A couple and their daughter have filed paperwork to join an Abilify MDL over allegations the drug caused and worsened addictions.

Ellen and Jeffrey H. are legal guardians for Samantha H., who took Abilify from November 2003 to December 2014.

Abilify (aripiprazole) is prescribed to treat mental disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Tourette’s disorder, and some autistic issues such as irritability. Patients also might be given Abilify as an adjunct treatment with an antidepressant.

According to documents filed to join the Abilify MDL, “As a result of Plaintiff Samantha (H.’s) Abilify usage, Plaintiffs have suffered monetary losses in excess of $200,000 and loss of financial stability. As a further result of Abilify usage, Plaintiff Samantha (H.) has suffered pathological and compulsive gambling, eating, shopping and hypersexuality, neuropsychiatric and physical injury, emotional distress and economic loss.”

The statement goes on to say that Ellen and Jeffrey H. “have suffered monetary losses and loss of consortium.”

Abilify MDL Alleges Drug Maker Knew of Gambling Side Effects

Abilify’s makers Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka “knew or should have known that Abilify, when taken as prescribed and intended, causes and contributes to an increased risk of serious and dangerous side effects, including, without limitation, uncontrollable compulsive behaviors such as compulsive gambling,” according to the master complaint for the Abilify MDL.

The drug makers warned consumers in Europe and Canada about the increased risk of “pathological gambling” but did not inform the U.S. of this danger until January 2016 when it was added to the postmarketing experience section of the U.S. label.

The Abilify MDL says, “On May 3, 2016, the FDA announced that warnings regarding ‘compuslive or uncontrollable urges to gamble, binge eat, shop, and have sex’ would be added to the Abilify label.”

The label now has additional warnings that the patients themselves might not recognize that their behaviors are abnormal. The Abilify MDL explains, “Abilify is a partial and full dopamine agonist. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. Dopmaine’s role in compulsive behavior and pathological gambling is well-known.”

The Abilify MDL adds, “Numerous case reports have been published in the medical literature linking Abilify to compulsive behavior, including at least seventeen cases of compulsive gambling.”

The FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System shows 29 reports of gambling behavior were made regarding Abilify in 2014.

The Abilify MDL points out that “compulsive gambling is not a class-wide problem among anti-psychotic medications.” Plaintiffs in this MDL allege that Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka “have not adequately studied Abilify. A review of all the randomized clinical trials comparing Abilify to other schizophrenia drugs concluded that the information on comparisons was of limited quality, incomplete, and problematic to apply clinically.”

Despite complaints that Abilify has been linked to destructive, compulsive behaviors, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka have not made efforts to investigate or conduct further studies.

The Abilify MDL also alleges that the drug is not very effective and that “there is limited evidence that Abilify leads to a symptom reduction when added to antidepressants, and side effects are more frequent under Abilify augmentation treatment.”

The Abilify MDL is Case No. 3:16-md-02734-MCR-GRJ in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Pensacola Division.