A Viagra lawsuit has been filed against manufacturer Pfizer for failing to warn that using the erectile dysfunction medication could have a deadly side effect. Plaintiff Roy F. of North Carolina claims he took the ED medication for years before being diagnosed with melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer. The plaintiff alleges that had he been fully warned by Pfizer of the melanoma-related risks of Viagra, he would have not used the ED drug.

According to the Viagra melanoma lawsuit, Roy began taking the medication in 2005 after being diagnosed with erectile dysfunction. In 2012, the plaintiff noticed a suspicious spot on his forearm; a biopsy confirmed it was melanoma. Shortly after the diagnosis, Roy underwent surgery to remove the skin cancer.

The plaintiff claims that even though the melanoma was removed, he will have to see a dermatologist on a continuous basis, as the risk of re-developing skin cancer and other cancers has been significantly increased. His melanoma skin cancer lawsuit claims that survivors are nine times more likely to re-develop melanoma for more than 20 years after the initial diagnosis.

Roy is accusing Pfizer of understating and outright ignoring the melanoma related health risks linked to Viagra use. The Viagra lawsuit claims Pfizer also “deceived potential and actual 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.”

Roy is seeking $75,000 for physical and emotional damages incurred from developing Viagra melanoma.

What is Viagra?

The FDA approved Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction in 1998. Manufacturers claim Viagra was designed to smooth muscle cells, which allow arteries in the penis to dilate; this in turn allows blood to flow more easily and helps men achieve erections. An estimated 30 million men in the United States are diagnosed with erectile dysfunction because they cannot get or maintain an erection. Viagra is prescribed to treat the condition nearly 50 percent of the time.

Erectile dysfunction is more common as men age, but it can occur younger men as well. Some of Pfizer’s advertising has been criticized by regulators, doctors, and consumer groups, as it appears the company is trying to target young men in order to increase sales of Viagra. 

Viagra Skin Cancer Studies

In a 2014 study by the Journal of American Medical Association, researchers analyzed nearly 26,000 patients and discovered that Viagra users had a 84 percent greater risk of developing skin cancer.

In addition to this study, other research has determined that because Viagra mimics gene activation, it may be possible that the erectile dysfunction medication generates the creation of melanoma cells as well.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer as it claims 10,000 lives in the United States each year.

Viagra Lawsuits

A growing number of Viagra melanoma lawsuits are being filed across the country by plaintiffs who claim Pfizer was negligent in their warnings of melanoma risks. Like other plaintiffs, Roy claims that Viagra is a “unreasonably dangerous and defective” medication and believes Pfizer should be held responsible for wrongful conduct.

The Viagra Melanoma Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-00481-NCT-JLW, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.