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Syfovre & Izervay Attorneys

Syfovre and Izervay were both approved by the FDA recently, in 2023, to treat geographic atrophy (GA) caused by age-related macular degeneration. These drugs were meant to make people’s lives better, but instead, there have been complaints of severe vision-related side effects. Patients have come forward with lawsuits against the manufacturers, claiming that they weren’t adequately warned about the risks involved with taking these medications.

What Is Syfovre?

Syfovre is an injected medicine developed to treat geographic atrophy. Developed by Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Syfovre gained FDA approval in February 2023 as a groundbreaking treatment for GA.

First Approved Treatment for Geographic Atrophy

Syfovre is the brand name of the medicine pegcetacoplan. The injectable medicine was considered groundbreaking because it was the first FDA-approved treatment for geographic atrophy.

How Does Syfovre Work?

Syfovre targets a part of the immune system affected by GA, which causes inflammation and cell damage. It blocks the C3 protein to help slow down the loss of retinal cells that happens with geographic atrophy. By doing this, the medication focuses on the root cause of the disease rather than just treating the symptoms.

Serious Side Effects of Syfovre

Despite Syfovre’s potential to treat GA, there are serious concerns about side effects like retinal inflammation and vision loss. While it shows promise in slowing the disease, these risks have led to debates about its safety and long-term use. For some patients, the side effects have outweighed the benefits, leading to safety warnings and lawsuits.

What Is Izervay?

Izervay (avacincaptad pegol) is a treatment for geographic atrophy, a type of eye disease. It was introduced by Astellas Pharma in August 2023 as a competitor to Syfovre. Izervay quickly became known as an alternative, but reports of serious side effects, like retinal inflammation and vision loss, have led to lawsuits against the company.

How Does Izervay Work?

Izervay inhibits C5, a protein in the complement system downstream of C3 (Syfovre’s target). By blocking C5, Izervay aims to reduce inflammation and prevent damage to retinal cells. This selective targeting of C5 allows Izervay to interrupt the complement cascade closer to its endpoint, focusing specifically on processes that directly lead to cell damage​.

Severe Side Effects of Izervay

Like Syfovre, Izervay can cause serious side effects such as eye inflammation, retinal blood vessel problems, and blocked retinal arteries. These issues can lead to significant vision problems, including permanent blindness in some cases. These severe side effects have led to lawsuits, as many patients feel they were not properly warned about the risks.

How Is Izervay Different From Syfovre?

Izervay and Syfovre both treat geographic atrophy, but they work in slightly different ways. They target the complement system, which is part of the immune system. However, Izervay works on a different part of that system than Syfovre. Because of this, their side effects and effectiveness can vary.

How Are Syfovre and Izervay Administered?

Both Syfovre and Izervay are administered through injections into the eye, known as intravitreal injections. These injections deliver the medicine directly into the part of the eye that needs treatment, helping the medicine work more effectively.

Are Intravitreal Injections Safe?

Intravitreal injections are generally safe for treating a variety of eye conditions like age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and macular edema. They help deliver medicine more quickly and in a higher dose to the retina, where it’s needed. This helps doctors to better treat these conditions. However, there are risks, including infection and problems with the blood vessels in the eye, which could cause serious damage.

What Do Syfovre and Izervay Treat?

Both drugs treat geographic atrophy, which is a severe form of age-related macular degeneration. This condition damages the macula, the part of the retina that controls sharp, central vision. Over time, it leads to blind spots in the middle of a person’s vision, making tasks like reading, driving, and recognizing faces difficult.

What Is Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye disease that causes vision loss. It is a leading cause of vision loss among people aged 50 and older. It has two forms: dry and wet. Dry AMD causes the macula to gradually thin, while wet AMD involves abnormal blood vessels growing under the retina. This blood vessel growth eventually leads to leakage and scarring. Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced stage of dry AMD resulting in permanent blind spots in central vision. Although AMD doesn’t usually cause total blindness, it does make it harder to do everyday tasks.

Symptoms of Geographic Atrophy

Early symptoms of geographic atrophy include trouble seeing in low light, difficulty reading, and blurry central vision. As the condition worsens, people may have trouble with daily activities. There’s no cure for geographic atrophy, but treatments like Syfovre and Izervay can slow its progress.

FDA Approval for Treating Geographic Atrophy

The FDA approved both Syfovre and Izervay in 2023 to treat geographic atrophy. These drugs were seen as a breakthrough, but the serious side effects reported after their use have raised concerns and led to legal action.

Side Effects of Syfovre and Izervay

Both drugs have caused severe side effects in some patients, such as eye inflammation, blocked blood vessels, and permanent vision loss. These side effects can happen quickly, sometimes even after just one injection. These injuries are life-changing and have a significant impact on victims. These serious reactions are believed to come from how the drugs interact with the immune system.

Retinal Vasculitis

Retinal vasculitis is a severe condition that can threaten your vision if left untreated. It causes inflammation in the retinal blood vessels, leading to swelling and blockages that reduce blood flow to the retina. In some cases, this can result in complications like occlusive retinal vasculitis or retinal vascular occlusion, which may lead to permanent vision loss.

Occlusive Retinal Vasculitis

Occlusive retinal vasculitis is a severe form of retinal vasculitis where the blood vessels in the eye become blocked. This can lead to rapid and sometimes permanent damage, affecting vision or even causing blindness. Researchers believe this may be caused by how these drugs affect the immune system.

Retinal Artery Occlusion

Retinal artery occlusion happens when a blockage reduces blood flow to the retina. This limits oxygen supply and can cause rapid damage. Symptoms often include sudden, painless vision loss or a significant decrease in clear vision. Medications like Syvofre and Izervay, which target the complement system, might unintentionally trigger responses that contribute to these blockages. Retinal artery occlusion can lead to permanent vision loss because the retina struggles to recover from this kind of damage.

