Tepezza, also known as teprotumumab, is a prescription medication that is used to treat thyroid eye disease (TED) and Graves’ eye disease. TED is a condition characterized by inflammation in parts of the eye caused by an abnormal autoimmune response. Tepezza is new to the market having only been approved by the FDA in January of 2020. Developed by Horizon Therapeutics, Tepezza is administered via injection and acts to block a specific protein thought to be responsible for TED. Soon after its release on the market, reports of serious hearing damage began to roll in from patients and their physicians.
Patients who have taken Tapezza are now filing claims against the manufacturer for their injuries.
Recent studies link Tepezza to serious hearing-related side effects including permanent hearing loss, tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears), and autophony (the perception that your body sounds such as breathing or arterial noises are too loud).
In March 2021 the results of a major study were published in the Endocrine Society journal which found that 65% of patients who received Tepezza reported some level of hearing damage or ringing in the ears.
A 2022 study reported in the American Journal of Ophthalmology revealed that out of 27 patients who used Tepezza, 81.5% reported some form of hearing dysfunction during their use of the medication. Five of the 27 patients reported long-term hearing loss, while others reported that their symptoms resolved over time. During the FDA approval process, the manufacturer admitted that there was some risk of hearing damage as a potential side effect of the drug. However, they represented that the hearing loss occurred in less than 10% of patients and was temporary. Horizon’s failure to warn patients of the true extent of the risk for permanent hearing loss is at the heart of Tepezza lawsuits. If you have been treated with Tepezza, and were subsequently diagnosed with permanent hearing damage, hearing loss, or ringing in the ears (tinnitus) you may have a claim.
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