Abilify compulsive behavior label in Canada and Europe warned patients that using the antipsychotic Abilify could cause a multitude of behaviors like excessive gambling, eating, and shopping. However, the manufacturer never warned American consumers.
About Abilify
Abilify (Aripiprazole) is a commonly prescribed antipsychotic used to treat agitation caused by schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression. The drug is effective at controlling symptoms of these mental disorders. However, it comes with a dangerous, side effect that many never see coming. These include compulsive behaviors such as gambling, binge eating, excessive shopping, and hypersexuality.
Aripiprazole, as Abilify is known off-brand, is an antipsychotic created by Otsuka in 1988 to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The drug acts on dopamine receptors in the brain that are responsible for motor functions (like tremors), executive functions (like memory), and reward systems (like addiction).
Otsuka teamed with Bristol-Myers Squibb to market the drug in the U.S. in 2002. Five years later, the companies pushed for the drug to used to be depression. Otsuka America described it “like a thermostat to restore balance.”
Abilify Compulsive Behavior Label in Europe
Since the FDA approved the medication in 2002, the agency has received almost 200 reports of uncontrollable impulse behaviors that include compulsive shopping, binge eating, hypersexual behavior and uncontrollable gambling. However, Abilify’s labeling in Europe and Canada warns of the risks of “pathological gambling”. Otuska and Bristol-Meyers Squibb kept this information from the American market until recently.
In May 2016, the FDA ordered the drug’s warning label to include uncontrollable, compulsive urges like gambling, eating, shopping, and having sex. Now, the prescription label warns that the Abilify patient might not recognize the abnormal behavior this drug may cause. It also warns that the patient taking Abilify could cause harm to himself or to others without realizing the consequences of his/her actions.
The label specifically reads, “Compulsive behaviors may result in harm to the patient and others if not recognized. Consider dose reduction or stopping the medication if a patient develops such urges.” According to FDA officials, even the recent label warning on compulsive gambling are inadequate.
We Want to Help Abilify Victims
Undeniably, pharmaceutical companies should inform you about the long-term risks associated with their medications. If Abilify caused you to develop a compulsive behavior, you should demand accountability. Why didn’t they tell you? We want to also help send a message that this is not acceptable. We are advocates for consumers harmed by dangerous products, and we have the experience necessary to successfully litigate these cases.
Contact the Michael Brady Lynch Firm today for a free consultation to learn more about seeking justice. You could receive compensation for any medical expenses, as well as for your physical and emotional suffering. There is no obligation.