After a review of lawsuits across a number of districts, Florida’s federal court has chosen to consolidate all matters regarding Abilify. The companies responsible for its manufacture, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, allegedly failed to include proper warnings as to the drug’s side effects.
Drug companies accused of negligence
There are currently 43 lawsuits regarding the antipsychotic drug Abilify in the Northern District of Florida. All matters allege that the drug (aripiprazole) altered user personalities, leading to sex addiction, compulsive gambling and shopping, binge eating and other disorders. Of the conditions, gambling appears to be the most common.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these disorders could be affecting any patient taking the medicine. The agency said in a safety communication: “As a result, we are adding new warnings about all of these compulsive behaviors to the drug labels and the patient Medication Guides for all aripiprazole products.”
Reports of disorders growing
Plaintiffs say Abilify significantly changed and disrupted their lives. One plaintiff, Patrick Parks, filed suit in November 2016. He says after being prescribed the drug in 2013, it wasn’t long thereafter that he began to gamble compulsively. When he stopped taking the drug the following summer, he immediately stopped gambling. Unfortunately, by then Parks had lost over $75,000.
The common thread in all cases is once patients stopped taking Abilify, the behavior stopped.
Abilify overuse and misuse
In 2002, the FDA originally approved Abilify for treating schizophrenia. The agency later approved the drug for irritability associated with autism, bipolar disorder and in conjunction with treatments for major depression. Doctors would eventually take it upon themselves to prescribe the drug for dementia, insomnia, PTSD, and eating, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Over a million Americans may have taken the drug and been exposed to side effects.
Consolidation a smart move
Giving all cases over to U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers goes far toward ensuring a fair decision for all parties. If you or anyone you know has shown behavioral disorders after taking Abilify, call The Sanders Firm. You could be entitled to compensation and can find out with a free consultation.
Abilify-related resources
- Everyday Health, What Is Abilify (Aripiprazole)? https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/abilify
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA warns about new impulse-control problems associated with mental health drug aripiprazole (Abilify, Abilify Maintena, Aristada), https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm498662.htm
