The widow of a Nevada man has filed a wrongful death Viagra lawsuit against Pfizer, alleging that inadequate warnings were provided about potential melanoma side effects with Viagra, a commonly used erectile dysfunction drug.

Plaintiff Barbara E., now a resident of California, filed the Viagra lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on June 2, indicating that her husband, Richard., died of metastatic melanoma in December 2014, after using Viagra or several years.

Viagra Lawsuit Allegations

Richard began taking Viagra for erectile dysfunction in 2009. In November 2013, Richard was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, and due to complications and the advancement of the melanoma, was hospitalized, treated with steroids, and was only able to complete two rounds of chemotherapy (Yervoy treatment) before he passed away.

He left behind his wife, Barbara, as well as three adult daughters and one adult son.

According to allegations raised in the Viagra lawsuit, Pfizer knew or should have known about the link between melanoma and Viagra, yet withheld warnings about the potential Viagra side effects and the importance of monitoring for signs of the skin cancer.

“Has Pfizer properly disclosed the risks of melanoma associated with Viagra including the risk of an untimely and wrongful death [Richard] would have avoided the risk of developing melanoma from Viagra use by not taking Viagra at all,” the Viagra lawsuit states.

The Viagra lawsuit also notes that despite studies highlighting Viagra side effects (and other similar drugs) including melanoma skin cancer, Pfizer has still taken no effort to warn the medical community or consumers.

The case comes amid a growing number of Viagra melanoma lawsuits filed against Pfizer since the publication of a study in April 2014, which suggested that men using the medication face an increased risk of being diagnosed with the serious and potentially deadly form of skin cancer.

Viagra Skin Melanoma Risks

Viagra (sildenafil citrate) was introduced by Pfizer in 1998, and it has become one of the most widely recognized medications in the United States, used by millions of men to treat impotence and sexual dysfunction, including the inability to develop or maintain an erection.

Pfizer reported that Viagra generated $1.8 billion in revenue worldwide in 2013, and the drug has been prescribed to an estimated 35 million men since its 1998 approval. However, recent studies suggest that the medication may reduced the body’s ability to resist the spread of skin melanoma, a serious and potentially fatal form of skin cancer.

In a study published last year in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers from Harvard Medical School found that men who took Viagra were 84% more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma than men who do not use the drug.

The American Cancer Society indicates that melanoma is diagnosed in about 69,000 Americans each year and causes about 8,650 deaths annually. The skin cancer usually manifests as unusual moles or patches of skin. While it is often curable if caught early, once melanoma has spread beyond the skin and local lymph nodes, treatment is difficult and it may ultimately result in death.

Barbara’s Viagra lawsuit accuses Pfizer of wrongful death, negligence, strict liability, breach of warranty, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, and loss of consortium. It calls for compensatory and punitive damages.

The Viagra Lawsuit is Case No. 3:16-cv-02957 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.