Propecia Manufacturer Merck is Accused of Withholding Information About the Drug’s Sexual Side Effects

Approved by the FDA in 1997, Propecia (finasteride) is prescribed to men seeking treatment for their male pattern baldness. Propecia side effects include sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, low sperm counts, testicular pain, low volume of ejaculation, and impotence.

The Swedish Medical Products Agency, in 2008, advised the public that the drug was linked to long-term sexual side effects. Shortly after the Swedish warning, the United Kingdom and Sweden both changed the labels on the drug to inform prospective patients and medical professionals that the sexual problems associated with the drug could become permanent.

A man claims Propecia sexual dysfunction caused his son’s depression and suicide

One case that was filed against manufacturer Merck involves an emergency room physician, John Santmann, who has linked Propecia to his son’s suicide. Merck has been accused of withholding information about the sexual side effects of the drug and, in an Examiner article, Santmann claims that his 22-year-old son Ryan became impotent and depressed after using Propecia. According to Santmann, the side effects drove his son to commit suicide.

It was during a May 2012 protest against Merck that Santmann made his claim against the pharmaceutical company. One former user, 30-year-old Kevin Malley, began a hunger strike against Merck because they failed to acknowledge that Propecia caused long-term sexual side effects and dysfunction. This dysfunction can continue after cessation of the drug.

Malley took the drug for five months and experienced sexual side effects. He told the Examiner that the warning label on Propecia is “grossly inadequate.”

An increasing number of lawsuits are filed against Merck

Merck has yet to change the label on the drug. The number of people who have been affected by the alleged sexual side effects has led to an increased number of plaintiffs consulting with a Propecia lawyer and filing a claim against the company for compensation. It is in these filings that the complainants often accuse Merck of failing to properly warn patients of the risks involved with taking the medication.

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