SPG’s Danielle Mason Appointed to Elmiron MDL Leadership Team

Danielle Mason of Sanders Phillips Grossman LLC is one of twenty-five lawyers selected by a federal judge to lead a multidistrict litigation (MDL) over Janssen Pharmaceuticals’ drug Elmiron.

Danielle will serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) for the Elmiron MDL, where she’ll help to conduct and coordinate discovery, act as spokesperson for all plaintiffs at pretrial proceedings, negotiate with the defense, and perform other task necessary to carry out the centralized litigation. A federal judicial panel created the MDL in December 2020 and transferred nearly 130 Elmiron lawsuits to U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Consumers allege that Elmiron, prescribed to treat a chronic bladder condition called interstitial cystitis, causes eye problems and vision loss.

The leadership team, which consists of eighteen women, follows directives from Judge Brian R. Martinotti to create a PSC reflecting significant inclusiveness and diversity. In an order appointing the plaintiffs’ counsel, Judge Martinotti said the team consists of “an array of highly skilled counsel with diverse background and experience” that will advance the goal of “introducing new and different counsel to this specialty area of practice.”

“I’m honored to be appointed to this committee and to have the opportunity to work with such a talented and diverse leadership group,” said Danielle. “Whether a drug is new to the market or, like Elmiron, has been established for many years, pharmaceutical litigation is one of the best tools we have to hold companies accountable when dangers are discovered with their products.”

Elmiron (pentosan polysulfate sodium) has been on the market since 1996, but Janssen did not change the drug’s label to warn about vision problems until 2020. The new warning cautions about “pigment changes in the retina of the eye” that may lead to irreversible vision loss. Most patients suffering from interstitial cystitis are women, and most of the plaintiffs in the MDL are expected to be women.

“I have full confidence that Danielle will represent the plaintiffs well and represent our firm well,” said SPG Founding Partner Marc Grossman. “She is one of the best young attorneys in the country and very deserving of this position.”

Danielle’s career has focused on claims related to women’s health issues. She joined Sanders Phillips Grossman in 2019 and leads the firm’s talcum powder litigation team. Previously, Danielle was appointed to the PSC of the Invokana MDL. She has been named a Super Lawyers “Rising Star,” chosen as one of the “10 Best” Attorneys for Alabama, and included in the Best Lawyers in America list.

Sanders Phillips Grossman is a national leader in defective drug and medical device litigation. The firm recently partnered with Greg Coleman Law PC and Whitfield Bryson LLP to form Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC (“Milberg”). Milberg is one of the most successful mass plaintiffs’ firms in the country, with over $50 billion in verdicts and settlements.