In December, 2015, Plaintiffs with filed cases alleging that Viagra® has caused some men to develop melanoma have asked the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to consolidate cases from across the U.S. in California. Viagra® is manufactured by Pfizer and prescribed for erectile dysfunction.
According to the petition, “To date, multiple individuals have filed similar suits against Defendant. Each of these actions assert virtually identical claims against the same Defendant, for the same injury, caused by the same drug, i.e. Viagra®. There are currently 15 claims pending against Defendant in several different federal jurisdictions, all making similar claims and allegations… Significantly, these filed cases represent only a small sample of the cases that are expected to be filed against Defendant by individuals who have developed melanoma subsequent to taking Viagra®.” These cases have been filed in federal district courts in Alabama, California, Minnesota, New York and North Carolina.
The petition further describes the allegations as follows:
Since 1998, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its new drug application (“NDA”) for the drug, Defendant has been manufacturing and selling sildenafil citrate under the brand name Viagra®. Viagra® treats erectile dysfunction by inhibiting the secretion of phosphodiesterase type 5 (“PDE5”), an enzyme responsible for the degradation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (“cGMP”). When the cGMP is not degraded by the PDE5, smooth muscles in the corpus cavernosum relax; this, in turn, permits an inflow of blood to the corpus cavernosum, creating an erection. Over the past few years, however, several studies have linked this same mechanism of action to cell mutation cultivating melanomagenesis….
Rather than making any label changes or otherwise adapting their marketing strategies to convey the information published in these studies, Defendant continued a longstanding and aggressive marketing campaign to pursue profits over patient safety and market share over medication efficacy.
We will continue to keep you updated on the Viagra® Melanoma litigation. For more information, feel free to contact Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Litigation Attorney Pamela A. Borgess of Borgess Law, LLC at (567) 455-5955 . You can also contact Borgess Law, LLC by submitting an online inquiry or emailing Attorney Borgess directly at pborgess@BorgessLaw.com. Borgess Law, LLC never charges a fee for an initial consultation.