No causal link between erectile dysfunction drugs and malignant melanoma, says JAMA study

24 June 2015

Study data published in the Journal of the American failed to demonstrate an association between the use of erectile dysfunction drugs and malignant melanoma.

It suggested instead that lifestyle characteristics increase the risk, rather than PDE5 inhibitors such as Viagra (sildenafil) from Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Cialis (tadalafil) from Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and Levitra (vardenafil) from GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) and Bayer (BAYN: DE). Researchers said that while findings identified an increased risk of malignant melanoma among those prescribed a PDE5 inhibitor, further analysis did not show a greater risk among those with the most prescriptions.

The study looked at the records of more than 20,000 patients including 4,065 diagnosed with malignant melanoma between 2006 and 2012. Among these, 2,148 had used Viagra, Levitra or Cialis, and 435 had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma.

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