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UPDATE: On Sept. 30, 2020 The Superior Court of Québec extended the opt-out deadline to November 19, 2020. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Justice of Québec and the Minister of Justice also lifted the civil procedure time limits for the Abilify class action lawsuit.
A Quebec court has authorized a proposed Class in an Abilify class action lawsuit alleging those who took the antipsychotic medication suffered from compulsions to shop, gamble, overeat, and even have sex.
Lead plaintiff S. Scheer lodged the complaint against Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, Otsuka Canada Pharmaceutical, and Lundbeck Canada seeking to represent Canadians who took Abilify before Feb. 23, 2017.
On Jan. 6, 2020, the representative for the plaintiff announced that the proposed Class had been certified by the Honourable Justice Pierre-C. Gagnon. To remain in the Class, you don’t have to do anything further. Canadians who would like to opt out of the Abilify class action must do so by May 31, 2020.
The Abilify class action lawsuit alleges that the medication carries a risk of causing irresistible compulsions to eat, gamble, and shop, but the drug makers failed to adequately warn patients.
According to the Abilify class action lawsuit, the drug makers “developed, designed, manufactured, tested, marketed, labelled, packaged, promoted, advertised, imported, distributed, and/or sold the ABILIFY Products as safe and/or effective despite a wealth of existing knowledge that the drugs had dangerous side effects including uncontrollable impulses, such as pathological gambling, binge eating, uncontrollable spending or shopping and hypersexual behavior.”
Abilify is an antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, notes the complaint. It comes in several different dosages, available in both pill and liquid form. The drug works by binding to receptors in the brain, making it different from drugs in the same family known as atypical antipsychotics.
“Like other atypical antipsychotics, the ABILIFY Products bind to several different neurotransmitter receptors, but unlike others in its class, it doesn’t block dopamine (specifically, dopamine D2) or serotonin (specifically, 5-HT1A) receptors,” states the Abilify class action lawsuit.
“Instead, it’s a partial agonist at those receptors – it can activate those receptors, but not to the full biological effect. In lay terms, it can both enhance dopamine and serotonin signaling where those transmitters are deficient, and inhibit signaling where they are in excess.”
Dopamine has a role in compulsive and addictive behavior, contends the plaintiff, and that role is well known. Additionally, the drug makers allegedly knew of reports of serious pathological gambling linked to patients who took Abilify while the drug was still being tested. Despite these reports, the companies pushed for approval of Abilify in 2009.
Further cases of compulsive, addictive behaviors linked to the drug were reported in subsequent years, alleges the Abilify class action lawsuit. Patients reported an irresistible urge to gamble and overeat and some reported incidents of hypersexuality. These urges, says the plaintiff, dissipated after the patients were switched to a different medication.
Even in the face of these reports, as well as limits placed on the use of Abilify by the European Union, Bristol-Meyers and Otsuka marketed the drug to Canadians, alleges the complaint.
“Despite the risks of serious adverse events, and the lack of adequate testing, that Respondents aggressively promoted ABILIFY, including illegal promotion for off-label use,” states the class action lawsuit.
In 2017, the makers of Abilify reached a $19.5 million settlement with 43 U.S. attorneys generals who brought similar claims. The funds were distributed to those who took the antipsychotic medication in the U.S.
Top Class Actions will continue to post updates on the Abilify class action lawsuit. Click the “Follow Article” button at the top of this page to get the latest updates about the Abilify class action lawsuit by using your free Top Class Actions account. For the latest updates, keep checking ca.TopClassActions.com or sign up for our free newsletter.
Did you take Abilify and suffer from compulsions to overeat, gamble, shop, or have sex? Tell us your story in the comments below.
The plaintiff is represented by Consumer Law Group.
The Abilify Class Action Lawsuit is S. Scheer v. Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., et al., Case No. 500-06-000831-160, in the Superior Court of Québec, District of Montreal, Canada.
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42 thoughts onAbilify Class Action Certified By Canadian Court
I am being forced to take abilify against my will. I am having terrible side effects such as muscle aches and pains, joint pain, muscle stiffness, sedation, sleepiness, drowsiness, restlessness especially in legs, inability to sit still, uncomfortable feeling in legs and stomach, nausea, belching, constipation, bizarre abnormal dreams, confusion, impulse control problems, involuntary movements, fidgeting, wandering, cognitive impairment, lack of motivation, compulsive behaviours like bingeing, sexual health issues, sweating, excessive body hair growth, thinning brittle hair, anxiety, nervousness, indigestion, irritability, bloating, unusual weight loss, weakness overrall feeling of being unwell. . I think this medication has caused irreversible damage to my brain and that i even might have tardive dyskinesia. I am very worried because abilify can kill someone suddenly it also causes many health problems like diabetes, stroke, high blood sugar, low supply of oxygen rich blood to the heart, seizures and nore. What can i do to get compensation for this?
How do I join? I took Abilify 2 separate times and each time I was in it my impulses to shop,gamble increased significantly. I’m in financial ruins because of it as the desire to gamble was so intense it was not easy to stop. Once I came off of abilify the urges dimished.
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
I was forced to take this medication against my will. I developed impulse disorders of every kind. My life has been hell for several years. I think this medication has caused irreversible damage to my brain. I have been fighting to survive in this world. Although after taking Abilify I pray most nights that God will take my life to end the suffering.
Please add me!
Please add me
How do I join? My adoptive son was placed on this for misdiagnosed autism when he had FAS. He had extreme weight gain, high blood pressure, aggressive outbursts and excessive sweating until he was taken off it.
Hello I have record of me taking abilify on 2016/12/03 and experience all the side effects of the drug controller omg your body and brain, having hypersexuality,money spending, drug addictions,and gambling addictions, weight gain as well
I think Abilify has damaged my brain and Mike Dow in his book The Brain Fog Fix says it does. Can you help me stop them forcing me to take this? I am not dangerous and do not threaten people.
I was put on Abilify a number of years ago for anxiety. I have gained weight but the biggest problem is/was my gambling. Just within the last 6 months they increased my dosage and it became completely out of control. I am now in a desperate position financially and have since come off it. II live in Ontario Canada and am now looking to join a class action suit but can find nothing.
I gained almost 100pounds on it. I could not function normally. I had a shopping/shoplifting compulsion and addiction issues. I took myself off with extreme withdrawal effects,but I have been healthy without any medications for over 2years.
I was put on Abilify for something other than what it’s normally used for. I gained close to 100 lbs very quickly and started spending money I could not afford to spend. I then became even more depressed because of my financial situation and my physical looks and the way it makes me feel. My quality of life became very poor. I am still struggling with these issues. I became in debt and have no savings left. I don’t feel good about myself and the extra weight is not good for me. I have several medical issues and extra weight is just one more thing to deal with. I still struggle with budgeting and sticking to my budget. I’m afraid of losing my apartment. I worry about losing my emotional support pet—I would not do well if that happens.
I took abilify for a relatively short period of time in 2006 & in that time gained 20lbs & got type 2 diabetes which my primary dr.states came emphatically from use of abilify. There is nobody on either side of my family that has diabetes so it is not hereditary