In 2014, JAMA Internal Medicine published a scientific study finding that men using Viagra have an increased risk of developing the deadly skin cancer, melanoma. Since the FDA approved Viagra in 1998, 45 million men taking the drug may have unknowingly doubled their risk of developing melanoma.
In the United States, 10,000 people die from melanoma each year. Unfortunately, this equates to one person dying every hour. This cancer normally begins in melanocytes, the pigment-producing skin cells. Melanocytes are responsible for forming moles, where melanoma develops. Doctors can see cancer developing, which allows them to catch 99% of cases early and cure it. However, if a medical professional does not treat melanoma, it can spread quickly. When this happens, the prognosis is poor.
Viagra and Melanoma
A team of researchers from the Harvard Medical School noticed an increase of melanoma in Viagra patients from bi-annual melanoma surveys. They wanted to further explore this possible connection. So, researchers combed through over 25,000 reports of men who were around 64-years-old. Around 6% of those men surveyed reported Viagra use. This meant an 84% increase in melanoma risk in those taking Viagra versus non-Viagra users.
The study found that Viagra mimics the same cell-signaling pathways present when melanoma metastasizes. The active ingredient in Viagra (sildenafil) inhibits phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5). PDE5 blocks enzymes in the body to cause blood vessels to dilate. This enhances blood flow to the penis. In conjunction with sexual stimulation, the drug-induced blood flow aids in producing and maintaining an erection. However, PDE5 inhibition also elevates tumor cell invasiveness. This can lead to melanoma.
It is your right to be informed about the long-term risks associated with the medications you take, and it is also the responsibility of drug companies to give this information. If you or a loved one has developed melanoma and have taken Viagra, you should demand accountability from Pfizer. Why did they not tell you this might happen?
We want to help send a message that this is not acceptable. Additionally, we are advocates for consumers who have been harmed by dangerous products, and we have the experience necessary to successfully litigate these cases.
On June 15, 2016, U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg appointed Firm founder and Lead Trial Attorney, Michael Brady Lynch to serve on the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee (PSC) in Viagra litigation MDL #2691.
In fact, Attorney Michael Brady Lynch is no stranger to leadership positions in prominent mass tort actions. Attorney Michael Brady Lynch was appointed to the PSC in the Pradaxa MDL #2385. Boehringer went on to settle Pradaxa claims for over $650 million. Lynch and his attorneys are dedicated to bringing the same determination for justice to the Viagra Plaintiff’s Steering Committee.