Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. is facing a new Viagra melanoma lawsuit from a Pennsylvania man alleging the company failed to warn him against the alleged correlation.

This Viagra melanoma lawsuit is joining a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL), consisting of other claims alleging similar injuries against Pfizer Inc. Each of these claims alleges Pfizer either knew or should have known about potential Viagra melanoma, but did not disclose this information to the public.

Plaintiff Thomas B. is filing this Viagra melanoma lawsuit alleging the erectile dysfunction medication caused him to develop the deadly skin cancer. According to the Viagra melanoma lawsuit, Thomas had been prescribed the medication for typical treatment purposes on March 3, 2005, and had followed all prescription instruction and physician advice.

Thomas had only stayed on the medication for a month, until April 13, 2005, and had no reason to believe he was at risk for developing any deadly disease. However, Thomas was diagnosed with melanoma on June 28, 2016, and he says he has been contending with the condition ever since.

Thomas later discovered there was a significant study indicating Viagra may increase the risk of melanoma skin cancer by 84 percent, which prompted him to file legal action.

Overview of Viagra Melanoma Correlation

Viagra (sildenafil) is one of the most popular and well known erectile dysfunction drugs in the United States, earning Pfizer Inc. millions on an annual basis. Viagra works by suppressing a naturally occurring enzyme, the phosphodiesterase (PDE) 5A enzyme, which helps treat erectile dysfunction.

Recent studies, however, have indicated a troubling correlation between Viagra and melanoma, the most deadly variant of skin cancer. According to a report by Men’s Health, Viagra’s treatment mechanism “mimics the activation of a mutation commonly seen in melanoma.”

A recent scientific study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found similar results, finding that men prescribed sildenafil faced a much greater risk of melanoma. Published in April 2014, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health had analyzed the patient data of 26,000 men between 2000 and 2010.

During the study, over 3,500 cases of Viagra skin cancer were reported including: 142 cases of melanoma, 580 case of squamous cell carcinoma, and 3,030 cases of basal cell carcinoma. The study found an increased cancer risk of 84%, with authors noting they accounted for environmental factors like ultraviolet light exposure into the results of their study.

Authors of the study stated that the study does not claim Viagra and other erectile dysfunction treatment drugs cause melanoma, and further research was needed. According to professor and chair of the Warren Alpert Medical School dermatology department, Dr. Arbar Qureshi, patients who are at higher risk for developing melanoma should consider alternatives to Viagra.

Considering how devastating melanoma can be for patients, it is vital for Pfizer Inc. to disclose this potential complication and other side effects to patients. Thomas is filing his Viagra melanoma lawsuit in MDL No. 2691, stating he would not have taken Viagra if he had known it carried a risk of skin cancer.

By joining an MDL, Thomas’ Viagra melanoma lawsuit will be streamlined through the litigation process and will avoid potential problems like conflicting rulings from different judges.

This Viagra Melanoma Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-00872-RS, in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, San Francisco Division.