Plaintiff Kristopher H. has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Abilify, a prescription medication, for alleged side effects and serious complications suffered.

Abilify, also known as aripiprazole, is a prescription medication prescribed to treat conditions of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and Tourette syndrome. Additionally, it is prescribed to treat irritability associated with autism.

Kristopher files the Abilify lawsuit against defendants Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

According to the Abilify lawsuit, Kristopher began ingesting Abilify in 2013 until approximately 2016. He had at the time resided in the state of Ohio.

Kristpher alleges various injuries against the defendant in his Abilify lawsuit. The plaintiff claims he “experienced compulsive behaviors, including pathological gambling, causing plaintiff to suffer bodily injury resulting in pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, medical expenses, and economic loss.”

Kristopher further alleges the following counts against the defendant, which include: Strict Liability; Breach of Express Warranty; Breach of Implied Warranty; Negligence; Negligence Per Se; Negligent Misrepresentation; Violation of Consumer Protection Laws; Fraudulent Concealment; and Punitive Damages.

Abilify Lawsuit Straight Facts

The lawsuits being filed against Abilify manufacturers Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals Co. accuse the company of negligence in manufacturing a drug that was defectively designed and created.

According to the Abilify lawsuit, these companies knew of the adverse effects, particularly in causing a tendency for compulsive behavior.  They allegedly knew of risks of compulsive gambling, hypersexual behavior, binge eating, and other compulsive behaviors, but failed to notify and warn its consumers, the medical community, and public of these risks.

There are approximately more than 360 lawsuits pertaining to allegations and reports of compulsive gambling against the manufacturing companies.

Pharmaceutical drug companies have a moral and legal obligation to notify the public of serious adverse side effects and complications of drugs they manufacture and sell on the market. However, as in this case, at times these warnings make their way rather late.

Bristol-Myers and Otsuka, in the case of Abilify, allegedly failed to warn of the drug’s serious side effects and complications that resulted in costing patients thousands of dollars in damages.

Abilify lawsuits have been consolidated into an MDL, or multidistrict litigation. The corroboration of lawsuits into a consolidation occurs when several federal lawsuits are alleged and all share similar characteristics. The first MDL test case is expected to take place in late 2018.

U.S. Food and Drug Alerts of Abilify Side Effects

In May 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began to warn about new impulse-control problems linked to Abilify.

The FDA stated in its announcement, “Although pathological gambling is listed as a reported side effect in the current aripiprazole drug labels, this description does not entirely reflect the nature of the impulse-control risk that we identified.”

“Additionally, we have become aware of other compulsive behaviors associated with aripiprazole, such as compulsive eating, shopping, and sexual actions.”

The Abilify Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-00733-MCR-GRJ, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Pensacola Division. The Abilfy MDL, is In re: Abilify (Aripiprazole) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No 3:16-md-2734, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Pensacola Division.