Lawsuit Settlement Sought in Propecia Case

A Texas resident is seeking a settlement that would help to cover the side effects he experienced after taking the hair loss drug Propecia. The medication was approved to treat male pattern baldness, which is a condition that occurs in 50 percent of men over 50. The drug works by inhibiting, or hindering, the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, which is a hormone that has been linked to hair loss. Unfortunately, as effective as the medication is–and, for many men, it has been–it has been linked to serious sexual side effects, including low semen output, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual side effects from Propecia use.

Settlement sought by plaintiff

According to his lawsuit, the plaintiff began taking the medication when he was 40 years old, in 2010. He claims that he had never suffered from either cognitive impairments or sexual side effects, and he took the drug from 2010 to 2011. The crux of the lawsuit is the claim that the plaintiff began experiencing sexual side effects while he was taking Propecia, and that these side effects continued after he discontinued his use of the medication.

Drug maker Merck initially told the public that while sexual side effects were a possibility, they would dissipate after the patient discontinued his use of the medication. However, studies have since shown that as many as 39 percent of patients experience side effects of the medication, and a 2003 study showed that only half of Propecia users who experience side effects will experience a resolution to their side effects after discontinuing their use of the medication. In other words, side effects may be extraordinarily long-lasting or even permanent.

MDL established for Propecia cases

The lawsuit was filed in the United States’ District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn. This is the court that has been chosen to manage the multidistrict litigation case that deals with the growing number of Propecia lawsuits that have been filed across the country. Read more about our lead Propecia attorney.

[SmartLink propecialawsuit]