Intraocular Inflammation

Intraocular inflammation, also known as iritis or uveitis, occurs when the inside of the eye becomes swollen. This can cause pain, redness, and blurred vision. If it is not treated, long-term damage can occur. This reaction is a known side effect of the type of injections used to administer Syfovre and Izervay.

Ocular Ischemic Syndrome

Ocular ischemic syndrome, or a “stroke of the eye,” is another severe risk associated with these treatments. This is a rare condition where the blood supply to the eye is disrupted, often leading to permanent vision loss. This can happen due to blocked blood vessels in the retina.

Permanent Vision Loss

Some patients who use Syfovre or Izervay have lost their vision permanently due to serious side effects. These side effects can damage the retina’s blood vessels and prevent oxygen from reaching the retina. Once the cells of the retina are injured, they cannot regrow, causing irreversible damage to the affected eye.

Why Are People Filing Syfovre and Izervay Lawsuits?

The main reason for the lawsuits is the serious side effects linked to these drugs. Plaintiffs claim manufacturers failed to warn consumers about the risks. In mid-2023, reports of serious vision-damaging side effects caused by Appelis Pharmaceutical’s Syvofre were being made. By July 2023, the company acknowledged seven cases of retinal vasculitis tied to Syfovre. Izervay has been linked to similar problems. These reports have led to legal investigations into both products.

Syfovre and Izervay Safety Risks

Investigations suggest the method used to inhibit the immune system and the manner of injection could be causing the serious side effects. Accusations suggest the companies behind Syfovre and Izervay did not conduct enough safety studies. These studies may have shown the drugs’ potential dangers more clearly. Some critics believe the manufacturers focused more on selling the drugs than making sure they were safe for patients.

Failure To Warn of Syfovre and Izervay's Risks

The lawsuits argue that the companies behind these drugs did not give a clear and adequate explanation of the potential risks tied to the use of their medicines. Plaintiffs argue that the manufacturers either underestimated or downplayed the severity of these risks. Additionally, they claim that appropriate warnings or instructions were not given to healthcare providers and patients on effectively minimizing these risks. As a result, the lawsuits state that patients were left vulnerable to serious harm.

Impact on Patients Taking Syfovre or Izervay

The effects of these drugs have been serious and quick, with some injuries happening just days after use. For people already struggling with AMD, the side effects of these drugs have made their situations even worse. This has led to additional emotional and physical challenges. Patients have faced not only the progression of their eye disease but also new and unexpected vision loss due to the treatments, leaving many with fears about their future quality of life.

Syfovre and Izervay Lawsuits

Currently, there are no confirmed class action lawsuits against Apellis Pharmaceuticals or Astellas Pharma for Syfovre or Izervay. Most of the lawsuits are personal injury cases filed by patients who have suffered serious problems after using Syfovre or Izervay. As more cases arise, there could be the possibility of class action lawsuits, where many people join together to seek justice.

Syfovre Lawsuits

Patients who developed serious eye problems after taking Syfovre have sued Apellis Pharmaceuticals. They claim that the company didn’t adequately warn them about the risks of Syfovre.

Izervay Lawsuits

Lawsuits related to Izervay are still in their early stages but involve similar complaints. Many l claim that Iveric Bio, purchased by Astellas Pharma, failed to complete enough testing to determine Izervay’s actual risks. Additionally, there are accusations that the company withheld important information about the risk of inflammation from regulators, healthcare providers, and patients.

Individual Personal Injury Lawsuits

Patients have filed personal injury lawsuits against Apellis Pharmaceuticals over its drug Syfovre. These cases revolve around serious complications like retinal vasculitis and occlusive retinal vasculitis that occurred after Syfovre injections. The lawsuits aim to recover damages for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other related losses.

Similarly, there have also been early lawsuits filed concerning Izervay, citing issues like severe intraocular inflammation and other side effects. While both sets of lawsuits are still in the beginning stages, they raise important questions about the safety of these treatments.

Syfovre and Izervay Class Action Lawsuits

Class action lawsuits may occur if a large number of patients report similar injuries and damages caused by Syfovre and Izervay. Additionally, the courts must determine that consolidating these claims is more efficient. Such lawsuits streamline the legal process for affected individuals, allowing them to seek justice and compensation as a group.

Legal Rights and Compensation

If a pharmaceutical company fails to warn consumers about the risks of their products, they can be held responsible. Victims may seek compensation for economic damages, including medical costs, rehabilitation costs, and lost income. Additionally, non-economic damages, such as emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and pain and suffering, may also be awarded. In some cases of severe negligence or intentional misconduct, the company might be required to pay extra damages to punish them for their actions and discourage similar actions in the future.

Do I Qualify for a Syfovre or Izervay Lawsuit?

You may qualify for a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Syfovre or Izervay if you experience severe side effects, such as retinal vasculitis, retinal artery occlusion, intraocular inflammation, or permanent vision loss after using these medications. To know if you qualify, you should consider whether your injury occurred shortly after treatment and whether you were adequately warned of these risks by your healthcare provider or the drug manufacturer. Speaking with an experienced attorney can help you review your case. You will be able to explore legal options for seeking compensation for expenses, lost income, and the emotional damage caused by your injury.

Farah & Farah Is Here To Help You

If you or a loved one has been injured after using Syfovre or Izervay, don’t wait to seek legal help. Our team has experience helping people harmed by defective drugs, and we’re ready to support you against the company whose drug caused harm when it should have helped. Contact us today for a free consultation. You won’t have to pay anything unless your case is successful.

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