Plaintiff Says Arava Manufacturer Breached Duty to Warn of Risks

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A Florida woman seeking damages against Sanofi-Aventis U.S. Inc. has accused the manufacturer of negligently failing to warn that ingesting the rheumatoid arthritis drug Arava could cause serious hematologic abnormalities. Prater v. Sanofi-Aventis U.S. Inc., No. 06-560 (N.D. Fla.).

In a Dec. 8 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Charlene Prater alleges that her use of Arava (leflunomide) as prescribed caused her to suffer several adverse side effects, including pancytopenia and erythma multiforme.

According to the complaint, Arava is defective in design because it has 'a dangerously long half life …