Plaintiff Alleges Side Effects From Propecia Persist After He Discontinued Drug

In a lawsuit against drug manufacturer Merck, plaintiff Michael Gregory alleges that he suffered multiple side effects after Propecia use, including sexual dysfunction, and that these side effects have persisted even though he has stopped using the drug. His wife, Misty Gregory, is a co-plaintiff, suing for loss of consortium. The lawsuit was originally filed on May 8, 2012, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, but on May 31, 2012 it was transferred to the federal Propecia MDL in the District Court, Eastern District of New York. Click here for more on this subject.

Plaintiff claims depression and anxiety as a result of Propecia sexual dysfunction

In his lawsuit, Gregory states that he began using Propecia for his male pattern baldness in 2005, when he was 37 years old. He began to suffer side effects including cognitive impairment and erectile dysfunction from Propecia, so he stopped using the drug. But the side effects persisted, which has caused him to suffer “significant pain and suffering, and his quality of life has been severely diminished.” As a result, he has required treatment for depression, emotional distress, and anxiety.

Drug’s label did not warn that side effects could be permanent

The lawsuit alleges that when the plaintiff began taking Propecia in 2005, he had no knowledge of the drug’s side effects or the fact that such side effects could be permanent. According to the lawsuit, Merck changed the Propecia warning label nine times following the drug’s introduction in 1992, but as of June 9, 2011, none of the warnings indicated that side effects could be permanent.

Many of the plaintiffs in the Propecia MDL make similar allegations, stating that because the Propecia label initially said that side effects were rare and temporary, they went ahead and took the drug, believing that if side effects did occur, all they had to do was stop taking Propecia and the problems would go away.

But studies have shown that side effects after Propecia use are much more common that initially thought (affecting as many as 39% of men who use Propecia). and that in many cases, these side effects persist for years after the drug is stopped and may even be permanent.

The Gregorys’ lawsuit against Merck brings counts of negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, breach of warranty, and fraud, among other counts. In addition, Misty Gregory is suing for loss of consortium.

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