The makers of  Abilify are facing legal action for the compulsive gambling side effects of their popular anti-psychotic drug.

The companies are the target of a new Abilify lawsuit, which claims that side effects of the medication led to compulsive gambling behaviors.

Plaintiff Steven K. began taking Abilify around 2004 and claims as a result developed compulsive gambling behaviors. When he stopped taking Abilify in 2015, his compulsive gambling habit ceased.

Steven, however, contends that as a result of Abilify use and the alleged related compulsive gambling behaviors, he suffered the following losses: monetary losses in excess of $75,000, loss of financial stability, and other mental, physical, and economic losses.

Abilify and Compulsive Gambling

Prescribed to treat major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and other serious psychological disorders, Abilify has quickly gained popularity in the drug market.

However, a recent study suggests the atypical antipsychotic medication introduced jointly by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals in 2002, may be linked to severe impulse control side effects, including compulsive gambling, hypersexuality, binge eating, and shopping addiction.

An October 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) investigated severe impulse control disorders involving pathological or compulsive gambling, hypersexuality, and shopping linked to the use of six different dopamine receptor agonist drugs including Abilify.

The retrospective study analyzed 2.7 million FDA adverse drug event reports from 2003 to 2012, and identified “1,580 events indicating impulse control disorders from the United States and 21 other countries: 710 for dopamine receptor agonist drugs and 870 from other drugs,” according to the study researchers.

According to the study, drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease showed the most significant link to addictions like compulsive gambling. The study also indicated that there were 37 reports linked to Abilify and compulsive gambling addiction.

“Our findings confirm and extend the evidence that dopamine receptor agonist drugs are associated with these specific impulse control disorders,” researchers involved in the latest Ability study concluded. “At present, none of the dopamine receptor agonist drugs approved by the FDA have boxed warnings as part of their prescribing information. Our data, and data from prior studies, show the need for more prominent warnings.”

At present, none of the dopamine receptor agonist drugs approved by the FDA, like Abilify, have boxed warnings as part of their prescribing information.

Filing an Abilify Lawsuit

Compulsive gambling addiction caused by Abilify side effects can have a devastating impact on a person’s life.

Had the drug makers provided adequate warnings about Abilify’s potential risk of compulsive gambling addiction, individuals may have been able to avoid long-term damage and problems by recognizing the symptoms of the behavior and opting to choose another safer medication.

If you or someone you love was prescribed Abilify and experienced gambling problems, you may be entitled to financial compensation. An experienced drug injury attorney can review your case for no out-of-pocket cost and discuss if filing an Abilify lawsuit or joining an Abilify class action lawsuit is the best option for you.

The Abilify Compulsive Gambling Lawsuit is filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Monroe Division.  A case number was not available at the time of publication.