Eli Lilly is facing hundreds of lawsuits for failing to warn about the risk of melanoma from tadalafil, the active drug in Adcirca and Cialis, but not as part of a class action. Instead, lawsuits are centralized in one federal court.
Melanoma Class Action Lawsuit
Eli Lilly & Co. and Pfizer Inc. are facing hundreds of lawsuits from men who were diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer after taking Cialis (tadalafil) or Viagra (sildenafil) in erectile dysfunction drugs. The lawsuits are not part of a class action. Instead, they are individual lawsuits that are centralized into one federal court.
How Many Lawsuits Have Been Filed?
By May 2017, over 400 melanoma lawsuits nationwide were filed in Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2691) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California under Judge Richard Seeborg — In RE: Viagra and Cialis Products Liability Litigation.
Does Adcirca Cause Melanoma?
Adcirca contains tadalafil, the same active ingredient as Cialis, and both drugs are sold by Eli Lilly & Co. In 2015, tadalafil was linked to a 21% increased risk of melanoma. The FDA has been investigating the risk of melanoma from Adcirca since July 2016.
Study Finds 84% Increased Risk of Melanoma
Tadalafil increases blood-flow to certain parts of the body by blocking an enzyme called PDE5 (phosphodiesterase type-5). In 2014, this class of drugs was linked to an 84% increased risk of melanoma. Other studies suggest that PDE5 inhibitors could make melanoma more aggressive, likely to spread, and invasive.
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