Walker's debilitating condition, the suit states.

Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis?

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is a very rare condition in which the skin, and sometimes, internal organ tissues, harden and joints become exceedingly inflexible.

“This condition is really unknown outside of the medical literature,” said Brodhead. “It seems the medical community is only now waking up to what this condition is and what causes it.”

In patients with kidney problems, the substance, which contains gadolinium, manages to get into body tissues, causing them to harden.

“They haven't yet figured out how it gets out, but obviously something is happening,” said Brodhead. “When the gadolinium gets to the tissue, it triggers the body to produce scar tissue.”

It can also cause internal organs, including lungs to harden, which can seriously hinder their ability to function. This can lead to death.

Harmed by Gadodiamide? Please contact us today for a complimentary consultation with an experienced and effective product liability attorney who will explain to you your legal rights and options. You may be able to recover compensation for your medical expenses, missed work, pain, suffering and more.