First of a Kind Lawsuit Concerns MRI Injection

In what plaintiff's lawyers believe is one of the first lawsuits of its kind, plaintiff sued the manufacturer of a contrast agent injected for an MRI. He alleges that the drug, Optimark, caused him to develop nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.   Optimark and similar contrast agents contain the metal gadolinium.  The FDA is currently investigating the link between gadolinium and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with kidney problems.  The plaintiff suffers from Wegener's disease, which causes kidney inflammation. The case is Walker v. Tyco Healthcare Group, Federal Northern District of Ohio Case No. 1:07-cv-00741.  Patient suing Drug Maker by Mike Tobin, The Plain Dealer, Mar. 19, 2007.