Viagra MDL

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer is being sued by hundreds of men who claim that the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra caused their skin cancer. In one Viagra lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges that Pfizer should be held liable for wrongful conduct and negligence in connection with the design, manufacture and promotion of its blockbuster medication.

Attorney Bart Bernard is reviewing claims of men diagnosed with skin cancer after taking Viagra. As a veteran litigator of defective drug injury claims, Bart Bernard has ample experience helping Louisiana victims and their loved ones pursue compensation against Big Pharma. Find out if you have a valid complaint against Pfizer by contacting our personal injury law offices today.

Due to the escalating number of Viagra lawsuits filed in courtrooms across the nation, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation found that centralization would promote more efficiencies in the litigation. The Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate) Products Liability Litigation was established in California federal court in April of 2016 and assigned to Judge Richard Seeborg. Initially, just 14 Viagra cases were transferred for coordinated pretrial proceedings, but as the months went on, and additional studies found a link between Viagra and skin cancer risk, dozens more complaints were brought against Pfizer. Consumer advocacy groups predict that Viagra multidistrict litigation No. 2691 will ultimately amass thousands of claims.

Multidistrict litigation is utilized to streamline pretrial processes in civil actions that share factual questions and allegations against common defendants. Consolidating similar complaints before one judge is designed to prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings, eliminate duplicative discovery and allow parties to pool resources. All plaintiffs whose cases have been transferred to MDL 2691 contend that Viagra causes or increases the likelihood of developing melanoma and that defendant Pfizer failed to provide sufficient warning about this risk. In addition, all issues concerning background science, regulatory history, and drug marketing are common among the Viagra complaints.

In 2017, Judge Seeborg expanded the MDL No. 2691 to include complaints against Eli Lilly and Co., the manufacturer of Cialis, another erectile dysfunction drug that has been connected to melanoma. Cialis (Tadalafil), like Viagra is a PDE5 inhibitor – a class of drugs that have been scientifically linked to growth of melanocytes and an increased risk of skin cancer. To date, more than 740 complaints have been moved to MDL No. 2691 in San Francisco, where Judge Seeborg is overseeing actions by men who took Viagra, Cialis or a combination of the two ED drugs, and developed melanoma skin cancer.

Given the widespread popularity of ED drugs like Viagra and Cialis, in addition to the documented melanoma risk linked to the medications, the mass tort is expected to grow substantially, as both plaintiffs and defendants move forward with discovery.

While the Viagra MDL manages large numbers of product liability lawsuits with similar causes of action, each claimant in the MDL proceedings is treated individually and has a right to their own trial or settlement.

If you suspect that you are eligible to participate in Viagra litigation concerning melanoma skin cancer, it’s important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. Don’t delay in scheduling a confidential consultation with attorney Bart Bernard.

Discovery is one of the first stages of an MDL, in which both parties gather facts and evidence and begin taking depositions. Over the past year, thousands of pages of documents concerning how Viagra and Cialis were developed, studied, manufactured, tested and promoted have been procured. A Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC), which is appointed early on, is charged with representing the common interests of all plaintiffs involved in the MDL.

The PSC also selects causation experts, who are retained to provide expert opinions that bolster allegations leveled against Pfizer and Eli Lilly and substantiate how the drugs cause or increase the risks of melanoma. Judge Seeborg will review the experts from both sides and has the authority to strike any of the expert testimony that is will not be admissible.

The next step in the Viagra litigation are the “bellwether trials,” which are the first lawsuits to go before a jury. These lawsuits are representative cases that are carefully chosen from the pool of litigants. The outcomes of the bellwether trials offer a snapshot on how the remaining suits may resolve, since they demonstrate the strength of the evidence and arguments presented before a jury. If the bellwether trials do not provoke settlement negotiations, Judge Seeborg will likely dismantle the MDL and reman the remaining cases back to their original courts for trial.

According to the most recent status conference, the first Viagra trials in MDL No. 2691 will likely start at the end of 2018 or early 2019.

Large scale pharmaceutical litigation often resolves with settlement payouts that cover damages like lost wages, medical costs, out of pocket expenses, emotional distress and pain and suffering. If you took Cialis or Viagra and developed skin cancer, contact the Personal Injury Bart Bernard Personal Injury Lawyers to learn more about seeking justice.

1. United States District Court for the Northern District of California, In re: Viagra Products Liability Litigation https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/rs/viagramdl
2. US JPML, Transfer Order IN RE: VIAGRA (SILDENAFIL CITRATE) PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION http://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/MDL-2691-Initial_Transfer-03-16.pdf
3. com, Does Viagra cause melanoma? Two Alabama men think so https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/03/does_viagra_cause_melanoma_two.html

Last modified: August 29, 2018