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What is This Claim About?
The British Ministry of Defence is facing a group action claim by soldiers who were prescribed the antimalarial drug Lariam, which caused many physical and mental side effects.
Over 17,000 U.K. troops were prescribed Lariam between April 2007 and March 2015.
Who’s Eligible?
You may qualify to join the Lariam group action if you were a member of the British Armed Forces and were prescribed Lariam while serving abroad between April 2007 and March 2015 and experienced side effects from the drug.
According to Group Action Lawyers, side effects include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Abnormal behaviour
- Altered sleep
- Hallucinations
- Heightened anger, panic or tension
- Nausea
- Psychosis
- Short-term memory loss
- Severe mental or physical exhaustion
How Much Compensation Will I Receive?
The amount of compensation given to Lariam victims will be determined in court. Exact amounts have not yet been announced.
How Do I Join?
Contact one of the representing law firms for advice and help with filing your claim if you believe you qualify.
The following law firms are leading the Lariam group action:
Brayford Solicitors
Group Action Lawyers
Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd.
Irwin Mitchell
A group action claim has been launched in the U.K. over the antimalarial drug Lariam being commonly prescribed to the armed forces.
In 2016, the BBC reported a group of members in the U.K.’s armed forces launched legal action against the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The group of soldiers was seeking damages after taking the drug Lariam, which they allege caused mental health issues.
At the time, law firm Irwin Mitchell was contacted by 30 soldiers over the MoD’s use of Lariam, the BBC reported.
Lariam contains mefloquine hydrochloride, an ingredient that has been linked to mental health issues, and individuals who suffer from depression, epilepsy and seizures are usually warned to not take the drug, according to the blog Volunteer Latin America.
Lariam is often prescribed to soldiers and is a once-a-week tablet used in 42 countries to combat malaria.
The U.K. government guidance on mefloquine says the antimalarial drug is “effective” and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Lariam has a hefty list of side effects that include aching joints, anxiety, blistering of the skin, confusion, convulsions, depression, hallucinations, unusual bleeding, swelling in the lower extremities and vomiting, according to Drugs.com.
A warning on the website says Larium “may cause neuropsychiatric adverse reactions that can persist after mefloquine has been discontinued. Mefloquine should not be prescribed for prophylaxis in patients with major psychiatric disorders. During prophylactic use, if psychiatric or neurologic symptoms occur, the drug should be discontinued and an alternative medication should be substituted.”
But the MoD insists Lariam is only given to soldiers after a personal risk assessment, according to the BBC.
Lawyers at Irwin Mitchell said the legal action came after Defence Select Committee MPs were notified that Lariam was used outside the drug’s guidelines.
“Through our work we have seen first-hand the devastating effects that Lariam has had on the lives of service personnel and their families,” Kevin Timms of Irwin Mitchell told the BBC in 2016. “We are now investigating the legal case on their behalf and in some cases have already formally notified the MoD of the intention to bring legal action.”
In 2016, after it came to light that U.K. troops were experiencing side effects from Lariam, MPs from the Defence Committee declared the drug should only be used as a last resort, according to the BBC.
Lariam was prescribed to about 17,000 armed service members from April 2007 to March 2015.
MPs criticised the MoD for prescribing the drug to U.K. troops, knowing it can cause severe mental-health side effects.
A six-month inquiry began in 2016, and the Defence Select Committee pointed out the severe side effects of Lariam were clearly stated by the drug’s manufacturer, Roche, but there was “strong anecdotal evidence” the MoD ignored strict conditions for the drug’s use.
“It seems quite clear that not only is the MoD unable to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for prescribing the drug in all instances, but a number of troops discard their Lariam rather than risk its potentially dangerous side-effects,” Defence Select Committee chairperson Dr. Julian Lewis told the BBC.
Lewis added: “It is our firm conclusion that there is neither the need, nor any justification for continuing to issue this medication to service personnel unless they can be individually assessed, in accordance with the manufacturers’ requirements.
“And most of the time that is simply impossible, when a sudden, mass deployment of hundreds of troops is necessary.”
