December 14, 2016 — Judges have centralized lawsuits involving men who developed melanoma (skin cancer) after taking Cialis or Viagra into one federal court.
On December 7, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) issued an order (PDF) sending 10 Cialis lawsuits to the Northern District of California under U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg.
Cialis melanoma lawsuits against Eli Lilly & Co. will be centralized in Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2691), where more than 200 melanoma lawsuits involving Viagra are already filed against Pfizer.
The JPML decided to expand the scope of the Viagra MDL to include Cialis because all of the lawsuits claim that treating erectile dysfunction by inhibiting PDE5 causes melanoma or exacerbates it.
Cialis, Viagra, and Levitra inhibiting PDE5 to increase blood-flow to the penis. About 50% of melanomas have genetic mutations that also inhibit PDE5. Studies have shown these cancers are more aggressive. The FDA is currently investigating the risk.
The first correlation between PDE5 inhibitors and melanoma was reported in 2008. In 2011, another study found that PDE5 inhibitors stimulated a “dramatic increase in melanoma cell invasion.” In 2014, recent used of Viagra was associated with an 84% increased risk of melanoma in a study of 25,000 men that was published by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Melanomas are less common than other skin cancers, but they are usually more aggressive, more likely to spread to other parts of the body, and more likely to cause death. They look like moles in their early stages, which often delays diagnosis until it is impossible to cure.
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