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If you have taken Viagra®, or its twin drug, Revatio®, for a high blood pressure condition known as pulmonary arterial hypertension, then you should also be aware that this medication may be associated with a significantly increased risk for developing skin cancer, specifically melanoma.

Although these may seem like entirely unrelated conditions, as a PDE-5A inhibitor, sildenafil—the generic name for Viagra and Revatio—works by blocking certain enzymes that would otherwise signal a decrease in blood flow in specific areas. This same function, however, has been associated with an increase in the invasiveness of melanoma cells.Plaintiffs alleged that pharmaceutical corporation and manufacturer of Viagra, Pfizer Inc., knew of an increased risk of melanoma but failed to warn the public.

Researchers believe that sildenafil’s inhibition of the phosphodiesterase PDE5A may increase melanoma cell invasion. A 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), “Sildenafil Use and Increased Risk of Incident Melanoma in U.S. Men,” found that men who used sildenafil to treat erectile dysfunction had almost twice the risk for developing melanoma when compared to men who had not used sildenafil, even after controlling for confounding factors such as family history of melanoma, sun exposure behavior and UV index in the state of residence. Manufactured by Pfizer, Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Revatio sales topped $338 million in 2012, and Viagra has been prescribed to millions of men since its initial FDA approval in 1998.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Sheller, P.C. is currently accepting Viagra/Revatio melanoma injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with melanoma after taking these drugs you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free at(800) 883-2299.

 

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