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- Have you or a loved one used Viagra or Cialis for a period of at least six months?
- Were you or a loved one diagnosed with melanoma (skin cancer) while using Viagra or Cialis?
- You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
What are Viagra and Cialis?
Viagra and Cialis are drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) in men.
History of Viagra and Cialis
Viagra
In 1998, Viagra (sildenafil) was the first erectile dysfunction drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Sildenafil was originally designed to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and other cardiovascular diseases. But scientists at Pfizer, (the drug’s manufacturer) discovered that it also caused erections.
Viagra brought Pfizer over $1 billion in sales in its first year. Since 1998, the number of men diagnosed with ED has increased by 250%.
Cialis
Cialis (tadalafil) is manufactured by Eli Lilly & Co.
Cialis obtained FDA approval in 2003.
Side Effect Of Sildenafil
There are side effects with any drug and it’s no different with Viagra and Cialis.
Common side effects include:
- Headache
- Flushing in the face, neck, or chest
- Upset stomach, indigestion
- Nasal congestion
- Back pain
- Muscular pain or tenderness
- Nausea
- Rash
- Diarrhea
More serious side effects include:
- Chest pain or irregular heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in the hands, ankles, and feet
- Sudden loss of vision in one eye, impaired color perception, or blurred vision
- Sudden loss of hearing, tinnitus, or dizziness
- Erections lasting for more than four hours (priapism), and
- Sudden drop in blood pressure, which can lead to fainting, heart attack, or stroke
Men using sildenafil to treat ED are more likely to experience side effects if they:
- Have cardiovascular disease
- Are over age 50
- Have high blood pressure
- Have high cholesterol
If you or someone you know has been injured or impacted by using Viagra or Cialis, contact Amber Pang Parra for a free consultation at (855) 452-5529 or pharma@justinian.com.
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Viagra and Cialis And The Dangers of Developing Melanoma (Skin Cancer)
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Melanoma develops in the cells that produce melanin, a skin color pigment.
Both Viagra and Cialis work by inhibiting an enzyme called PDE5.
Studies have shown that when PDE5 is inhibited, melanomas can become much more invasive.
- In fact, roughly 50% of melanomas already have mutations that also inhibit PDE5, which only makes them more aggressive.
Symptoms of Melanoma (Skin Cancer)
The American Cancer Society says half of men may develop melanoma whether they use Viagra and Cialis or not. The Society has estimated that there have been approximately 76,000 new cases of melanoma in the U.S. just this year. Around 10,000 men diagnosed with melanoma will not survive the disease.
Many men have moles. Most are non-cancerous (benign) skin growths that begin in the same cells that produce melanin. But melanoma (skin cancer) can also look like a mole or begin growing inside a mole.
This is why it’s good to keep watch for any changes in moles.
If you or a loved one has moles with the following characteristics, you should see your doctor immediately:
- Asymmetrical shape
- Uneven edges
- Variety of colors (tan, black, red, white, blue)
- Larger than a pencil eraser (1/4-inch in diameter)
- Changes over time
- Bleeding, itching, or crusting
Study Links Viagra and Cialis Use And Aggressive Melanomas
- The journal JAMA Internal Medicine published a ten-year study by Harvard researchers.
- The study involved approximately 30,000 men taking Viagra (Cialis had yet to obtain FDA approval).
- Scientists took into consideration the participants’ Viagra use, sexual health, sun exposure history and risk of genetic skin cancer.
- They also tracked mole history and eye and hair color.
- The scientists also tracked the development of other types of skin cancers in study participants using self-reported questionnaires.
- Some of the cancers the study tracked were squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma.
- Over the ten years the study ran, scientists recorded 580 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, 3,030 cases of basal cell carcinoma and 142 cases of melanoma.
- The researchers concluded that the men taking Viagra were twice as likely to develop melanoma as their counterparts who didn’t take the drug.
- No link between Viagra use and increased risk of developing other forms of skin cancer was found.
- Furthermore, the study did not show any evidence that merely having ED increased the risk of developing melanoma.
