Ambien Class Action Gets FDA Support: FDA Directs Sanofi-Aventis to Warn Consumers About Sleep Eating and Sleep Driving
On March 6, 2006, class action attorney Susan Chana Lask Filed the Only Federal Class Action for Stronger Warnings to Protect Consumers.
On March 14, 2007 She Won the FDA Order Directing the Exact Warnings She Fought For.
On May 29, 2007 She Closed the Case, Without Prejudice, because She achieved exactly what she wanted-the Warnings.
Ms. Lask Did Not Earn Any Money for this self-less case she filed to protect the public.
She Dismissed “Without Prejudice” so Consumers Can File Individual Actions if they Believe They Have a Case.
March 6, 2006: Susan Chana Lask on MSNBC Explains Ambien Warnings
Below Published March 15, 2007 about Ambien Class Action Case Won & Closed
New York City Attorney Susan Chana Lask filed a class action complaint in the Southern District of New York on March 6, 2006, Index No. 06CV1672, maintaining the warnings by Sanofi Aventis were inadequate. Today she has a major victory on her side for her class of thousands of people nationwide – the FDA in a March 14, 2007 news release confirms it directed Sanofi-Aventis to strengthen warnings on their labels about the two rare, but serious , side effects that Ms. Lask discovered and her class complaint made public since last year:
–Complex sleep-related behaviors which may include sleep-driving, making phone calls, and preparing and eating food (while asleep).
The FDA directed not only Sanofi Aventis but all sleep medication manufacturers to write letters to doctors notifying them of the new warnings. All prescription sleeping pills now will come with special brochures called “Medication Guides” that list the risks for patients in easy-to-understand language. The FDA website explains more for consumers.
Ms. Lask made public these dangerous side effects last year by her filing of the class Action and her relentless campaign in the media to get stronger warnings for consumers who became what she termed “Ambien Zombies”. Ms. Lask’s Complaint alleged that taking Ambien for a good night’s sleep did not happen as advertised for many consumers, but instead they woke up only to find themselves in jail, driving cars while in a hypnotic state and binge eating at night things like microwaved paint, buttered cigarettes and raw eggs while their spouses and family were literally paralyzed to see these strange behaviors.
Attorney Susan Chana Lask explains, “The purpose of the lawsuit was to insure Ambien warns consumers and doctors about the potential side effects of sleep walking and sleep eating because it is unfair for this huge manufacturer to make billions from the 26 Million or so prescriptions off their product a year they profit from and not provide a simple warning. Clearly the FDA agreed with me.”
2012: Six Year Later
After Ms. Lask exposed the Ambien Zombie phenomenon, suddenly everyone from the Kennedy’s and Jack Nicholson publicized their ambien experiences. On September 13, 2012 the magazine Marie Claire published an article mentioning Susan Chana Lask’s Ambien Class Action, which skews Ambien as a woman’s issue. Ms. Lask maintains it is an issue for everyone.
