Hot on the heels of a report showing a correlation (not causation, guys, don’t worry) between using Viagra and developing melanoma, comes a growing number of lawsuits against Pfizer, the maker of the erectile dysfunction medication. So many, in fact, that the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is holding a hearing to consider whether to coordinate all of the national litigation against the Viagra manufacturer.
So what are the risks, and what do you need to know about the expanding litigation?
It’ll Make You Go Blind, but Might Not Give You Cancer
The makers of Viagra should be well acquainted with multidistrict litigation (MDL) from a series of federal lawsuits ten years ago accusing the drug of causing blindness. This round of litigation is based on a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2014 that found men who used Viagra were 84 percent more likely to develop melanoma over a period of 10 years.
While melanoma is an extremely dangerous form of skin cancer, the study only found an overlap between men who took Viagra and men who developed melanoma — it didn’t find that Viagra causes melanoma. These lawsuits, however, contend Pfizer failed to properly test the drug prior to promoting it to doctors and patients, that the marketing materials for Viagra are false and misleading, and that Viagra’s warning label is defective.
MDL Not Quite a Class Action
If an MDL is granted, it means that federal cases in Alabama, California, Minnesota, New York, and North Carolina would all be coordinated. But it doesn’t mean that just any defendant can hop on board. While an MDL allows multiple plaintiffs to cooperate, their cases remain distinct, unlike a class action lawsuit, which consolidates multiple defendants into one case.
It appears as though Pfizer won’t fight the establishment of an MDL in the Viagra melanoma lawsuits. But the bigger decisions, like whether or not to settle and a judge or jury’s ultimate ruling, will not come until much later. If you’ve been harmed by a drug or have questions about the Viagra lawsuits, you can contact an experienced personal injury attorney near you.
Related Resources:
- Hurt by a product or accident? Get your claim reviewed for free. (Consumer Injury)
- Merger of Viagra Maker and Allergan Could Be Biggest of 2015 (FindLaw’s In House)
- Hearing Loss Risk Added to Impotence Drug Labeling (FindLaw’s Common Law)
- Motorcyclist’s 20-Month Erection Lawsuit Peters Out in Court (FindLaw’s Legally Weird)
