Law Student Among Plaintiffs Claiming Baldness Drug Causes Concentration Loss, Impotence
A class action lawsuit filed against Merck & Co. claims its baldness drug Propecia can cause permanent sexual dysfunction and mental problems such as anxiety and insomnia.
One of the plaintiffs is a man forced to drop out of law school because the drug caused an inability to concentrate, the Hartford Courant reports. The story didn’t give his name.
The suit filed in federal court in Camden claims Merck did not change drug labels in the United States to warn of possibly permanent side effects after European regulators required stronger warnings. Merck does warn of possible sexual problems, but the company says the side effects go away after men stop taking Propecia.
The drug’s active ingredient, finasteride, is sold in higher doses in a pill called Proscar, used to treat enlarged prostates. Some balding men buy Proscar and split it in half to save money, according to a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Merck says it plans to vigorously defend the lawsuit.
Hat tip to Pat’s Papers.
