Viagra was approved for the market in 1998, and since then the drug has been used to treat erectile dysfunction in millions of men. Only a few years after its approval, the FDA began receiving complaints about vision loss, and in 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended the label of the drug be changed to include a warning about the potential of sudden vision loss.

In 2014, a study published in journal JAMA Internal Medicine noted a potential link between Viagra use and the development of melanoma, a particularly dangerous and potentially life-threatening skin cancer. Two years later, the FDA announced it was evaluating the need for regulatory action regarding the possible association between Viagra and other PDE-5 inhibitors and skin melanoma.

Hundreds of Lawsuits Filed Against Pfizer’s Viagra

Individuals and families across the country are seeking justice alleging the manufacturer Pfizer failed to warn physicians and their patients about the risks. More than 400 cases have been consolidated to Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) in Northern California in MDL NO. 2691.

These lawsuits allege that Pfizer failed to reveal material information related to the development of melanoma that has been associated with Viagra use. As a result of this failure, multitudes of men across the country were treated with the medication, but many claim that if they had known about the risks of the drug, they would have elected not to take Viagra. By failing to disclose the risks of the drug, physicians and their patients are unable to make informed decisions about medical care and the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

According to the allegations made in many of the Viagra lawsuits, if warnings about the increased risks of the development of skin cancer from Viagra would have been made public, patients and their physicians would have been aware of the risks and on the lookout for unusual growth and moles. Melanoma is a particularly deadly form of skin cancer. Early detection and treatment are critical. If Viagra patients had known of the risks, they would have known to check their skin regularly for early signs of cancer, including by using the ABCDE skin check system.

The ABCDE skin check system warns you to be on the lookout for

• Asymmetrical moles, or moles that would not line up if you cut them in half and laid one over the other
• Borders of the moles are irregular or jagged edged instead of smooth
• Color changes or moles that have more than one color
• Diameter changes that indicate growth and moles that are larger than the eraser of a pencil
• Evolution or change in mole such as a change in size or shape or the development of new symptoms such as itching, crusting, or bleeding.

Millions of men have relied on medications like Viagra to help with intimacy. Yet, the same medications that may aid in intimacy may increase the patient's risk for dangerous and potentially-life threatening melanoma skin cancer. We believe drug makers should be held responsible for potential harmful side effects of the medications they make. Call us at 1-800-223-3784 for a free case evaluation.