Viagra Lawsuits Over Melanoma Risk Filed Against Pfizer

Pfizer faces a growing number of product liability lawsuits filed by men who allege they developed melanoma from side effects of Viagra, indicating that the company failed to adequately warn about the risk of skin cancer associated with the popular erectile dysfunction drug.  

So far this month, at least three Viagra lawsuits have been filed throughout the federal court system, raising nearly identical allegations that Pfizer knew or should have known about the link between Viagra and melanoma, yet withheld information from consumers and the medical community.

Viagra (sildenafil citrate) was introduced by Pfizer in 1998, and it has become one of the most widely recognized medications in the United States, used by millions of men to treat impotence and sexual dysfunction, including the inability to develop or maintain an erection.

Pfizer reported that Viagra generated $1.8 billion in revenue worldwide in 2013, and the drug has been prescribed to an estimated 35 million men since its 1998 approval. However, recent studies suggest that the medication may reduced the body’s ability to resist the spread of melanoma, a serious and potentially fatal form of skin cancer.

In April 2014, researchers from Harvard Medical School published the findings of a new study in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine, which found that men who took Viagra were 84% more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma than men who do not use the drug.

Since that time, a growing number of men throughout the United States have been considering potential Viagra melanoma lawsuits, and it appears that the pace of new complaints being filed is starting to pick up.

Allegations Raised in Viagra Melanoma Lawsuits

Each of the lawsuits filed so far this month allege that Pfizer knew or should have known that their popular drug was associated with an increased risk of melanoma, yet withheld warnings and information that may have allowed doctors and consumers to detect signs or symptoms of the skin cancer from Viagra before it progressed to a more serious stage.

The recent claims include a complaint by Ronnie B. Griffith (PDF), of Alabama, which was filed on March 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Two other lawsuits were filed on March 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi by John O’Neill (PDF), and Marcus H. Tanner (PDF), both of Mississippi.

Plaintiffs allege that Pfizer had warnings about a potential link between Viagra and skin cancer as far back as 2011, when a study published in the medical journal Cancer Cell found that Viagra can promote melanoma cell invasion. That study was followed by a 2012 study in the Journal of Cell Biochemistry which again found that PDE5 inhibitors like Viagra could allow melanoma to flourish.

“Pfizer purposefully downplayed, understated and outright ignored the melanoma-related health hazards and risks associated with using Viagra,” the lawsuits indicate. “Pfizer also deceived potential Viagra users by relaying positive information through the press, including testimonials from retired, popular U.S. politicians, while downplaying known adverse and serious health effects. Pfizer concealed material information related to melanoma development from potential Viagra users.”

Griffith began using Viagra in 2008 to treat erectile dysfunction. He was diagnosed with melanoma in 2013. Tanner began using the drug in 2009 and was diagnosed with melanoma in 2011, and O’Neill began using Viagra in 1998 and was given a melanoma diagnosis in 2001. All three men say that had they or their doctors been adequately warned about the risks, they would not have taken the drug.

The lawsuits accuse Pfizer of designing a defective drug, failure to warn, breach of warranty, negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, and fraudulent concealment. The lawsuits seek both punitive and compensatory damages.

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.

As Viagra lawyers continue to review additional claims for men throughout the United States diagnosed with melanoma, it is utimately expected that several hundred claims will be brought nationwide.