An Abilify gambling lawsuit has been filed against Otsuka Pharmaceutical, alleging that the schizophrenia medication causes compulsive behavior.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, five plaintiffs from Nevada filed a suit against Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc., and Bristol-Myers Squibb, Otsuka’s U.S. marketing partner. The Abilify gambling lawsuit alleges that Abilify can cause compulsive behavior and the drug’s manufacturers did not sufficiently warn patients about the side effect.

Abilify (aripiprazole) is an anti-psychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. Additional uses include an add-on treatment depression, treatment of Tourette’s syndrome, and treatment of irritability associated with autism. Any patient who developed compulsive behavior may be able to file an Abilify gambling lawsuit.

Abilify was initially approved for use by the FDA in 2002. From 2005 to 2013, the FDA allegedly received at least 30 reports of compulsive gambling as well as 24 reports of other impulsive behavior. Impulsive behavior reported includes compulsive shopping and hypersexuality.

Abilify works to treat mental disorders by influencing the levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine has allegedly been linked to impulsive behavior and gambling in scientific studies. Lawsuits against Abilify often argue that the drug’s influence on dopamine leads to impulsive behavior.

A study done in 2014 concluded that dopamine influencing drugs, such as Abilify, have a serious risk of impulsive behavior as a side effect. Impulsive behaviors mentioned in the study include gambling, compulsive shopping, hypersexuality, and poriomania.

“At present, none of the dopamine receptor agonist drugs approved by the FDA have boxed warnings about the potential for the development of severe impulse control disorders as part of their prescribing information. Our data, and data from prior studies show the need for these prominent warnings. Physicians who prescribe dopamine agonists should also vigilantly monitor their patients, and ensure that patients, families, and caregivers are counseled about the risk of these serious adverse events,” the study concluded.

This Abilify gambling lawsuit joins nearly 1,000 legal claims across the United States alleging that the drug causes impulsive behavior. The plaintiffs argue that Otsuka did not properly warn patients and doctors that impulsive behavior was a possible side effect.

In 2016, Otsuka added “pathological gambling” to Abilify’s United States warning label. However, the lawsuit alleges that Otsuka knew about the side effect as early as 2012 when it was added to Abilify’s Canadian and European labels or possibly as early as 2005 when the FDA first began receiving reports of impulsive behavior.

Despite numerous allegations that Abilify causes impulsive behavior, Abilify was one of the top-selling drugs in the United States in 2014 with $7.9 billion in sales. Many lawsuits argue that Otsuka did not disclose the side effects so that they would not lose profit.

The plaintiff’s attorney said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “These people were vulnerable to begin with and things got much worse for them. Their meager little Social Security check is now being spent on slot machines or whatever, so it’s pretty sad”. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for the gambling losses they sustained while taking Abilify.