Abilify Lawsuits for Compulsive Gambling

Abilify users are filing lawsuits alleging that the antipsychotic caused them to develop compulsive gambling habits and that the drug’s maker is legally responsible.

The suits claim that Bristol-Myers Squibb failed to adequately test the drug and failed to warn both patients and doctors about this serious side effect – and is now responsible for money patients lost as a result.

Can Abilify Cause Compulsive Gambling?

The lawsuits allege that compulsive gambling is among the risks associated with Abilify and that Bristol-Myers knew – or should have known – about the side effect, but failed to provide any warning to patients and doctors.

In the company’s September 2011 six-month period safety update report, which was submitted to the European Medicines Agency, Bristol-Myers acknowledges seven serious reports of pathological gambling – three of which were found in medical literature – and 16 instances in the company’s safety database. In the report, the company concluded that it could not exclude Abilify as the cause of the compulsive gambling behavior.

In one study (“Aripiprazole: A New Risk Factor for Pathological Gambling?”), researchers found that it was “probable” that Abilify was the cause of compulsive gambling and only “doubtful” in one of the cases.

Furthermore, an FDA report revealed that Abilify prompted 54 reports of compulsive and impulsive behavior between 2005 and 2013, including 30 reports of compulsive gambling.

European Labeling Warns of Gambling Risk

In late 2012, the European Medicines Agency required Bristol-Myers to put a warning on Abilify to alert patients to the compulsive gambling risk. This warning reads:

“Post-marketing reports of pathological gambling have been reported among patients prescribed Abilify, regardless of whether these patients had a prior history of gambling. Patients with a prior history of pathological gambling may be at an increased risk and should be monitored carefully.”

A similar warning was also added to Abilify in Canada in 2015 – but the words “gambling” appear neither on the drug’s label or its website in the United States. Lawsuits claim that because Bristol-Myers left these warnings off U.S. prescribing information, the drug maker made significantly more revenue from sale of the drug in the United States compared to Europe.

What Could I Get From a Lawsuit?

By filing a lawsuit, you may be able to seek compensation for these and other physical, mental and financial losses you suffered because of your compulsive gambling habit.

Before commenting, please review our comment policy.