Lawsuits involving the hair loss drug Propecia, manufactured by Merck, have been delayed after the judge presiding over the multidistrict litigation (MDL) postponed the pending bellwether trial selection until the 2017.

U.S. District Judge John Gleeson is currently overseeing more than 1,000 such Propecia lawsuits filed on behalf of men who allege that Propecia caused them severe – in some cases permanent – sexual dysfunction,

As part of the MDL proceedings, a small group of Propecia lawsuits were to be prepared for early trial dates set for October 2016. Known as “bellwether” trials, these cases are designed to help the parties gauge how juries may respond to certain evidence and testimony that is likely to be repeated throughout the Propecia side effects litigation.

However, according to recent court documents, Judge Gleeson has postponed selection for the First Bellwether Tranche (the first set of bellwether cases) until October 2016.  After these four Propecia lawsuits are selected, the pretrial motions and discovery proceedings will commence.

It is anticipated that the first of these Propecia bellwether trials will be ready to proceed by September 2017.

Overview of Propecia Multidistrict Litigation

The Propecia MDL was created in April 2012 to more efficiently handle a growing number of Propecia side effect complaints with similar accusations.

Multidistrict litigation is used to streamline multiple Propecia lawsuits with common statements of fact, in order to expedite early trial proceedings, avoid duplicate testimony and prevent conflicting rulings in different courts.

Plaintiffs contend that Merck knew, or should have known, that when taken as prescribed, Propecia could cause erectile dysfunction, reduced libido, impotence, and other permanent sexual problems.

Many of the plaintiffs are men under the age of 50 who took Propecia as an allegedly safe and effective male pattern baldness treatment or male hair loss treatment and claim they were not provided proper and sufficient warnings about adverse Propecia side effects.

FDA Issues Propecia Side Effects Warning

Since it was first launched in the United States more than 17 years ago, Propecia has been used by millions of men. Merck states that the hair loss solution can improve symptoms of male pattern baldness by up to 30 percent within six months.

It wasn’t until 2012 that the FDA revised the Propecia product label to include warnings of adverse Propecia side effects that can last even after cessation of the drug. The Propecia label now cautions of the following side effects:

• Ejaculation problems
• Lowered sex drive
• Orgasm difficulties
• Sexual dysfunction
• Poor semen quality

To date, over 1,100 men across the country have filed Propecia lawsuits against Merck seeking compensation for these complications.