Singulair

Singulair (montelukast) is a drug prescribed to patients suffering from asthma or severe allergies that can provide symptom relief and help them manage their condition. It is a very successful drug for its manufacturer, Merck & Co. Singulair received the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) marketing approval in 1998; by 2004, Singulair was doing $2.62 billion in sales. 

But by 2009, there were concerns that Singulair may have an adverse effect on its users’ mental health. That year, the FDA updated its potential side effect warning about Singulair to include the potential for “neuropsychiatric events.”   The FDA warned that the potential adverse mental health symptoms could include: ”postmarket cases of agitation, aggression, anxiousness, dream abnormalities and hallucinations, depression, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, suicidal thinking and behavior (including suicide), and tremor.”

These concerns have only grown over time — in March 2020, the FDA began requiring a “black box” warning label (the FDA’s highest danger advisory) on every unit of Singulair, warning of the potential for severe mental health symptoms, including suicidal ideation and attempted suicide.  In light of these mounting concerns, the FDA now advises against the use of Singulair to treat seasonal or chronic allergies, except in cases where no other medication works for that specific patient. 

Merck & Co. is now facing lawsuits from Singulair users who allege that the medication caused them to experience adverse mental health symptoms, including suicidal ideation. If you or a loved one have taken singulair and experienced suicidal ideation or other adverse mental health symptoms, you may be eligible for compensation.