Propecia Side Effects Include Peyronie’s Disease, Claims Plaintiff

A plaintiff has filed a Propecia side effects lawsuit after suffering multiple complications from the hair loss drug. The complaint was originally filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, but has since been closed in anticipation of transfer to the federal multidistrict litigation in New York.

Propecia side effects lawsuit headed to multidistrict litigation

The plaintiff filed his lawsuit in Oklahoma on April 10, 2013. The case was closed in that court on May 15, 2013, to be transferred to the federal Propecia MDL currently underway in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The plaintiff will now join hundreds of others alleging use of Propecia led to sexual side effects and cognitive impairment that persisted long after the drug was stopped.

This plaintiff claims he began taking Propecia to treat male pattern baldness at the age of 53. The drug was prescribed by his physician in 2005 and taken as directed. Prior to taking the drug, the plaintiff had no history of sexual side effects or cognitive impairment.

After taking Propecia for a period of time, the plaintiff states he was diagnosed with a number of conditions, including gynecomastia, breast cancer, Peyronie’s disease, cognitive impairment, and prostate cancer. His adverse effects have continued, despite the fact that he discontinued his Propecia use. To this day, the plaintiff continues to suffer from these adverse Propecia side effects, and his quality of life has been “severely diminished.”

Side effects associated with Propecia

Since Propecia was introduced as a hair loss treatment, reports of serious side effects with the drug have concerned physicians and the FDA. The link between Propecia and Peyronie’s disease, as well as other sexual side effects, has been reported by a growing number of Propecia users. Peyronie’s disease is characterized by the development of scar tissue inside the penis, which leads to painful, curved erections. While medications are sometimes prescribed to treat Peyronie’s disease, many men require surgery to regain sexual function.

Propecia has also been linked to gynecomastia,  a growth of breast tissue in men. Although the condition is not considered to be a serious one, it can cause significant physical pain and embarrassment. This condition may also be treated through medication or surgery to remove excess breast tissue.

The association between Propecia use and a heightened risk of prostate cancer was reported in a safety communication from the FDA in June, 2011. At the time, the agency stated that high doses of Propecia could lead to a higher risk for prostate cancer. The agency also recommended that due to this risk, physicians should monitor PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels regularly in men taking Propecia.

Unfortunately, this warning did not come in time to help this claimant. The plaintiff is now demanding punitive, exemplary, general, and specific damages from Propecia manufacturer Merck, as well as other defendants associated with the production of the drug. The plaintiff has listed a number of counts in his Propecia side effects lawsuit, including strict products liability, negligence, negligent design, negligent misrepresentation, and failure to warn.