A pivotal year: stories on Propecia effects and lawsuits in Examiner.com (2012)

In 2012, freelance columnist John Peige published more than 30 stories at Examiner.com. Examiner enabled thousands of contributors to post stories without formal editorial oversight. Mr. Peige covered a pivotal period where FDA added warnings of lasting sexual dysfunction to the Propecia label, lawsuits were filed against Merck, Kevin Malley held a hunger strike, and the Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation was formed. (For stories in established media outlets, see News & media coverage.)

Excerpted bio via archive.org:

John Peige, an award-winning former freelance columnist for The Baltimore Sun, has been writing features about things Baltimore for more than 30 years. He has flown over one million miles throughout the U.S. and Europe covering the launches of some of the world’s most exotic cars. He has interviewed hundreds of car guys from Bill Ford to Jay Leno…

Examiner.com was shuttered in 2016, but these stories are available on archive.org as of January 2023.

PFS Foundation to host roundtable on Finasteride’s effect on the nervous system
November 19, 2012

The Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation is sponsoring a roundtable discussion on PFS at the University of Milan’s 7th International Meeting on Steroids and the Nervous System conference in Torino, Italy, Feb. 19, 2013. Titled Effects of Finasteride Treatment… Continue

Propecia lawsuits grow by double-digits as more victims sue Merck
November 12, 2012

Despite its “Be well” tagline, Merck & Co. appears to be promoting just the opposite—at least among its Propecia patients. For the second consecutive quarter, the number of individuals who have filed lawsuits against the pharma… Continue

Propecia shrinks genitals of aspiring young teacher, decimates hopes
October 29, 2012

To the casual observer, Matthew Garner could pass as a poster boy for American goodness.What with his pursuit of a career as an elementary school teacher, part-time job as a hospital orderly, clean-scrubbed appearance and… Continue

Howie Mandel interviews transgender Propecia victim on Sept. 13 ‘Anderson Live’
September 12, 2012

The website promo for Thursdays, (Sept. 13) “Anderson Live” nationally syndicated TV show says it all: “EXCLUSIVE: It’s a story you’ll see only on “Anderson Live”: Mandi McKee, who was born… Continue

New Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation offers hope for Propecia victims
August 28, 2012

Merck & Co. may remain mum on the myriad of persistent side effects precipitated by its popular hair-loss drug Propecia, but victims worldwide should sleep easier tonight knowing that medical pros have banded together in the pharma giant’… Continue

ICE agent ravaged by Propecia, stripped of badge, holds Merck CEO responsible
August 22, 2012

If not for Propecia, Steven Rossello would still be playing a critical role in protecting America against terrorism. In June 2010, six months after earning special-agent status at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Department of Homeland… Continue

Case shaping up for lawsuits targeting Merck’s baldness drug Propecia
August 17, 2012

As continuing revelations detail the devastating side effects that Propecia has had on otherwise hundreds of healthy young men, lawsuits targeting Merck’s baldness drug have now been filed in every state of the… Continue

Propecia lawsuits skyrocket as sales of Merck’s risky baldness drug decline
August 15, 2012

Despite Justin Bieber’s recent plea for Prince William to pop Propecia, the perilous hair-loss drug is losing market share at a double-digit pace—while gaining furious customers at a triple-digit clip. According to Merck… Continue

Atlantic’s anti-finasteride fanatic slur sinks under a wave of factual reporting
July 15, 2012

As more news reports link the baldness drug Propecia to persistent male sexual dysfunction, someare questioning the validity of the connection. Writing for The Atlantic, Lindsay Abrams blames “anti-finasteride fanatics” for raising undue alarm among… Continue

AdverseEvents report links Propecia to brain-related loss of libido
July 13, 2012

With the world’s major news organizations now focused on the horrific sexual side effects of Propecia, more evidence is coming forward that the Merck manufactured drug can affect the brain. AdverseEvents, Inc., the leading resource for information on… Continue

National news coverage of severe side effects has Propecia users seeking answers
July 13, 2012

With yesterday’s widespread national news coverage of Propecia’s devastating side effects, many men who are former and current Propecia patients are today searching for answers. Information can be found in Thursday’s expansive Examiner… Continue

Global news outlets run Propecia horror stories first reported in the Examiner
July 12, 2012

After months of the Examiner’s exclusive coverage of the severe and persistent side effects of the baldness drug Propecia, ABC News, Time magazine and the UK’s widely distributed The Sun newspaper and Mail OnLine of London… Continue

Propecia victims furious Bosley knew of drug’s dangers but did not warn patients
June 13, 2012

When the Food and Drug Administration approved the hair-growth drug Propecia in 1997, a number of doctors and medical researchers voiced their strong concerns about the drug’s severe side effects. One outspoken critic was… Continue

Propecia expert Irwig to discuss latest side effect news on June 7 radio show
June 5, 2012

George Washington University School of Medicine Assistant Professor Michael Irwig, MD, lead investigator of the ground-breaking study on Propecia’s severe side effects, will be the featured guest on American Freedom Radio’s call-in … Continue

Doctor says Propecia responsible for son’s suicide
May 22, 2012

“Don’t take this drug. It’s just like playing Russian roulette. It’s not worth it,” says Emergency Room physician John Santmann, who says the hair-growth drug Propecia was responsible for his son… Continue

Parents of Propecia suicide victim join in Kevin Malley’s Merck protest
May 21, 2012

