New Lawsuit Alleging Sexual Side Effects Added to Propecia MDL

On November 6, 2012, a new Propecia lawsuit was added to the multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceeding in the Eastern District of New York. Merck and Co., the manufacturer of Propecia (generic name finasteride) is the defendant in the Propecia Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2331.

The plaintiff’s case is similar to many others filed across the United States alleging the male pattern baldness medication led to erectile dysfunction and other sexual side effects.

Propecia sexual side effects said to persist after stopping the medication

The early warning labels on the drug indicated that less than 2 percent of men would experience Propecia side effects. Later studies, however, showed that the rates may have been higher than was initially thought.

In addition, men who experienced erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems after using Propecia have reported that the issues persisted even after they ceased its use. The warning labels on the medication did not state that the side effects could continue after cessation of use and the manufacturer failed to update the information until 2011 and only did so after being pressured by the FDA.

The label now says that the sexual problems may persist with some patients reporting that they have lasted for 40 months after they stopped therapy.

Permanent side effects have led to men seeking help from an attorney to file suit for compensation from Merck. Many of these cases will take part in the New York MDL.

Plaintiff claims his sexual and cognitive problems persist to this day

Propecia was first released in the United States in 1991 under the name Proscar. It was approved in 1997 to treat alopecia (also known as male pattern hair loss), something that happens to thousands of men worldwide every year.

The plaintiff in the new case claims he took Propecia beginning in 2007 at age 56 and continued through 2011. He alleges that he began to suffer from severe sexual dysfunction while he was taking the drug as well as cognitive impairment and that the symptoms didn’t subside even after he stopped taking Propecia. According to his lawsuit, they continue to this day.

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