Pfizer Sued By Wife of Man Who Died After Using Viagra
Bloomberg News
October 14, 1998, 8:57 p.m. ET
Pfizer Sued By Wife of Man Who Died After Using Viagra
Washington, Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Pfizer Inc., the second-
largest U.S. drugmaker, was sued by the wife of a man who died of
a heart attack after taking the company's Viagra impotence drug.
In the suit filed October 9th in New York State Supreme
Court, Eileen Mastroianni claims the drug is ''unreasonably
dangerous and defective'' and that in offering Viagra for sale
Pfizer is acting with ''reckless disregard for the public
safety.''
Mastroianni's husband, 57-year-old Charles Mastroianni died
June 10 after taking the drug. The lawsuit claims that Pfizer
should have known that a significant portion of the drug's users
were older men, who like Mr. Mastroianni, ''were at greater risk
of angina.''
The lawsuit -- which asks for $10 million for each of
several separate claims as well as additional damages and
compensations -- was filed on behalf of Ms. Mastroianni by the
law offices of attorney Ronald E. Benjamin, who has previously
filed lawsuits for at least four other men who claim to have
suffered heart attacks after taking the drug.
Pfizer disputed Mastroianni's claims. ''We will first of all
contest the lawsuit,'' said Andy McCormick, a spokesman for
Pfizer. ''Secondly, we believe we have marketed the product
responsibly.''
More than 4 million prescriptions have been written for the
Viagra since its launch earlier this year, McCormick said.
Introduced in April, the drug had the most successful launch ever
in the U.S., and recorded sales of $411 million in the second-
quarter.
''Lots of information about the use of the drug has been
collected ... the safety and efficacy profile that we established
in the clinical trials has been affirmed by the massive present
experience,'' he said.
The Food and Drug Administration had received reports of 69
men who died who had also used Viagra when it last updated its
report Aug. 24. Agency officials said the reports haven't changed
the FDA's posture as to the drug's safety. In no case has there
been a direct cause and effect established between taking the
drug and heart problems or death, the FDA and Pfizer said.
Pfizer believes the incidents are more closely linked to
''the physical exertion related to the activity,'' McCormick
said. ''We will prevail in litigation on this.''
--Kristin Reed in Washington (202) 624-1858 /ba
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