As 30-year-old Propecia victim Kevin Malley begins the second week of his hunger strike outside the doors of drug maker Merck & Co., others whose lives have also been devastated by the hair growth drug are joining his… Continue

Kevin Malley says Merck hunger-strike targets Propecia’s horrific side effects
May 19, 2012

Kevin Malley’s ongoing Propecia hunger-strike at Merck’s corporate headquarters in Whitehouse, N.J., is focusing national attention on the drug’s severe and persistent sexual side effects. “I want Merck to see how… Continue

Kevin Malley’s hunger-strike at Merck highlights Propecia’s devastating effects
May 18, 2012

After reading the Examiner’s coverage on the devastating side effects of Merck & Co.’s hair-growth drug Propecia, more men are now coming forward to say they are also unsuspecting victims. One victim who says the… Continue

Propecia victim Kevin Malley continues hunger strike at Merck’s NJ headquarters
May 18, 2012

One starving man is continuing his lonely crusade against corporate goliath Merck & Co. outside of the drug giant’s New Jersey headquarters to bring public attention to the severe, life-changing side effects of the company’s… Continue

Propecia victim launches hunger strike at Merck’s NJ headquarters
May 17, 2012

A 30-year-old Las Vegas man who says his life was ruined after taking the hair-loss drug Propecia has launched a hunger strike at the corporate headquarters of the drug’s maker — pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co… Continue

FDA widens Propecia probe; seeks men who’ve developed penis-curving Peyronie’s
April 30, 2012

Just days after the Food and Drug Administration ordered Merck & Co. to revise the labeling on Propecia to reflect mounting evidence that its baldness drug can cause continued sexual dysfunction long after patients have stopped taking it, the agency… Continue

FDA takes lead as Propecia users become aware that they might be at serious risk
April 18, 2012

On March 2, the Examiner broke the story that the Food and Drug Administration was conducting a new safety study of finasteride. Made by drug-giant Merck & Co., the drug is marketed as Propecia (in 1 mg form) as… Continue

New research finds finasteride (Propecia) causes penis shrinkage in rats
March 16, 2012

The Examiner has learned that a soon to be published study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine reports that male rats receiving oral finasteride treatment for four weeks had a 25% reduction in the weight of their penis (corpora… Continue

FDA and Merck remain silent on Propecia safety while AdverseEvents speaks out
March 12, 2012

Since the Examiner first broke the story on March 2 that the FDA was investigating Propecia’s safety, Merck & Co., the drug’s maker, has maintained silence while others are speaking out on the drug… Continue

FDA widens Propecia safety probe
March 8, 2012

Numerous men who say they have been affected by the permanence of Propecia’s severe side effects have been contacted by the Food and Drug Administration this week as the agency expands its safety review of the Merck manufactured… Continue

No answers from FDA or Merck on Propecia’s link to permanent sexual dysfunction
March 7, 2012

Since the FDA confirmed to the Examiner on March 2 that it is conducting a safety probe into Propecia’s link to permanent male sexual dysfunction, the agency has been unresponsive to requests for additional information. In a follow… Continue

Many questions, few answers as FDA conducts safety review of Propecia
March 4, 2012

Shortly after the Examiner broke the story on March 2 that the FDA is reviewing the safety of Propecia, readers taking the hair growth drug began contacting the agency seeking guidance.“ A number of consumers have been contacting me… Continue

FDA reviewing safety of Propecia
March 2, 2012

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has confirmed it is conducting a new safety review of the hair growth drug Propecia. In response to written questions submitted by the Examiner, FDA spokesperson Sandy Walsh wrote in an email that… Continue

Tough medicine: Reporting Propecia’s side effects to the FDA
February 26, 2012

As Einstein discovered, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. But you don’t need to be a mathematical genius to know when things don’t add up — sometimes it takes individual action to trigger a reaction… Continue

Buy cheap Propecia websites flourish as lawsuits mount
February 22, 2012

Google doesn’t lie. Just type in “Propecia” and the world’s largest search engine returns about 6,430,000 results for the hair growth drug. The vast majority of those results tout how to… Continue

Urgency increases for FDA to provide guidance on Propecia’s safety
February 17, 2012

As controversey swirls over the safety of Propecia, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues its silence on the hair-growth drug’s safety. FDA’s inaction comes despite the drug’s serious side… Continue

FDA remains silent as debate intensifies over Propecia’s safety
February 13, 2012

The hair growth drug Propecia has come under increasing criticism from doctors and consumers because of devastating side effects that include persistent and permanent male sexual dysfunction, yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration remains silent on… Continue

More men say lives are ruined as word spreads on Propecia’s side effects
February 10, 2012

“Thank you for your Propecia pieces. I’m 50 and started the med when I was 37. It’s destroyed my life.” D.W. — Los Angeles After reading The Examiner’s recently published articles… Continue

Merck pulls Propecia website content from Internet as public concern deepens
February 7, 2012

Amid growing medical evidence that its hair growth drug causes severe and potentially life-threatening side effects, Merck & Co. has pulled Propecia content from the company’s website. (www.propecia.com) Merck offered no explanation for… Continue

Doctors link hair growth drug to sexual dysfunction, depression and cancer
February 3, 2012

Doctors at two of this country’s leading medical schools have linked the hair growth drug Propecia to prolonged and possibly irreversible male sexual dysfunction, clinical depression, breast cancer and high-grade prostate cancer. The drug was approved by… Continue