Motley Rice - Attorneys at Law
Navigation
Main navigation
Motley Rice represents clients across many areas.
Learn about the cases Motley Rice is actively representing clients in or cases that we've litigated previously.
People have filed lawsuits against weight loss drug manufacturers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.
Lawsuits allege talcum powder use is linked to reproductive organ cancer for women.
Individuals who know of an FCA violation can file a qui tam whistleblower lawsuit.
Social media companies are being sued over alleged teenage mental health harms.
This library contains more than 2,000 exhibits cited in social media harm lawsuits across the United States.
Survivors of sexual abuse may hire a civil sexual abuse attorney to discuss what they’ve experienced and look into pursuing legal action.
Studies link hair relaxers to uterine/ovarian cancer. Lawsuits seek to hold companies accountable.
Asbestos-related diseases include mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.
ERISA sets minimum standards including which employees are eligible for benefits, how benefits must be calculated, and when benefits vest.
While litigation can take years to complete from start to finish, our firm is always working for our clients, no matter how long it takes or how hard it gets.
Motley Rice attorneys and support personnel are dedicated to representing clients and working with co-counsel located throughout the United States and around the world.
Comprehensive, up-to-date news on the issues surrounding the litigation areas of Motley Rice LLC.
Learn about the latest happenings from lawsuits and other events impacting plaintiffs, including the new Social Media Harm Evidence Library.
Read news coverage about Motley Rice, its clients and our efforts to hold defendants accountable.
Motley Rice lawyers share their insights on litigation and more to inform people exploring their legal options.
This case is no longer active
The Legal Team
The FDA approved Xeljanz® and Xeljanz XR® (generically known as tofacitinib) in 2012 to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA); the FDA later approved for treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PSA), ulcerative colitis (UC) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). However, questions about the drug’s safety were raised after an FDA required clinical trial found elevated risks of severe side effects including blood clots, heart problems, cancer and even death.
The 5mg tablet once or twice daily is approved for rheumatoid arthritis, but a 10mg twice daily dose is approved for moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.
The FDA required a boxed warning, the agency’s most prominent warning, for Xeljanz warning of the potential for deadly effects. On Sept. 1, 2021, the FDA announced that it was revising a previous warning and that it includes two additional drugs, Olumiant® and RinvoqTM, which share a mechanism of action with Xeljanz and are also required to include the new boxed warning
Potential complications of Xeljanz, Olumiant and Rinvoq include:
In 2019, interim results of a required post-marketing safety study conducted by Pfizer, Study ID Number A3921133, showed an increased risk of blood clots and death with the higher 10mg twice daily dosage. As a result of this safety study, the FDA approved the addition of boxed warnings for blood clots and death on the drug’s label in July 2019.
The FDA then alerted the public in February 2021 that preliminary results from a safety clinical trial also showed an increase risk of serious heart related problems and cancer compared to another type of medicine. Further studies of the drug’s effects are ongoing.
Motley Rice medical attorneys have experience litigating for patients alleging they were hurt by dangerous prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and our attorneys hold leadership roles in multiple medical drug and device cases.
We understand that as a patient or family member, what you know about your or a loved one’s medications may be limited. If you believe a medicine made you sick or hurt you, our attorneys have the resources needed to thoroughly investigate and:
Do not stop taking a prescribed medication without first consulting with your doctor. Discontinuing a prescribed medication without your doctor's advice can result in injury or death.