The first federal Propecia sexual dysfunction bellwether case will go to trial a year later than originally expected, projected to go before a jury in September 2017.

These bellwether trials are part of a national multidistrict litigation (MDL), which has consolidated about 700 lawsuits filed before U.S. District Judge John Gleeson. All the lawsuits similarly claim  Propecia (finasteride) hair loss medication had serious side effects users were not warned about.

In addition to the MDL lawsuits, there are about 300 Propecia erectile dysfunction lawsuits filed in state courts across the country.

Propecia lawsuits similarly allege that the Merck, Sharpe and Dohme male pattern baldness treatment caused users to suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED) and other sexual side effects.

Propecia side effects reported by consumers in these finasteride lawsuits include:

• Erectile dysfunction
• Decreased libido
• Genital shrinkage
• Infertility
• Cognition issues

The plaintiffs of these Propecia lawsuits blame the drug’s manufacturer for failing to warn of all the potential complications.

Bellwether Trials Pushed Back

Because of the number of lawsuits with similar sexual dysfunction allegations, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigations established the Propecia MDL in April 2012.

An MDL consolidates lawsuits in order to coordinate pretrial discovery, avoid conflicting rulings from different courts and judges, and to serve the convenience of all parties and witnesses involved in these court cases.

As part of these Propecia MDL, a small batch of finasteride lawsuits have been prepared for early trial dates. These lawsuits are referred to as bellwether trials or bellwether cases.

Although the outcome of these early trials are not binding to other Propecia lawsuits’ claims, they allow attorneys for sides to determine how juries may respond to certain testimony and evidence that is common to the cases. Often, bellwether trials push the two sides to settlements.

The four Propecia bellwether cases, which will be referred to as the First Bellwether Tranche, will be selected by October 2016. Then discovery, depositions, and pretrial motions will begin.