Viagra and Cialis Users Subject to Increased Skin Cancer Risks

January 26, 2017

In April 2014, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article which linked use of a class of drugs called PDE5 inhibitors to increased risks of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The active ingredient in Viagra is sildenafil citrate, and in Cialis the ingredient is tadalafil, both are PDE5 inhibitors. The products have been in use in the U.S. for over 15 years, and generate billions of dollars of revenue annually for their respective manufacturers.

The study published in JAMA included reviews of 26,000 men over a 10-year period from 2000 to 2010. It found that users of Viagra were almost twice as likely to develop melanoma after use of the drug, with an 84% increased likelihood compared to those who have never used the drug.

Lawsuits

While Viagra users have filed hundreds of lawsuits, those cases have been consolidated into a Multi-District Litigation (MDL). The MDL process consolidates cases with similar questions of fact into a single entity for pre-trial discovery and hearings. This MDL is being heard in the Northern District of California presided over by U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg. If cases have not settled during this pre-trial period, the cases are then remanded back to the U.S. District Courts where they originated. This is not a class action suit, in that all cases settle on the merits of the individual cases, and settlements are not shared with an entire class of plaintiffs.

Several additional lawsuits have been filed in the last two years regarding Cialis with similar allegations of use of the product causing melanoma. It is unknown if these lawsuits will be consolidated with the Viagra lawsuits or if Cialis cases will be consolidated into a separate MDL proceeding.

The cases allege that the manufacturers of these drugs, knew or should have known that the products in question had a likelihood of causing these debilitating side effects, but failed to warn either the medical providers or the patients with this necessary information to make an informed decision regarding taking the drugs.

Richard Harris Law Firm is Investigating Viagra and Cialis lawsuits

If you have taken either of these drugs and later developed melanoma, we want to hear from you to discuss your potential case. Please call us today to speak with our representatives about your experience at (702) 444-4444.