The first federal Propecia bellwether trials that claim the hair loss product caused sexual dysfunction side effects will go before a jury in September 2017 which is one year later than expected.

U.S. District Judge John Gleeson is overseeing the Propecia multidistrict litigation centralized in the Eastern District of New York.

All of the Propecia lawsuits claim that manufacturer Merck failed to warn about the sexual side effects including erectile dysfunction, genital shrinkage, infertility and decreased libido.

Judge Gleeson issued an order for both parties to prepare for bellwether trials to start in October 2016 but recently determined that the cases will not be ready in time to meet that deadline.

Bellwether trials are considered part of pretrial proceedings in multidistrict litigations. The outcomes of the trials are not binding on all cases but it is designed to help both sides see how juries will respond to evidence and testimony that is likely be be repeated throughout the litigation. Often times bellwether trials help parties reach a settlement agreement.

There are currently more than 1,000 Propecia lawsuits filed with about 700 of the cases pending in the federal court system.

Propecia Sexual Dysfunction

The active ingredient in the hair loss medication Propecia is finasteride which works by blocking enzymes in the scalp and sexual organs to convert testosterone into the sex steroid dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Finasteride was approved by the FDA to treat benign prostate hyperplasia (enlarged prostrate) and male pattern baldness. In 1992, a 5 milligram tablet of finasteride was marketed under the name Proscar to treat enlarged prostrate.

By 1997, the FDA approved a one milligram tablet of finasteride under the name of Propecia for androgenic alopecia treatment, commonly known as male pattern baldness. More than one million men in the U.S. take finasteride either in the form of Propecia or Proscar.

However, consumers report that finasteride doesn’t always convert testosterone correctly, thereby causing sexual problems. Some of the Propecia side effects reported by plaintiffs filing lawsuits include:

• Erectile dysfunction
• Ejaculation disorders
• Loss of libido
• Depression
• Prostate cancer
• Breast cancer

Men who develop sexual dysfunction allegedly caused by using Propecia claim that only half of the time will the issue resolve by discontinuing the hair loss treatment.

Propecia Lawsuits

While the FDA required Propecia manufacturer Merck to add a sexual dysfunction warning to its label in 2012, multiple lawsuits claim that the company knew of the side effect for years. Plaintiffs report that the manufacturer added the sexual side effect risk to Propecia labels on products sold in Sweden beginning in 2008.

In general, Propecia lawsuits claim that consumers were unaware that taking the hair loss drug would cause erectile dysfunction or loss of sex drive. Often times spouses can file as co-plaintiffs and seek financial compensation for loss of consortium, which means the loss of intimacy with your partner.

Some men choose to join a Propecia class action lawsuit which can be a discreet way to obtain financial compensation for any damages caused by taking the medication