Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., the makers of Abilify, are under fire for the side effects of their blockbuster anti-psychotic drug.

The companies are exposed to a new Abilify lawsuit, which claims that Abilify side effects led to compulsive gambling behaviors.

Plaintiff Tara J. of North Carolina alleges that she suffered gambling losses in excess of $50,000 after starting to use Abilify.

According to Tara, she began using the drug in Feb. 2012, and developed a compulsive gambling addiction and has been left with economic damages from the drug’s side effects.

She claims in her Abilify lawsuit that, “The injurious impact of Abilify on the Plaintiff’s brain constitutes a physical injury, and as a result of Abilify use, Plaintiff has suffered, and will continue to suffer, neuro-psychiatric and physical injury, emotional distress, harm, and economic loss as alleged herein.”

About Abilify

Since 2002, doctors have prescribed Abilify, also known as aripiprazole, to treat mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Sometimes, doctors prescribe Abilify for patients along with an antidepressant (called a serotonin reuptake inhibitor) for more severe depressive disorders.

The drug is manufactured and sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals.

In Nov. 2015, Canadian regulators concluded that there is “a link between the use of aripiprazole and a possible risk of pathological gambling” with the use of Abilify.

This led to a warning statement for the risk of compulsive gambling being added to the prescribing information for Abilify in both Canada and Europe.

Despite the warning in Europe and Canada – for the same drug sold to patients in the United States – the labeling for Abilify in the U.S. did not adequately warn about the risk of compulsive gambling and contained no mention that pathological gambling has been reported in patients prescribed Abilify, the Abilify lawsuit contends.

In fact, Tara asserts the labeling for Abilify in the United States contained no mention of the word “gambling” until Jan. 2016.

Filing an Abilify Lawsuit

Compulsive gambling from Abilify side effects can have a tremendously devastating impact on patients, causing serious financial losses and reckless behavior that can destroy families, and cause irreversible damages.

When a person has a compulsive symptom, a brain irregularity makes some behaviors impossible to stop without medical assistance.

The law requires drug makers to inform the public about any damaging side effects of drugs they create and market.

Tara’s Abilify lawsuit and others like it blame the drug makers for withholding warnings from patients and doctors that may have allowed folks to identify the problems before they suffered damages to their financial stability.

If you or someone you know has been prescribed Abilify and has developed a compulsive gambling addiction, you may have an Abilify lawsuit.  A qualified dangerous drug attorney can answer your questions and listen to your concerns as you determine what to do next.

The Abilify Lawsuit is Case No. 5:16-cv-00749, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Western Division.