Sex Addict Lawsuit: Glaxo Drug Turned Man into 'Gay Sex Addict'
If you're straight and not currently an addict, perhaps you'll want to think twice before you fill a prescription for Requip, a Parkinson's disease drug. Didier Jambart, a French father of two, claims that the drug turned him into a gay sex addict and gambling addict, as well as pushing him to attempt suicide three times, the AFP reports.
Jambart, 51, is suing GlaxoSmithKline for allegedly causing his life to spiral out of control due to Requip, which he was first prescribed in 2003 to reduce tremors, movement and speech disruption.
He claims that while he was on the drug, the married father of two gambled away his family's savings. He says his gay sex addiction also resulted in him being raped. He says he began exposing himself on the Internet as well as cross dressing.
Jambart's erratic behavior stopped after he discontinued using the drug in 2005, but by then he had already been demoted from his position with the defense ministry, his suit alleges. Jambart is seeking $610,000 in damages for failing to warn him about the side effects of the drug.
According to Jambart's attorneys, GlaxoSmithKline had been aware of side effects of Requip for years, but didn't put a warning label on the drug until 2006.
GlaxoSmithKline said that it has no comment on the case. A medical product liability case is often filed after injuries are allegedly caused by defective or dangerous pharmaceuticals. The makers of pharmaceuticals have a duty to appropriately test the drugs and medicines before releasing them into the marketplace. If the plaintiff is able to establish that the drug was unsafe, he may be entitled to damages.
Related Resources:
- Man claims Glaxo drug made him 'gay sex addict' (AFP)
- Pharmaceutical Drug Liability (FindLaw)
- What is Product Liability? (FindLaw)