A Missouri Abilify lawsuit may be an option for patients who took the medication and suffered from compulsive disorders, including compulsive gambling. Living with a mental illness is a challenge for many Americans, and medications, such as Abilify, are often a solution used to maintain stability. However, Abilify has been allegedly linked to compulsive, pathological gambling. Affected patients and their families may be able to file a Missouri Abilify lawsuit and recover compensation for their injuries.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Missouri today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated Missouri Abilify lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What Does Abilify Treat?
MedlinePlus describes Abilify as an antipsychotic medication used to treat patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It is most often prescribed to adults, but can be used to treat children with autism or Tourette’s syndrome. The drug works by stimulating dopamine receptors in the brain when more is needed or blocking the same receptors when too much dopamine is present, essentially keeping the chemicals balanced.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), schizophrenia is condition in which those affected are unable to control their thoughts, behaviors and emotions due to an imbalance in the brain’s chemical makeup. There are several symptoms of schizophrenia that may lead to a diagnosis, including delusions, hallucinations, a loss of emotion or disorganized thinking.
The NAMI defines bipolar disorder as a life-long mental illness that exhibits itself in extremely high and extremely low moods, called mania and depression, that are much more severe than the mood swings experienced by most people. Abilify may be prescribed by doctors to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in an attempt to level out the swings from one extreme to the other.
Compulsive Behavior Studies
In 2014, the JAMA Internal Medicine medical journal published a study performed by Harvard Medical School, the Institute of Safe Medication Practices and the University of Ottawa that linked the use of Abilify and compulsive behaviors, such as compulsive shopping, gambling and hyper sexuality. According to the study, the use of Abilify and other types of dopamine receptor antagonist drugs may lead to an increase in impulse control disorders, with pathological gambling being the most prevalent.
The JAMA study was performed in order to analyze adverse events that had been reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since the drug’s approval in 2002. Following the study and an increase in adverse events reports, the FDA released a safety announcement in 2016 warning of impulse control problems associated with Abilify. The safety announcement states that although some current drug labels list compulsive gambling as a potential side effect, it may be downplayed slightly and other behaviors are not listed at all. The announcement warns patients and health care professionals to watch for signs of compulsive behavior and to reconsider prescribing the drug to those who may be at a higher risk for impulsive urges, such as those with obsessive-compulsive disorder or with a history of drug abuse.
Missouri Abilify Lawsuit Claims
Many plaintiffs in these lawsuits are seeking compensation from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., the manufacturers and distributers of Abilify. In February of 2016, an Indiana man filed a complaint in which he alleged that he suffered extreme financial loss while taking Abilify, due to a compulsive gambling habit that he developed while on the drug. According to the lawsuit, the man began taking the medication and soon found himself unable to stop gambling. After discontinuing the medication, he was able to quit gambling, but had already amassed nearly $45,000 in gambling losses.
This lawsuit, like others currently in process against Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., alleges that the manufacturers failed to provide enough warning of the potential for compulsive behavior in those using the medication to treat their mental illness. Many of the plaintiffs in these cases claim that ample warnings would have led them to think twice before taking the drug.
How a Missouri Abilify Lawsuit Can Help
Drug makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their products, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
People injured by bad drugs may be eligible to recover money for:
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
The families of those who have died may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Missouri. You can fill out the form on this page or contact us by phone or email.
After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
