Tepezza Lawsuit: The Hearing-Loss Claims

What the Lawsuits Allege

Tepezza (teprotumumab), made by Horizon Therapeutics (now part of Amgen), is an infused drug approved to treat thyroid eye disease, a condition that can cause bulging eyes and vision problems. Plaintiffs allege the treatment caused permanent hearing loss and tinnitus — persistent ringing in the ears — and that when they were treated, the label did not warn of that risk. The lawsuits claim the maker knew or should have known of the danger and failed to disclose it.

In July 2023, the FDA required the label to be updated to warn that Tepezza may cause severe and sometimes permanent hearing impairment — a change plaintiffs point to as coming too late for them.

The Litigation Status

The cases were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of Illinois in mid-2023, and the docket has grown to a few hundred federal cases as more former patients come forward. A pool of bellwether cases — representative trials meant to gauge how juries respond — has been selected, and the court has directed the parties to hold regular settlement discussions as discovery proceeds. Horizon has contested the claims, including arguments that some should be barred on legal grounds.

No global settlement had been reached as this was written; the litigation remains active.

What Patients Should Know

If you received Tepezza and developed hearing changes or tinnitus, tell your doctor and have your hearing tested, and keep records of your infusions and any audiology results — that documentation is the evidence in a claim. As with any active litigation, be wary of sites that promise a specific payout; outcomes depend on the bellwether trials and any settlement that follows.