NOTE: This study did not prove a cause/effect relationship between Viagra use and increased risk of developing melanoma. Rather, it proved that there is a link of some type between the two. More study may be needed.
FDA Involvement On Sildenafil Erectile Dysfunction Drugs And Melanoma (Skin Cancer)
In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved label updates for ED drugs. The FDA updates added the possibility of:
- Sudden vision loss due to a condition known as non-arthritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which involves a blockage of blood flow to the optic nerve.
- In 2007, the Agency required the addition of the possibility of sudden hearing loss to the labels of ED drugs.
On June 30, 2016 the FDA made an announcement that it was investigating whether to require that Erectile Dysfynction drugs like Viagra and Cialis carry labeled warnings of the increased risk of melanoma.
Sildenafil’s Manufacturers Have Not Warned Of All Its Potential Risks
Despite the study showing that there is some type of link between Viagra and the risk of developing melanoma, its manufacturer Pfizer has kept quiet.
Pfizer has not warned doctors or patients of the potential risk.
Although the study did not include Cialis, Eli Lilly has also remained silent about any potential connection between its ED drug and melanoma.
Viagra and Cialis Melanoma Lawsuits
Men injured by Viagra have filed suit against Pfizer for failure to warn them of the possible risk of developing melanoma.
Multi-District Litigation And Melanoma Injuries Relating To Sildenafil
A Multi-District Litigation (MDL) combines the lawsuits of different people hurt in the same way. By handling all of the pre-trial proceedings (discovery, etc.) in the lawsuits at one time, they save money and avoid the risk of contradictory pre-trial decisions.
In April 2016, the suits against Pfizer for failure to warn of melanoma risk were consolidated into a multi-district litigation (MDL) in federal court in the Northern District of California, Judge Richard Seeborg presiding.
Certain of the Cialis plaintiffs asked the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation (JPML) in September 2016 to combine their suits with those in the Viagra MDL due to similarity in facts of the cases.
- It is quite possible that the future will bring suits regarding Levitra (vardenafil) and the increased risk of developing melanoma. Levitra is another ED drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKlein and Bayer Pharmaceuticals.
- Depending on the number of Levitra cases filed, there may be another motion filed with the JPML to add these cases to the Viagra MDL.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with melanoma after using Viagra or Cialis for at least six months, you need experienced attorneys on your side.
An Texas Personal Injury Law Firm That Knows What You’re Up Against
Viagra and Cialis (sildenafil) Injury Lawsuits Can Be Very Complex
Winning a mass tort lawsuit for injuries caused by dangerous pharmaceuticals usually involves proving that the manufacturers did not properly warn people taking it of the potential risks.
That can include investigating medical studies, corporate publications and using testimony from experts on how the medication caused an injury. This is not easily done, particularly when drug companies show up with an army of lawyers.
But battling bullies is what Justinian & Associates does.
We Are Warriors For The Injured
Our Texas and San Antonio mass tort lawyers have successfully represented dozens of victims injured by dangerous pharmaceuticals and other hazardous substances. That’s exactly why we were founded.
The legal team at Justinian and Associates has years of experience dealing with cases like Viagra and Cialis (sildenafil).
We have the knowledge, experience, resources and trained investigators to take on large adversaries like billion dollar pharmaceutical companies. All we do is fight for injured victims. Our only goal is justice for our clients, whatever that means for them. And we do not accept defeat. Unless we get you money for your injuries, you don’t pay us a dime.
The Time to Act is Now
Your rights can be lost if you wait.
There are laws that limit how much time you have to file a lawsuit after being injured. They are known as statutes of limitation. They may apply to your lawsuit to recover for your Viagra and Cialis (sildenafil) injuries. The countdown may already have begun.
The statute of limitations (how long you have to file a case) may already be counting down. Don’t let it expire!
Call, text or email us for a free consultation, with no obligation. Speak to an Texas personal injury attorney from Justinian & Associates (not a “screener” or paralegal) to understand your rights.
