A man diagnosed with melanoma in 2008 and again in 2015 alleges the potentially deadly skin cancer was caused by a Viagra melanoma link.

According to his complaint, plaintiff Lee W. took Viagra from June 2008 through January 2012. He also took Cialis from November 2004 through October 2014. Both drugs were prescribed for erectile dysfunction.

Pfizer Pharmaceuticals makes Viagra (sildenafil citrate), and Eli Lilly and French drug company Sanofi make Cialis (tadalafil). More research has come out recently to indicate a Viagra melanoma link.

Viagra works by blocking the secretion of an enzyme known as PDE5. Through a series of blocked chemical reactions, the blood flows more easily, solving the erectile dysfunction problem.

Interestingly, sildenafil citrate also is sold under a different brand name, Revatio, which is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery).

Viagra Melanoma Link Found in the 1990s

According to plaintiffs like Lee, Pfizer allegedly knew (or should have known) about the Viagra melanoma link in the late 1990s.

A 1997 FDA Carcinogenicity Assessment Committee Report showed that rats that received a relatively low dose of Viagra had an increased growth of thyroid cells. The mice studies were halted because too many mice were dying.

In 1998, Pfizer allegedly knew that men dropped out of clinical studies because of their development of carcinoma, including melanoma, after taking Viagra as part of the research.

“Unbeknownst to most Viagra users, recent studies have shown that the cellular activity providing the mechanism of action for Viagra may also be associated with the development and/or exacerbation of melanoma,” says the Viagra melanoma link lawsuit.

Research suggests the Viagra melanoma link is indicated by the action of Viagra that allows the cellular creation of melanocytes, which develop into melanoma. A 2011 study found that Viagra promotes melanoma cell invasion.

“Specifically, by inhibiting PDE5, Viagra mimics an effect of gene activation and therefore functions as a trigger for the creation of melanoma cells,” says the Viagra melanoma link lawsuit.

The Journal of Cell Biochemistry published a 2012 study that indicated Viagra and other PDE5 inhibitors promote the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for the tanning of skin when exposed to sunlight. This increase in melanin encourages melanoma’s development.

Cell Reports published a study in 2016 that found Viagra puts the brakes on the chemical that inhibits melanoma cell growth. Because of this chemical interference with the body’s own checks and balances, Viagra allegedly leads to increased melanoma tumor growth.

Despite this list of evidence, plaintiffs claim the drug companies have made no effort to alert the public of the Viagra melanoma link. In fact, the drug companies have spent millions of dollars to promote the erectile dysfunction remedies as part of a successful, healthy lifestyle lived by men who regain their virility.

The Viagra Melanoma Link Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-01771-RS and is part of the Viagra and Cialis MDL, In re: Viagra (sildenafil citrate) and Cialis (tadalafil) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2691, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (San Francisco Division).