AbbVie Accused of Downplaying CoolSculpting System Side Effects

AbbVie Inc. and its subsidiaries were hit with a lawsuit alleging they failed to warn consumers that the fat removal system CoolSculpting could cause permanent side effects.

The system, which claims to freeze fat in stubborn areas, can cause paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, a “permanent pathological change to the microstructure of the tissue in the treatment area” that can create hardened tissues masses out of dead cells and cause disfigurement, according to the complaint filed Wednesday in the California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles.

Plaintiff Salma Dwabe said she developed PAH and that she wouldn’t have chosen to ...