Viagra Caused Metastatic Melanoma of the Neck, Lawsuit Alleges

According to allegations raised in a product liability lawsuit filed by a Washington state man, side effects of Viagra caused him to develop metastatic melanoma of the neck after using the erectile dysfunction drug for two years.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Henri Geier in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington on November 24, indicating that Pfizer failed to warn consumer or the medical community about the skin cancer risks associated with their popular medication.

Geier indicates that he began using Viagra in July 2012, and continued to take the erectile dysfunction for about two years. In July 2014, Geier was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma of the neck and had to undergo surgical excision of the skin lesion. He also indicates that he has to remain vigilant in monitoring his skin for the reappearance of skin lesions because of the melanoma.

The case joins a growing number of similar Viagra melanoma lawsuits being pursued in courts throughout the U.S., which each raise similar allegations that Pfizer has known about the potential skin cancer risk associated with their blockbuster erectile dysfunction medication for years, yet withheld information from consumers and the medical community.

“Had Defendant properly disclosed the melanoma-related risks associated with Viagra, Plaintiff would have avoided the risk of developing melanoma by not using Viagra at all; severely limiting the dosage and length of its use; and/or more closely monitoring the degree to which the Viagra was adversely affecting his health,” according to allegations raised in the lawsuit.

Since its approval in 1998, Viagra has been prescribed to an estimated 35 million men, and it has become one of the most widely recognized brand-name medications on the market in the United States, used by millions of men to treat impotence and sexual dysfunction, including the inability to develop or maintain an erection.

According to Geier’s lawsuit, Pfizer reported $1.8 billion in revenue from Viagra sales in 2013, which commands 45% of the erectile dysfunction therapy market. However, concerns have emerged over the past few years about a potential link between Viagra and melanoma, with studies suggesting that the medication may reduced the body’s ability to resist the spread of melanoma.

As early as 2011, a study was published in the medical journal Cancer Cell which warned that Viagra could promote melanoma cell invasion.

Another study published in the Journal of Cell Biochemistry in 2012 also found that PDE5 inhibitors like Viagra could exacerbate melanoma development.

Public attention was not brought to the skin cancer risks from Viagra until a study published last year in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers from Harvard Medical School found that men who took Viagra were 84% more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma than men who do not use the drug.

The American Cancer Society indicates that melanoma is diagnosed in about 69,000 Americans each year and causes about 8,650 deaths annually. The skin cancer usually manifests as unusual moles or patches of skin. While it is often curable if caught early, once melanoma has spread beyond the skin and local lymph nodes, treatment is difficult and it may ultimately result in death.

Geier is pursuing causes of action against Pfizer for negligence, breach of warranty, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, strict liability, and violation of consumer protection laws, seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.