Digitek lawsuits filed in West Virginia

Two new lawsuits allege that one patient died and another was injured after they consumed a heart drug distributed by Mylan Pharmaceuticals that contained twice the approved amount of the drug.

The lawsuits were filed last week in West Virginia for alleged injuries suffered by patients who took Digitek, also known as Digoxin.

The drug is used to treat various heart conditions, including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and heart failure. The drug is designed to help the heart beat and contract more efficiently.

But Digitek "has a narrow therapeutic index, and thus, has a limited margin between effectiveness and toxicity," the lawsuits state.

The damages to patients were caused, the lawsuits allege, because the pills they recently consumed contained "twice the approved level of active ingredient."

The United States Food and Drug Administration set that "approved level."

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Thanks, Matt, in my Monday class at Thomas M. Cooley Law School.