Several Propecia lawsuits have been filed in various courts across the country, alleging that the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. failed to warn the medical community and the general public about side effects associated with using the hair loss drug.

Plaintiffs claim in Propecia lawsuits that in many cases, these side effects are permanent even after they stop taking the medication.

Propecia, generically known as finastreride, is a popular medication prescribed to men who suffer from male pattern baldness. When prescribed in its smallest dose, 1 mg finasteride, the medication is called Procepia.

The larger 5 mg finasteride dose is refered to as Proscar. Propecia works by preventing the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone or DHT in the body, which results in less hair loss for men.

Propecia is not safe for use in women or children. In fact, drugs.com suggests women who are pregnant or likely to become pregnant go so far as to avoid handling the medication.

Although the medication is coated with a special seal, women who accidently come into contact with broken or crushed tablets should wash their hands with soap and water immediately.

In 2012, the FDA required a mandated label change for Propecia and Proscar. The drug manufacturers were then required to include warnings in their drug information pamphlets that warned consumers of libido disorders, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders, that could potentially continue even after the medication was discontinued.

Unfortunately, many men who suffer from finasteride side effects are too embarrassed to come forward about the symptoms they are experiencing, or don’t realize the cause of their symptoms.

Propecia Litigation

Over 1,200 Propecia lawsuits have been filed in the United States. Over 700 of these lawsuits belong to the multidistrict litigation that is occurring in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Multidistrict litigation often occurs when a large quantity of individual lawsuits are filed that share similar facts and similar questions of law.

These lawsuits are then funneled before a single court for all pretrial motions and the discovery process. This helps to maximize efficiency and creates consistency for each of the pretrial decisions. Once the pretrial motions and discovery are complete, many of the lawsuits will return to their original jurisdictions for settlement or trial. The Propecia MDL in the Eastern District of New York began back in April of 2012.

Propecia lawsuits generally allege that Merck & Co. violated consumer protection laws. Awards and settlements from these lawsuits will serve as an initial step in compensating victims for the pain and suffering they have endured due to taking the medication. In some cases, a plaintiff’s spouse may be able to join the lawsuit as a co-plaintiff in order to bring a loss of consortium claim.

A loss of consortium claim is filed when a party alleges they have suffered from a loss of spousal intimacy. Loss of consortium claims cannot be brought on their own and must be tacked onto an original lawsuit. Lawsuits like the Propecia lawsuits help hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for their actions, reminding them that they owe their consumers a specific duty of care.