Research suggests that the popular erectile dysfunction drug, Viagra, may cause an 84 percent increased likelihood of the patient developing melanoma skin cancer. This study has become one of the most prominent pieces of evidence in the new class action movement centering around this complication.

Across the country, many men and their families are filing Viagra lawsuits against Pfizer and other manufacturing companies for producing Viagra, without mentioning the possibility of melanoma on either the brand name or generic variations of the drug.

When Viagra was approved for market in 1998, Pfizer was the sole company to manufacture Viagra, but later on, other pharmaceutical conglomerates gained the rights to produce generic variations.

Viagra is a part of a drug family called PDE-5 Inhibitors, which accelerate the flow of blood to the spongy tissue of the penis that allows an erection to happen.

For years, Viagra was promoted as a safe and effective way to treat erectile dysfunction by Pfizer, failing to mention the possibility of melanoma. This is the most severe and aggressive form of skin cancer, with only a small amount of years predicted for the patient after diagnostic discovery.

The major study mentioned earlier was conducted by Dr. Wen-Qing Li of the Department of Dermatology of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He had conducted this study with his own team of researchers, along with scientists from Harvard Medical School as well as other colleagues. Their study was published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and observed the correlation between Viagra used in men.

In the study, the average male patient was 65 and roughly 6 percent of them had taken Viagra to treat their erectile dysfunction. The results indicated that if the men had used the drug, their risk of developing melanoma would double in comparison to men who had never taken the drug.

The findings stayed as they were even when the researchers adjusted their data to include family history of skin cancer, ultraviolet light exposure, and other possible factors that could cause cancer.

It is not known if other drug family members can cause the same effects, because at the time of the study in 2000, Viagra was the only erectile dysfunction drug on the market. Cialis (Tadalafil) and Levitra (Vardenafil) were not approved until 2003, and Stendra (Avanafil) came onto the scene in 2012.

With the promise of additional research to follow the major study, to further test the possible link between Viagra and this complication, lawyers are confident that many more Viagra melanoma lawsuits will be filed.

Overview of Viagra Melanoma Complications

According to the study’s researchers, Viagra may cause the melanoma risk because it affects the genetic pathways that would allow for the formation of skin cancer. Specifically, it was found that Viagra lowers levels of a cancer-fighting protein called PDE5A, which puts patients at an even higher risk regardless of genetic routes.

In a closer look at the study, it was conducted from 2000 to 2010, with 25,848 men participating that were slightly older or younger than 65. The study followed prior research that Viagra may increase the synthesis of melanin, which may increase the risk of melanoma.

The prior study showed that Viagra and other related drugs may increase melanoma cell invasion in patients, especially in patients who carry a mutation in the BRAF gene.

Medical experts state that additional research will be needed to be conducted to observe this possible correlation, because the information currently available is insufficient.