Thimerosal Lawsuit and Side
Effect Information

Thimerosal side effects are alleged to include autism in children. To file a Thimerosal lawsuit speak with a dangerous drug attorney.

Thimerosal Overview

Thimerosal is classified as an organomercury compound. It's considered to be approximately 49% mercury by weight. The main uses for this drug are as an antiseptic and antifungal agent, but it is also a preservative in vaccines, tattoo inks, contact lens solutions, nose and eye products, immunoglobin preparations, antivenins and skin test antigens.

Thimerosal (Merthiolate) got its start in 1928 when it was developed and registered by Eli Lilly. Although it was mainly developed to be an antiseptic/antifungal it was extensively used as a preservative in vaccines.

Not many safety studies have been done. In 1930 one study saw doctors injecting Thimerosal into 22 patients with meningitis. Researchers stated in the American Journal of Hygiene that this drug had a "low order of toxicity" but didn't mention that the human test subjects died. At that point there was no hint of a Thimerosal lawsuit.

It's been over 78 years since Thimerosal hit the market and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reportedly never asked Eli Lilly to conduct clinical studies on its safety.

In 1998 the FDA finally banned Thimerosal for use in over-the-counter products. In 1999 the FDA and the Center for Disease Control asked drug manufacturers to take Thimerosal out of vaccines used for children. Eli Lilly stopped making products with mercury in them in the mid-1980s but they still make money from licensing agreements.

There were thousands of lawsuits filed against Eli Lilly by parents who blame Thimerosal for their autistic children. It has been an uphill battle for those parents, as the drug company has "friends" in high places.

For instance, George Bush senior was on Lilly's board of directors during the 1970s; Mitch Daniels (former White House Budget Director) was a Lilly executive; President George W Bush named Sidney Taurel (Lilly CEO) to the Homeland Security Advisory Council. No wonder a Thimerosal lawsuit was hard to launch.

In 2002 Congress passed a measure indemnifying Eli Lilly from lawsuits and required families wanting compensation for Thimerosal injuries to go to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (federally funded). Over 5,000 US families have filed Thimerosal lawsuits alleging the drug caused autism in their children.

Thimerosal Side Effects & Other Concerns

Symptoms of mercury poisoning may include coma, brain, lung or kidney damage, attention deficit, tremors, fatigue, difficulty walking/speaking, vomiting and nausea. Mercury toxicity may induce learning disabilities, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Vaccine symptoms may include joint pain, rash, a cranky child, general feeling of being sick, nausea, pain at the injection site, cough, swollen eyes, head cold/runny nose, swelling or redness at the injection site and a mild fever.

Many parents feel mercury poisoning in their children caused autism, as the symptoms of mercury poisoning and autism are very similar. The Public Health Service agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the vaccine manufacturers removed Thimerosal from all pediatric vaccines and reduced the amount in other vaccines.

However the FDA, the US Public Health Service, the Center for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, Health Resources and Service Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics stated: "Our review revealed no evidence of harm caused by doses of Thimerosal found in vaccines, except for local hypersensitivity reactions."

Lawsuits of note against Eli Lilly have been and are for:

* Zyprexa/olanzapine - antipsychotic caused diabetes, hyperglycemia, seizures and diabetic coma
* Three Racial Discrimination Lawsuits - paid blacks less than whites, fired them for complaining and with held pay
* Medicaid Alaska - company concealed side effects and increased state Medicaid costs for treating diabetes
* Securities Class Action New York - that company violated Federal securities laws by making misleading statements about Zyprexa
* Sexual Harassment Lawsuit - female employee filed for sexual harassment by supervisor and sales partner
* Ariad Pharmaceutical Lawsuit - patent infringement for Evista and Xigris
* Xigris/drotrecogin alfa - supposed to treat sepsis (blood infection) but was no better than a placebo with severe side effects
* Mississippi Medicaid Fraud - for marketing Zepeda for off label uses (mood swings and disturbed sleep) and defrauding state out of millions in Medicaid reimbursements
* Prozac - antidepressant caused severe birth defects

Thimerosal Lawsuits

The federally funded Vaccine Court has been busy since 1988. From then until August 2008 over 5,263 autism claims have been filed. Only one has received compensation and over 350 were dismissed. The remainder of the cases are pending.

Thimerosal lawsuits allege there is a connection between exposure to high amounts of mercury and development of autism. A CDC report cited in these cases says children exposed to 62.5 mcgs of mercury through vaccines were 2.48 times more likely to develop autism.

The first of the Thimerosal lawsuits was filed following an FDA report in 1999 stating, "infants who received Thimerosal-containing vaccines ... may be exposed to more mercury than recommended by federal guidelines for total mercury exposure."

If you have been harmed by Thimerosal and the Vaccine Court has dismissed your claim, you may contact a private lawyer and file a civil lawsuit against Eli Lilly. Ask a dangerous drug lawyer about your claim and how to file a Thimerosal lawsuit.




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