The list of potential side effects is quickly run on the bottom of TV ads and a voice lists some, but others aren’t publicized or are downplayed.

Artificial intelligence enables the 21st century to have incredible promise in medicine and new medications. Researchers will rapidly discover, test, and provide these medications for needy patients. Previously, there was no AI to speedy discover and provide needed medication for chronic illnesses that either brought varying degrees of disability or death. One of them, of course, was cancer, and now we know we may be on a discovery-rich trail to combat and eliminate cancers before they destroy anyone's life. Even new pharmaceuticals for extremely rare disorders, generally genetic, are being discovered and becoming available.

Previous discoveries heralded as barrier-breaking medications and brought millions, if not billions, to the pharmaceutical companies selling them, have not been without serious consequences for patients. Some patients who took these modern miracle drugs experienced damage or death, leading to lawsuits in the pharmaceutical sales industry.

A litany of suits might prove helpful for patients who are curious about which drugs and what pharmaceutical companies may have been involved in multiple lawsuits previously. See the end of this article for the link.

Subpar pharmaceuticals might result from production problems or misleading advertising. For example, a drug maker might need to conduct more research on potential side effects before releasing the medicine to the public, or the drug might have adverse effects requiring adequate warning.

In these cases, anyone from the drug maker or distributor to the prescribing physician could be liable for harming a patient. The theories of responsibility applicable in a case depend on the injuries and the defendant. The biggest lawsuits for pharmaceuticals can be eye-opening.

Xarelto, an anticoagulant medication, was the subject of about 25,000 claims brought before federal and state courts in the United States in 2019.

The prostate cancer medication Lupron was the subject of $875 million in deceptive pricing and marketing activities.

One company paid a criminal punishment of $515 million and civil settlements of up to $800 million to settle claims relating to the 2009 illegal advertising of its antipsychotic medicine, Zyprexa.

Another company promoted its prescription medicine Depakote illegally, leading to $700 million in criminal punishment and forfeiture and $800 million in civil settlements. Preventing migraines, bipolar mania, and epileptic seizures were the intended uses of the medicine. The company advocated for the drug’s usage off-label in the treatment of a variety of mental health issues, including schizophrenia, alcohol and drug withdrawal, depression, anxiety, OCD, autism, and behavioral problems associated with dementia.

Today, we are facing a raft of new medications aimed specifically at one of the world's most problematic disorders, obesity and resulting diabetes. The number of lawsuits filed against the major weight-loss drugs suggests we may not have found the solution to this disorder.

Patients have lodged dozens of lawsuits against the major weight-loss drugs, indicating that following medication use, their side effects included gastroparesis and gallbladder surgery. Given the enormous number of people seeking help with their weight control difficulties, weight-loss drugs are expected to reach a market share of over $100 billion by 2030. We can imagine how many millions of people worldwide will be eager to use these medications, and there is one thing that everyone needs to keep in mind.

Every side effect of any medication can sometimes fail to be recognized initially. The larger the pool of patients using a medication, the more likely it is that side effects that were not apparent initially may turn up. This is the case with any medication, and it is not exclusive to weight-loss drugs.

The careful consumer/patient should read all the materials provided with any medication and the online Physicians Desk Reference (PDR). The list of side effects typically includes the more common ones, along with the percentage of patients who experience them, and then there is a smaller section that highlights rare side effects. I don't believe anyone can provide a guarantee that a patient will not experience a rare side effect.

Anyone wishing to search for any current or prior medication has access to a searchable database of lawsuits available online.