Glenmark Sued: Recalled Potassium Pills Pose Death Risk

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit claims Glenmark sold defective extended-release potassium chloride capsules that failed to meet safety standards and posed life-threatening risks, despite a massive recall.

Consumers Affected: Alabama consumers who purchased Glenmark's recalled potassium chloride capsules.

Court: U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Newark Vicinage

Bottle of spilled pills representing Glenmark potassium medication recall

The Lawsuit Follows A Massive Recall Of More Than 100 Batches Of The Capsules

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Glenmark is facing legal action after recalling more than 114 batches—millions of capsules—of its extended-release potassium chloride medication. 

The proposed class action lawsuit claims the capsules, widely used to treat low potassium levels, failed to meet required safety standards and posed life-threatening risks, particularly to vulnerable patients with chronic health conditions.

The June 2024 recall was classified as Class I by the FDA, the agency’s most serious type, reserved for products that could cause serious injury or death. Plaintiffs allege that Glenmark not only sold defective drugs but did so despite a troubling track record of quality control failures and open FDA warning letters.

Plaintiff Says She Consumed Unsafe Medication Unknowingly

Alabama resident Martha Brewton filed the proposed class action lawsuit against Glenmark. She said she purchased the company’s potassium chloride capsules at least three times between late 2023 and early 2024, unaware that the medication was later deemed unsafe and recalled. Her pharmacy, Walgreens, notified her that she had received pills from the adulterated batches.

Brewton said she will be representing thousands of similarly affected consumers who suffered financial losses by paying for a drug that failed to meet basic safety standards and that, had they known the truth, they would never have done so.

"Extended Release" Drug Allegedly Acted Like Rapid Release

According to the lawsuit, the capsules dissolved too quickly, potentially causing dangerously high potassium levels in patients. Hyperkalemia—excess potassium in the blood—can trigger irregular heartbeats and cardiac arrest. 

Brewton alleges Glenmark falsely marketed the pills as extended-release and compliant with U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) standards, when in fact the drugs were mislabeled and unsafe.

Worse, the lawsuit claims Glenmark continued selling the capsules even after discovering the issue and may have sold millions more that expired before the recall was issued. The pills, Brewton argues, had no economic or therapeutic value and should have been destroyed rather than sold.

Glenmark’s History of Recalls and Quality Failures

This isn’t Glenmark’s first time under scrutiny. Since 2019, the company has received multiple FDA warning letters and has issued more than 60 drug recalls, citing problems ranging from contamination to manufacturing lapses. The lawsuit claims this pattern shows a systemic disregard for drug safety in favor of profits.

Glenmark joins a growing list of drugmakers under fire for allegedly misleading consumers. GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Sanofi recently settled tens of thousands of lawsuits tied to claims that their heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer. 

Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble is battling a lawsuit over synthetic ingredients in its “natural” sleep supplements, and Lemme, a Kardashian-backed brand, is facing backlash for allegedly overselling the effects of its diet capsules.

In her lawsuit against Glenmark, Brewton wants to represent anyone in Alabama who bought the company’s recalled potassium chloride capsules. 

Case Details

  • Lawsuit: Brewton v. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
  • Case Number: 2:25-cv-12055
  • Court: U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Newark Vicinage 

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

  • Roshan D. Shah (Shah Law Group, LLC)
  • Aaron K. Block (The Block Firm LLC)

Did you take Glenmark's recalled potassium chloride capsules? Share your experience or concerns below.

Latest News

Loading...

Illustration of a mobile device getting an email notification