A Viagra wrongful death lawsuit was recently filed against Pfizer, the drug’s manufacturer, alleging that the erectile dysfunction drug causes skin cancer.

The Viagra lawsuit alleges that a California man, Lloyd R. died because Pfizer failed to disclose the risk of developing melanoma while taking the drug.

Plaintiff Ron R. filed the Viagra melanoma lawsuit was filed on behalf of Lloyd’s estate, who was a California resident.

Born in April 1947, Llyod began taking Viagra in 2001 after a doctor prescribed him the medication to treat his erectile dysfunction. Lloyd had his prescription filled up until September 2012, approximately a month before his death in October 2012.

According to the Viagra lawsuit, his autopsy revealed stage IV melanoma cancer, which had spread to his lungs. The skin cancer lawsuit alleges that Lloyd’s cause of death, stage IV melanoma, was the result of taking Viagra.

The Viagra lawsuit alleges that Pfizer concealed information about the risks of developing melanoma while using Viagra, and that Lloyd would not have taken the medication if he had been aware of its potential Viagra side effects.

Overview of Melanoma Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, 69,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma each year. Over 8,000 Americans die annually from melanoma. Melanoma usually develops as a mole or unusual patches of skin.

If caught in its early stages melanoma is often curable, but if allowed to spread beyond the skin, to the lymph nodes and surrounding organs, the cancer is extremely deadly.

Overview of Viagra Lawsuits

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Viagra in 1998. It quickly gained popularity and is now used by millions of men worldwide to treat erectile dysfunction.

In 2013, Pfizer reported over $1.8 billion in revenue from sales of Viagra. However, recent studies suggest that using Viagra may reduce the body’s ability to resist the spread of melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.

A group of Harvard researchers recently published a study in the JAMA Internal Medicine that found men taking Viagra were 84 percent more likely to develop melanoma than men who did not take Viagra.

Viagra lawsuits work to prove that Pfizer was aware of this increased risked but failed to warn the medical community and the general public about these potential adverse side effects. The Viagra lawsuits allege claims for negligence, strict liability, breach of warranty, fraud, and consumer protection laws.

Awards and settlements from these Viagra lawsuits can help victims pay both past and future medical bills. The money can also help compensate victims for the pain and suffering they had to endure due to taking the medication.

These lawsuits can be brought by the victims directly or by family members on behalf of loved ones who have already passed away. In some cases spouses of victims may be able to join the lawsuits as co-plaintiff’s in order to bring a loss of consortium claim, or loss of spousal intimacy.

The Viagra Melanoma Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-02278-NRB filed in the US District Court in the Southern District of New York.