Pharmaceutical Products and Suicide Risks

This is just one of the many drugs that are now being studied again, despite already having been approved for human use, for the possibility that they may cause users to commit suicide or become violent toward others. While inquiry into the psychological effects that antidepressant, acne-control and other drugs might have on patients is not new, the current trend toward focusing a light on such problems is creating new headaches for drug developers and manufacturers, not only in the extra expenses required for more in-depth studies, but also in the number of consumers emboldened to file suits by the constant stream of headlines announcing that yet another drug may cause suicidal ideation.

The question is, does the increased scrutiny on drug products for evidence that they cause suicidal thoughts mean that suits seeking damages for such thoughts in drug consumers have a better chance at success? The fact is, problems of proof are ever present in these cases, and the state of the law in many jurisdictions is not favorable for plaintiffs. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court stands poised to decide a case that could effectively squelch most state-law-based failure-to-warn and similar suits against pharmaceuticals manufacturers.