EL SEGUNDO – Consumers should be better informed about Viagra's risks, a California attorney recently appointed to the Plaintiffs' Executive Steering Committee in Viagra Products Liability Action said during a recent interview.
More accessible information about risks taking the drug would be part of the best possible outcome in Viagra litigation, Jennifer Liakos, an attorney in the Pharmaceutical Litigation Department of Napoli Shkolnik's El Segundo office, said during a Northern California Record email interview.
Jennifer Liakos, member of Plaintiffs' Executive Steering Committee in Viagra Products Liability Action
| Photo courtesy of Napoli Shkolnik
"The best results would include fair and adequate compensation for those injured by the drug, but would also include Pfizer educating physicians and consumers about the risks associated with this drug," Liakos said. "If people are aware of the risks and still choose to take the medication, at least they are informed about the consequences rather than being led to believe there are none."
Liakos was named to the Plaintiffs' Executive Steering Committee in Viagra Products Liability Action earlier this summer, according to a Napoli Shkolnik press release.
Viagra, or sildenafil Citrate, works by relaxing muscles in blood vessel and increasing blood flow to particular parts of the body. It is most commonly known for treating erectile dysfunction in men.
This past spring, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated claims against Pfizer over allegations the pharmaceutical company failed to warn Viagra users of the drug’s link to cancer. Multiple federal lawsuits were centralized in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and the panel selected the California federal court for the Multidistrict Litigation (MDL).
Liakos said she has goals in common with other members of the steering committee.
"My goals as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee are to utilize my skills and experience and work with the rest of the Steering Committee and Executive Committee to obtain the best result for those injured by Pfizer’s failure to warn about the deadly side effects of Viagra," Liakos said. "Melanoma is a very serious and life-threatening cancer. This is a very competent and hard-working group of lawyers who will work hard to obtain the best results for our clients."
As part of the Plaintiffs' Executive Steering Committee, Liakos is expected continue investigating and developing claims while also initiating, coordinating, and conducting all informational discoveries on behalf of the plaintiffs, according to the Napoli Shkolnik press release. "The allegations in the Viagra cases are very serious," Liakos was quoted in the press release. "Melanoma is the most severe type of skin cancer and often requires treatment with chemotherapy and radiation. This litigation presents a great chance to work with a group of very capable lawyers representing clients who have been seriously wronged."
Liakos' appointment to the Plaintiffs' Executive Steering Committee in Viagra Products Liability Action, pivotal litigation in the pharmaceutical legal field, is the sort of level to which many attorneys aspire. During her Northern California Record interview, Liakos offered some advice for young, up-and-coming attorneys who want a career in the pharmaceutical product liability field.
"Work hard," she said. "And find yourself a great mentor. There is so much to learn after law school and in the early years of practice, especially when you take on an area as intellectually challenging as pharmaceutical litigation. A background in science and constitutional principles is definitely helpful as well."