Abilify Class Action | Rochon Genova

The Claims

This class action, filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, alleged that the pharmaceutical companies responsible for manufacturing and marketing Abilify and Abilify Maintena—Bristol-Myers Squibb, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, and Lundbeck—knew, or ought to have known, that these drugs cause or materially increase the risk of compulsive behaviours:

compulsive gambling, compulsive shopping, hypersexuality and binge eating.

The claim further alleged that the companies failed to adequately warn Canadian patients and healthcare providers of these risks, resulting in significant harm to the plaintiffs and proposed class members.

The Class

All persons in Canada, including their estates, who were prescribed and ingested Abilify between July 9, 2009 and February 23, 2017;
All persons in Canada, including their estates, who were prescribed and used Abilify Maintena between February 6, 2014 and December 16, 2016; and
All persons in Canada who, by virtue of a personal relationship with a person in Canada who was prescribed and used Abilify or Abilify Maintena as described above, are entitled to assert a derivative claim for damages pursuant to the Family Law Act, RSO 1990, c. F.3, as amended or equivalent provincial and territorial legislation.

Updates

On June 7, 2016, the class action was commenced.
On December 19, 2019, the Superior Court of Québec authorized a national class action on behalf of ABILIFY® Class Members.
On March 13, 2020, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice certified a national class action on behalf of ABILIFY® and ABILIFY MAINTENA® Class Members.
On December 23, 2024, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved settlement.
On February 7, 2025, the Superior Court of Québec approved settlement.