Viagra, Cialis Makers Awarded Summary Judgment in Calif. Federal MDL

SAN FRANCISCO — A California federal judge has awarded defendants summary judgment in the Viagra/Cialis multidistrict litigation after excluding the opinions of plaintiffs’ causation experts for failure to prove an association between use of the erectile dysfunction drugs and progression of melanoma.

On April 8, Judge Richard Seeborg of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California entered final judgment in favor of Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lily & Co.

Sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis) treat erectile dysfunction by inhibiting the secretion of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), an enzyme that degrades cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). When cGMP is …