FIVE West Australians who claim they became gambling addicts after taking medication for Parkinson's disease are among more than 100 Australians suing two pharmaceutical giants.
Heartbreaking cases of financial ruin and family breakdowns are at the centre of the class action.
Aspen Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer Australia are being asked for the first time to defend their respective drugs, Permax and Cabaser. The lawsuit claims negligence, defective product and failure to warn of potential dangers.
Anne Shortall, who is representing the class action on behalf of Melbourne firm Arnold Thomas and Becker, said some of the clients also developed compulsive sexual behaviour. She said five West Australians were involved in the lawsuit.
"The drugs mimic the effect of dopamine in the brain, which is a pleasure-seeking type chemical and can cause addictive-type behaviour," Ms Shortall said. "Most of the clients had an obsessive pathological urge to gamble that they couldn't control, and that has led to huge financial loss and family breakdowns."
Monday, April 04, 2011
Parkinson's treatment linked to gambling addiction | Perth Now
via perthnow.com.au
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment