Law Firm Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP Announces Class Action Lawsuit Against Bayer.

Business Editors & Legal Writers

BALA CYNWYD, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 12, 2001

The following statement was issued today by the law firm of Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP:

Notice is hereby given that Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP has filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on behalf of all persons who were prescribed the drug Cerivastatin, also known as Baycol (Lipobay outside the United States). As alleged in the Complaint, Bayer Corporation, a unit of Bayer AG (OTC Bulletin Board: BAYZY), is named as the defendant in this action due to its responsibility in manufacturing, promoting, marketing, distributing, and selling Baycol and/or Lipobay.

If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP (Marc A. Topaz, Esq. or Stuart L. Berman, Esq.) toll free at 1-888-299-7706 or 1-610-667-7706, or via e-mail at [e-mail].

On August 8, 2001 the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") announced that Bayer withdrew Baycol from all markets in which it distributed Baycol and/or Lipobay, other than Japan. According to the FDA, the recall was announced for a number of reasons, including the fact that over 480 Baycol users developed rhabdomyolysis after being prescribed Baycol. Rhabdomyolysis is a condition that results in muscle cell breakdown and release of the contents of muscle cells into the bloodstream. Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include muscle pain, weakness, tenderness, malaise, fever, dark urine, nausea and vomiting. The pain may involve specific groups of muscles or may be generalized throughout the body. Most frequently the involved muscle groups are the calves and lower back. In some cases the muscle injury is so severe that patients develop renal failure and other organ failure, which can be fatal. Cases of fatal rhabdomyolysis in association with the use of Baycol have been reported significantly more frequently than for other approved statins. The FDA has received reports of 31 deaths in the United States due to severe rhabdomyolysis associated with the use of Baycol. Recent news reports have suggested that over several hundred people have died from their alleged use of Baycol and/or Lipobay worldwide. According to Bayer, patients who are currently taking Baycol should have their Baycol discontinued and be switched to an alternative therapy.

If you or anyone you know has been prescribed Baycol, you/they may be members of the class described above. Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of class members and is represented by the law firm of Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP, which has significant experience and expertise prosecuting complex class actions nationwide. For more information on Schiffrin & Barroway, please visit www.sbclasslaw.com.