An unidentified man in Colorado
has filed suit against the maker of Propecia, claiming the male
baldness drug caused him to suffer erectile dysfunction and other
sexual problems. The claim, brought in U.S. District Court for the
District of Colorado, is just the latest Propecia lawsuit filed
against Merck & Co. by men who say that the drug caused sexual
issues.
Propecia (known generically as finasteride 1 mg) is part of a class
of drugs called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, or 5-ARIs. Other drugs
in this class including Merck’s Proscar (finasteride 5 mg), and
GlaxoSmithKline’s Avodart (dutasteride) and Jalyn (dutasteride and
tamsulosin) are manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. While Propecia is
used to treat male pattern baldness, other 5 ARIs are used to treat
enlarged prostate. According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration
(FDA), almost 5 million men were prescribed one of these medications
between 2002 and 2009.
Propecia and these other drugs work by preventing the conversion of
androgen testosterone to DHT, a hormone critical to male sexual
performance. Merck’s label for Propecia warns that side effects may
include sexual dysfunction but says the side effects “resolve after
discontinued use of the drug.” While the Propecia label in Europe
was updated in 2008 to warn of “persistent” sexual side effects, no
such update has occurred in the U.S.
In March, a group of researchers at Boston University published a
study finding that in a small number of cases, erectile dysfunction
linked to 5-ARIs may continue after the drugs have been
discontinued. The study, which involved a review of available
medical literature, found that 8 percent of men taking 5-ARIs
reported erectile dysfunction and 4.2 percent reported reduced
libido. In the placebo group, only 4 percent reported erectile
dysfunction, while only 1.8 percent reported reduced libido. Other
men taking the drugs reported reduced ejaculation and semen volume
and depression. In some cases, men experienced problems after taking
the drugs.
According to the Colorado lawsuit, plaintiff “John Doe” experienced
after using Propecia. The lawsuit charges Merck with negligence,
failure to warn, designing and manufacturing a defective product,
misrepresentation, breach of warranty and other charges. The
plaintiff seeks compensatory damages for medical expenses,
disfigurement, pain and suffering, mental anguish and emotional
distress.
Sexual dysfunction is not the only side affect associated with
5-ARIs like Propecia. Earlier this summer, the FDA warned that the
drugs had been linked to a higher risk of high-grade prostate
cancer. Such drugs may also increase the risk that users will
develop male breast cancer.
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