A man in France claims that a pharmaceutical manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline turned him into a gambler and sex addict who compulsively sought encounters with other men.
Didier Jambart, 51, a married man with two children, claims that Requip, a drug used to treat Parkinson’s Disease, was responsible for his gambling and gay sexual conduct, behavior that he characterized as that of an "addict." Jambart has filed suit against the pharmaceutical giant, as well as against his neurologist, AFP reported on Jan. 31.
Jambart’s lawyers assert that after he began taking the drug in 2003, he started to engage in conduct that was unlike his usual self, gambling on the Internet, cross-dressing, and stealing to cover his losses. After two years, Jambart stopped taking the drug and his uncharacteristic behavior ceased--but by then his career had been damaged and he had suffered mental trauma, his lawyers allege.
Jambart first sued for damages in 2007. An article in British newspaper the Guardian from Dec. 9 of that year cited Jambart as saying that cases similar to his had occurred. "I know of other dreadful examples here in France, including someone imprisoned as a result of their compulsive gambling, and of women who ended up prostituting themselves in mobile homes because of their sexual obsessions," Jambart said. The article noted that Jambart had been treated with dopamine agoists, a class of drug that can act on the brain like mood in a manner similar to naturally occurring mood elevators.
The Guardian story said that Jambart’s gambling started within a year of starting on the drug. In 2005, he started searching for male sex partners online. Jambart experienced a same-sex rape during one encounter, according to his attorneys. He also attempted suicide several times during his time using the drug.
"As soon as we saw him we knew immediately it was dopamine agonists," neurologist Philippe Damier of Nantes CHU hospital said.
The suit seeks more than $600,000 in damages and claims that Jambart was not informed about the drug’s possible side effects. Requip has been relabeled to warn about side effects, warning that some users have "developed gambling problems or other intense urges or behaviors that were compulsive or unusual for them, such as increased sexual urges or behaviors," noted a Feb. 1 article at Chinese news site Xinhua.
Jambart’s lawyers say that the warnings appeared in 2006, by which time he was no longer taking Requip, reported Fox News on Jan. 31.
Didier Jambart, 51, a married man with two children, claims that Requip, a drug used to treat Parkinson’s Disease, was responsible for his gambling and gay sexual conduct, behavior that he characterized as that of an "addict." Jambart has filed suit against the pharmaceutical giant, as well as against his neurologist, AFP reported on Jan. 31.
Jambart’s lawyers assert that after he began taking the drug in 2003, he started to engage in conduct that was unlike his usual self, gambling on the Internet, cross-dressing, and stealing to cover his losses. After two years, Jambart stopped taking the drug and his uncharacteristic behavior ceased--but by then his career had been damaged and he had suffered mental trauma, his lawyers allege.
Jambart first sued for damages in 2007. An article in British newspaper the Guardian from Dec. 9 of that year cited Jambart as saying that cases similar to his had occurred. "I know of other dreadful examples here in France, including someone imprisoned as a result of their compulsive gambling, and of women who ended up prostituting themselves in mobile homes because of their sexual obsessions," Jambart said. The article noted that Jambart had been treated with dopamine agoists, a class of drug that can act on the brain like mood in a manner similar to naturally occurring mood elevators.
The Guardian story said that Jambart’s gambling started within a year of starting on the drug. In 2005, he started searching for male sex partners online. Jambart experienced a same-sex rape during one encounter, according to his attorneys. He also attempted suicide several times during his time using the drug.
"As soon as we saw him we knew immediately it was dopamine agonists," neurologist Philippe Damier of Nantes CHU hospital said.
The suit seeks more than $600,000 in damages and claims that Jambart was not informed about the drug’s possible side effects. Requip has been relabeled to warn about side effects, warning that some users have "developed gambling problems or other intense urges or behaviors that were compulsive or unusual for them, such as increased sexual urges or behaviors," noted a Feb. 1 article at Chinese news site Xinhua.
Jambart’s lawyers say that the warnings appeared in 2006, by which time he was no longer taking Requip, reported Fox News on Jan. 31.
Kilian Melloy reviews media, conducts interviews, and writes commentary for EDGEBoston, where he also serves as Assistant Arts Editor.
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