U.S. District Judge John Gleeson is overseeing a growing caseload pf lawsuits against pharmaceutical giant Merck, maker of the popular hair loss product, Propecia.

According to court documents, more than 1,100 product liability complaints alleging serious Propecia sexual side effects are pending against Merck in federal and state courts throughout the country. Judge Gleeson is managing some 742 Propecia lawsuits alleging sexual problems in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Eastern District of New York, where cases containing similar allegations were joined for coordinated pretrial processes.

Gleeson issued an order that indicates a discovery and trial plan proposed by both sides, and estimates that the first Propecia lawsuit will go before a federal panel on Oct. 10, 2016. Between now and then, legal counsel for the plaintiffs and the defendant will each select 10 cases from the pool of Propecia lawsuits, which will later be narrowed down to four cases that will serve as bellwether trials in the Propecia MDL.

Overview of Propecia Multidistrict Litigation

The Propecia MDL was created in April 2012 to more efficiently handle a growing number of complaints with similar accusations. Plaintiffs contend that Merck knew, or should have known, that when taken as prescribed, Propecia could cause erectile dysfunction, reduced libido, impotence, and other permanent sexual problems.

Many of the plaintiffs are men under the age of 50 who took Propecia as an allegedly safe and effective male pattern baldness treatment or male hair loss treatment and claim they were not provided proper and sufficient warnings about adverse Propecia side effects.

FDA Updates Propecia Warning Label

Since it was first launched in the United States more than 17 years ago, Propecia has been used by millions of men. Merck states that the hair loss solution can improve symptoms of male pattern baldness by up to 30 percent within six months.

It wasn’t until 2012 that the FDA revised the Propecia product label to include warnings of adverse Propecia side effects that can last even after cessation of the drug. The Propecia label now cautions of the following side effects:

• Ejaculation problems
• Lowered sex drive
• Orgasm difficulties
• Sexual dysfunction
• Poor semen quality

To date, over 1,100 men across the country have filed Propecia product liability lawsuits against Merck seeking compensation for these complications.