Abilify Lawsuit 2023

Patients who took the antipsychotic Abilify are filing a lawsuit after they developed compulsive behaviors that led them into gambling or other addictions. According to the ongoing mass tort litigation, the manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical failed to warn patients that the antipsychotic medication may increase the risk of compulsive gambling and type-2 diabetes in children. The pharmaceutical companies are facing legal claims by dozens of individuals who allege that the drug caused them to lose thousands of dollars or harmed their children.

If you or one of your beloved ones lost a considerable sum of money due to pathological gambling or showed any other sign of compulsive behaviors after taking Abilify, you should seek monetary compensation in court. Our team will help you contact the best lawyers available to assist you in your legal battle. We can also provide you with legal assistance if you or your children took this medication during childhood and later developed type-2 diabetes.

Call us now or fill our form for a free legal consultation.

What is Abilify and why it is dangerous?

Abilify (aripiprazole) is an antipsychotic drug used for the management of schizophrenia, depression, autistic disorder, and mood disorders. It acts by normalizing the production of important neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin and dopamine. It was approved for use in the U.S. market by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002. It is manufactured by a Japanese corporation, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, together with the American Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS).

All drugs pertaining to the atypical antipsychotic class are inherently dangerous and associated with numerous side effects such as hyperlipidemia, eye disorders, and weight gain. However, the manufacturers never warned the public, including the doctors who prescribed it, about the dangers posed by Abilify. This medication may, in fact, cause people to lose control over their impulses. Many people ended in a vicious loop of shopping and gambling addiction, hypersexuality, binge eating or other forms of compulsive behaviors shortly after taking it.

Even worse than this, the pharmaceutical companies illegally pushed the prescription of aripiprazole in pediatric patients, despite its association with a long-term risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

Similar cases and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s off-label scandal

Bristol-Myers Squibb was already involved in a large scandal after the U.S. Department of Justice found they were illegally marketing Abilify to patients affected by dementia. In the last ten years, in fact, the number of antipsychotics prescribed each year grew by a whopping 93%. Many of them are fraudulently handed as off-label prescriptions to vulnerable patients such as children and the elderly through aggressive marketing campaigns and vast kickback schemes. Eventually, the corporation agreed to pay a $515 million settlement to wrap up the accusations.

Boehringer-Ingelheim, another pharmaceutical company, paid a $8.3 million reward to Gary Charbonneau, a plaintiff who lost $260,000 to pathological gambling while being treated with a similar medication called Mirapex (pramipexole). Often, these companies prefer to pay a settlement to avoid losing higher amounts of money during long trials which may last for several years. This means that if your case is solid enough and the drugmaker chooses to settle the first few cases, you have a solid chance to be compensated for a substantial amount of money.

Current status of Abilify legal proceedings

In June 2016, Denise and Brad Miley submitted the first Abilify civil action against BMS and Otsuka in the Minnesota Federal Court. According to the couple’s claim, the woman lost over $75,000 in five months after she suddenly started gambled all her household’s money, even if she had no prior history of betting. The plaintiffs want to hold the manufacturers responsible for all the emotional and financial damage they suffered, claiming that the public was not properly warned about this risk.

As per January 2019, a total of 2,108 Abilify lawsuits have been filed by plaintiffs across the whole country after the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized them into the MDL No. 2734. Judge Casey Rodgers is now overseeing the mass tort litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

Why You Should File an Abilify Lawsuit?

If you or a family member experienced unexpected compulsive behavior, or your children developed long-term type-2 diabetes, you have the right to sue the pharmaceutical companies who distributed a defective product on the market. A manufacturer’s duty is to adequately warn the public about the dangers associated with its drugs, and is fully liable for any damage associated with their use. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your financial losses and the emotional suffering those losses caused.

The consolidated proceedings of the Abilify MDL mean that regular individuals can participate in a lawsuit against large pharmaceutical companies. Unlike a class action, the mass tort proceedings will allow you to retain your individual claim. Any settlement offer you may receive will take into consideration the unique facts of your personal case and the damages you experienced.

 

top