An Iowa resident filed a Pfizer lawsuit, claiming he developed melanoma skin cancer as a result of using the company’s erectile dysfunction treatment drug Viagra. This Pfizer lawsuit is joining a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL) consisting of other claims from patients alleging they developed melanoma from taking Viagra.

Plaintiff Paul O. opted to file his Pfizer lawsuit not long after discovering there was a significant study indicating a correlation between Viagra and melanoma skin cancer. Like millions of other men in the United States, Paul had been prescribed Viagra to treat his erectile dysfunction.

Paul says he and his physician had relied on the marketing claims made by Pfizer Inc., which stated Viagra was a safe and effective treatment method for erectile dysfunction. With these benefits, Paul had been prescribed Viagra on April 28, 2009, and took the medication according to prescription instructions and physician’s advice.

Even with this diligence, Paul claims he still developed serious side effects and had to seek medical attention. Paul was eventually diagnosed with melanoma on Jan. 18, 2016. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

Paul chose to file this Pfizer lawsuit after discovering a scientific study that observed Viagra’s treatment mechanism could increase the chances of developing melanoma skin cancer. This study also raised concern that other erectile dysfunction treatment drugs, such as Cialis and Levitra, could pose the same risk due to the similar biochemistry.

Viagra Melanoma Correlation

Viagra has been one of Pfizer’s top selling medications for generations, with numerous men seeking the drug to improve libido function. Viagra works by suppressing the naturally occurring enzyme phosophodiesterase (PDE) 5A, which helps regulate blood flow to the penis.

It has been noted by scientists that this treatment process and reaction “mimics the activation of a mutation commonly seen in melanoma.”

The correlation between Viagra and melanoma was observed in an April 2014 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, which found that Viagra (sildenafil) increased the risk of melanoma. Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health had observed 26,000 men over a ten year period between 2000 and 2010; within this set they discovered 3,500 reported cases of Viagra skin cancer.

Among these cases, 142 patients had been diagnosed with melanoma. The data approximated that men faced an 84 percent increased risk of melanoma if taking Viagra. It is important to note that researchers did not notice any increased risk of less dangerous forms of skin cancer, including basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer.

Even with this suggestion of a strong correlation, the authors of the study have stated this does not prove causation and that further research is needed. But plaintiffs believe that Pfizer Inc. should have known or knew that Viagra may increase the risk of melanoma, and had the responsibility to warn the public.

Paul’s Pfizer lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2691, where it will stand alongside other claims alleging Viagra induced melanoma. By joining an MDL, Paul’s Pfizer lawsuit will be streamlined through the litigation process and will avoid potential problems like conflicting rulings from different judges.

This Pfizer Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-02079-RS, in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, San Francisco Division.