An asthma drug sold by Merck & Co. named Singulair is now potentially linked to the development of serious mental health problems. According to U.S. government researchers, the drug generically known as montelukast attaches to the brain receptors that are linked to psychiatric functioning, according to Reuters. This has led to thousands of reported cases of depression and suicidal thoughts and actions.
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Singulair is a pill that was launched in 1998 as an inhaler alternative to treat asthma. The medication's side effects listed by the company were not any different from a sugar pill. However, since its release, thousands of reported cases linked to the drug have unveiled tragic outcomes such as episodes of depression and suicides.
In that regard, Jessica Oliphant, a deputy director of FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research, presented preliminary group work results during a meeting on Wednesday, November 20. "These data indicate that montelukast is highest in brain regions known to be involved in (psychiatric effects)," she told the limited audience attending the meeting in Texas.
The FDA has reported 82 different suicides linked to the use of Singulair. It also lists a plethora of side effects such as depression, hallucinations, sleepwalking, memory problems, and even aggressive behavior, among many others. Two specific cases garnered widespread attention: the attempted suicide of 5-year-old Harrison Sellic and the suicide of 22-year-old Nicholas England.
A Problematic Drug
Doctors prescribed Harrison Sellic montelukast when he was just two years old. Over the next three years, Harrison began experiencing behavioral changes and started having suicidal thoughts. He eventually tried to take his own life at only five years old. "He started having really long meltdowns that would last for an hour and a half," Vanessa Sellick, Harrison's mother said, according to the Daily Mail. "There was general comments about death and self-loathing."
Nicholas England started taking montelukast in 2017. Two weeks later, after experiencing trouble sleeping, took his own life by shooting himself in the head. His father, Robert England, stated at the time that his son never struggled with mental health issues. "He was on that medication for just days, literally just days," Robert said. "It completely changed the trajectory of our lives."
The FDA added a black box warning label to the drug in March 2020. This is the strictest label, which indicates that the drug may lead to death or injury. This prompted the study presented by Jessica Oliphant. However, the FDA is not planning to update the label following the study's results.
Organon, a Merck & Co. spin-off company that now markets Singulair, shared a statement with Reuters when asked about the drug's potential harmful side effects. "The product label for Singulair contains appropriate information regarding Singulair benefits, risks and reported adverse reactions," Organon said.
