The German pharmaceutical company Bayer AG announced in August of 2001 a voluntary withdrawal of its drug Baycol (cerivastatin) from the US and European markets. Over 31 people have died while taking the drug. They perish of severe muscle breakdown, a rare condition that has been associated with cholesterol-lowering drugs like Baycol. Many of the people to die while using Baycol were also using gemfibrozil, despite warnings about the danger of mixing the two.

Drug recalls are relatively rare, representing less than 3% of drugs that are released into the market. The FDA supported this voluntary recall. Baycol has been used worldwide by over 6 million people, and it will remain on the market in Japan where gemfibrozil is unavailable.

Since statins (cholesteral-lowering drugs) were introduced in the marketplace many physicians noted that patients experienced muscle spasms and pain. In this case of the Baycol tragedies, this muscle soreness progressed to a full-scale breakdown, a condition called rhabdomyolysis. As this muscle tissue breaks down it releases toxic proteins into the bloodstream. When this tainted blood reaches the internal organs it causes kidney failure. Nearly all of the Baycol deaths were caused by kidney failure.

There have been lawsuits filed against Bayer, and rightfully so, for introducing this dangerous and deadly drug into the marketplace. Many of the adverse reactions took place with high dose pills used in conjunction with gemfibrozil, but many people also died while taking small doses of Baycol alone. If you or a loved one has suffered from the use of Baycol, contact an attorney right away.