The Amaeva association, which represents victims of Androcur and other hormonal treatments, filed a complaint this Tuesday against investigation cell of Radio France, this Thursday, confirming information from the newspaper Le Monde. According to the complaint that the cell obtained, the victims accuse the Bayer laboratory which markets Androcur of delay in implementing information and prevention measures, while the dangerousness of Androcur and the risks of meningiomas have been known for several years.
Androcur is a drug derived from progesterone, which can cause meningiomas (brain tumors) in certain patients, non-cancerous tumors, but which can cause paralysis, vision or speech problems. He was massively marketed since the 1980s to treat excessive hair growth, endometriosis and acne, or as a means of contraception.
More than 2,500 women operated on for meningioma
In total, 2,578 women were operated on of a meningioma due to taking a progestin medication between 2009 and 2018, according to official data from pharmacoepidemiology studies led by EPI-PHARE, a structure created at the end of 2018 by the National Medicines and Drug Safety Agency. health products (ANSM) and the National Health Insurance Fund. “As early as 2004, neurosurgeon Sébastien Froelich reported five cases of meningiomas.affirms to the investigation unit of Radio France Me Charles Joseph-Oudin, who represents victims, “it is from this date that the responsibility of the laboratories and public authorities is engaged. The laboratory should have informed about the risks of adverse effects and the health authorities should also have informed.”
“For 15 years, women continued to be exposed to toxic and potentially fatal products”
But we will have to wait until 2018 for a study by the CNAM and the ANSM to establish “an increase in the risk of meningioma with duration of use”. In 2019, the ANSM recommended that doctors “to inform patients of the risk of meningioma”to “evaluate the benefit/risk ratio for each patient, taking into account the risk of meningioma”*, or even to prescribe it only “in compliance with the indications in the marketing authorization and at the lowest possible doses, and over a short period of time”. “For 15 years, despite the existence of this signal, women continued to be exposed to toxic and potentially fatal products, without being informed of the risks”continues Charles Joseph-Oudin.
Me Charles Joseph-Oudin manages 250 files for Androcur. He believes that “the“The seriousness of the medical situations and the number of victims justify that the prosecution of the Paris judicial court opens a judicial investigation and organizes a major trial for the victims of Androcur.” Around ten other complaints from victims will be filed in criminal court in the coming days, victims who took Androcur without having been alerted by their gynecologist or endocrinologist who prescribed the drug to them.
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