Canadian National Newswire on Propecia Lawsuits

General Discussion Media & Awareness
#1

The Canadian Press, Canada’s national newswire service, is running a story on new Propecia litigation against Merck.

Note that the two plaintiffs “allege that Merck didn’t properly warn people that sexual dysfunction could continue even after they stopped taking the treatment.”

Also that “a call to Merck was not immediately returned Friday.”

The full story below…

The Canadian Press
Aug. 9, 2013

Lawsuit Claims Hair Drug Propecia Hurt Sex Life of Some Men Who Used It

REGINA – A Saskatchewan law firm is hoping to launch a class-action lawsuit over allegations a popular hair-growth drug has ruined the sex lives of some of its users.

In statements of claim filed in Regina and Calgary, two men say they lost interest in sexual activity after taking Propecia.

The claims, which have not been proven in court and have yet to be certified as a class-action, allege that drug maker Merck Frosst Canada didn’t adequately warn people about the risks of Propecia.

Sexual dysfunction is listed as a possible side effect to the drug.

But the men allege that Merck didn’t properly warn people that sexual dysfunction could continue even after they stopped taking the treatment.

A call to Merck was not immediately returned Friday.

According to the Regina statement of claim, the man started taking Propecia after having a lump on his head removed in December 2007. His doctor gave him a free sample to encourage hair growth where the lump had been and a prescription for more.

The man claims he noticed hair wasn’t growing on his head, but in rather large patches on his neck and back. He also alleges he noticed a decrease in his sex drive and had difficulty maintaining an erection.

The statement of claim in Calgary was filed on behalf of a man who started on Propecia in 2000 and took it for four years.

The man claims his relationship with his wife suffered and they grew apart because his sex drive decreased.

Regina lawyer Tony Merchant, who filed the claim, argues the warning about the side effect wasn’t good enough.

“The drug companies, not just in this case but in others, then say, ‘number 1, we had this warning there.’ But what they really mean is it’s buried somewhere and it’s not a meaningful warning of any kind,” said Merchant.

#2

Below is a list of media outlets that have picked up the story thus far.

To show each outlet our appreciation for carrying the story, please click on each link and spend at least a few minutes looking over each one.

Also, send all the links to friends and relatives and ask them to do the same:

Maclean’s Magazine
www2.macleans.ca/2013/08/09/laws … o-used-it/

Global Post
globalpost.com/dispatch/news … me-men-who

CKOM Radio
(Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
ckom.com/story/lawsuit-over-sexu … cia/125341

The Calgary Herald
calgaryherald.com/health/Law … story.html

Edmonton Journal
edmontonjournal.com/Lawsuit+ … story.html

The Leader-Post
(Regina, Saskatchewan)
leaderpost.com/health/Lawsui … story.html

The Star Phoenix
(Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
thestarphoenix.com/health/La … story.html

Times Colonist
(Victoria, British Columbia)
timescolonist.com/cmlink/gmg … -1.574422/

#3

Very much appreciate the update PR123

The sooner these lawsuits gather momentum and cases get to court the better!!!

Hopefully these court cases should attract enough media attention to provoke this poison to be pulled from the market!!!

#4

Agreed: this process needs to move ahead as quickly as possible in order to save lives.

Also, it looks like someone has already posted a comment on Maclean’s:

www2.macleans.ca/2013/08/09/laws … o-used-it/

So thanks for that, and other readers should feel free to voice their opinions as well.

#5

And one more thing: As I said, note in the Canadian Press story that…

“A call to Merck was not immediately returned Friday.”

Now, in this day and age of mobile communications – particularly at a $48 billion company like Merck & Co. – it’s inexcusable that no one in that company’s media-relations department responded to Canada’s largest newswire service.

What’s worse (for Merck) is that Propecia litigation is not an issue that just sprung up Friday afternoon out of the blue. Merck has been dealing with it for at least two years now.

So if their head of media relations were worth his or her salt (which I imagine is well into six figures), he or she would have all sorts of responses about the issue ready to go within moments of getting a call from the media. Such preemptive Q&As are PR 101. Or, to be more precise, Crisis Management 101.

And as we speak, it’s Saturday night. But I just checked and the story still has not been updated with a comment from Merck. But I can assure you that if a Merck rep called the news desk at the Canadian Press an hour, or two, or five, or even 24 after the story had been published to offer a comment, the newswire would gladly amend its story accordingly.

In any event, the potentially millions of Canadian citizens who read the Canadian Press story will likely assume something is fishy at Merck. That’s pretty much always the perception among regular, hard-working, intelligent members of the general public.

If a huge corporation hides its head in the sand, it must be at least partially guilty. For if that corporation had done nothing wrong, it would be out aggressively defending itself. Even a lowly media-relation intern knows that.

I rest my case.

#6

Yet another media outlet has picked up the Canadian Press story:


mississauga.com/news-story/4 … o-used-it/

Again, please click on all of these stories, and if there’s a comment section, leave a comment as well.

#7

Another media outlet has picked up the Canadian Press story today:

Brandon Sun
brandonsun.com/lifestyles/br … html?thx=y

Once again, please click on all of these stories, and if there’s a comment section, leave a comment as well.

#8

And yet another media outlet has picked up the Canadian Press story:

The Province
theprovince.com/health/Lawsu … story.html

Once again, please click on all of these stories, and if there’s a comment section, leave a comment as well.

I would estimate, based on the circulation of all the outlets that have picked up this story thus far, that about 3 million Canadians have read about the alleged dangers of Propecia.

#9

Yet another Canadian paper picking up the story today: The Prince George Citizen. This one not online yet, but in the hard copy of the paper.

If anyone lives in Prince George, BC, be sure to pick up a copy.

Prince George Citizen (British Columbia)
August 14, 2013 Wednesday

Lawsuit claims hair drug Propecia hurt sex life of some men who used it

REGINA – A Saskatchewan law firm is hoping to launch a class-action lawsuit over allegations a popular hair-growth drug has ruined the sex lives of some of its users.

In statements of claim filed in Regina and Calgary, two men say they lost interest in sexual activity after taking Propecia.

The claims, which have not been proven in court and have yet to be certified as a class-action, allege that drug maker Merck Frosst Canada didn’t adequately warn people about the risks of Propecia.

Sexual dysfunction is listed as a possible side effect to the drug.

But the men allege that Merck didn’t properly warn people that sexual dysfunction could continue even after they stopped taking the treatment.

A call to Merck was not immediately returned Friday.

According to the Regina statement of claim, the man started taking Propecia after having a lump on his head removed in December 2007. His doctor gave him a free sample to encourage hair growth where the lump had been and a prescription for more.

The man claims he noticed hair wasn’t growing on his head, but in rather large patches on his neck and back. He also alleges he noticed a decrease in his sex drive and had difficulty maintaining an erection.

#10

Meanwhile, Merck has still not called the Canadian Press (a source inside tells us) to update the story with a comment.