Top General Joins Canadian Mefloquine Lawsuit

As featured in this story, retired Canadian general Romeo Dallaire, who led the United Nations mission in Rwanda in the mid-1990s, has joined nearly 900 other Canadian veterans in a lawsuit that alleges the Canadian government “willfully ignored and concealed the risks” of mefloquine (Lariam).

Dallaire becomes the highest-ranking veteran participating in the unprecedented mass-tort lawsuit, led by the Toronto personal injury firm Howie, Sacks and Henry.

The VA Continues to Award New Mefloquine Claims

As first described in this article, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs continues to award claims for mefloquine-related neuropsychiatric disabilities on a case-by-case basis, including in certain cases where original documentation of prescribing is not available.

The Quinism Foundation recently became aware of a claim for tinnitus (i.e. ringing of the ears) attributed by the VA to a veteran’s exposure to mefloquine.

If you are a U.S. veteran and have been awarded VA disability benefits clearly attributed to your exposure to mefloquine, please contact us to share the details of your claim.

Participate in the U.S. Mefloquine Study

As announced in a previous newsletter,  the U.S. Department of Defense is funding a study to investigate possible genetic risk factors for the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms from mefloquine, including symptoms that mimic those of PTSD.

You may be able to participate in this study if you either took mefloquine (whether or not you developed symptoms) or have a diagnosis of PTSD but did not take mefloquine. All study subjects must not have a diagnosis of TBI, must be between the ages of 18-55, and must be able to travel to the Bethesda, Maryland, area, for an initial encounter involving several hours and a blood draw.  A modest financial incentive will be offered to eligible subjects to participate.

Please note that although The Quinism Foundation is not formally affiliated with this study, the foundation fully supports this effort and extends its thanks to the scientists within the U.S. military who are dedicating their efforts to studying this important issue. The foundation encourages eligible and interested U.S. veterans and civilians to participate.

For questions on this study, or to determine if you are eligible to enroll as a subject, please contact the study team directly.