Singapore: A landmark appeal court ruling in Britain has ordered British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to provide compensation worth $256,384 (£160,000) to 52-year-old Mr Didier Jambart after he claimed that GSK's Parkinson's disease drug Requip turned him into a gambling and homosexual (gay) sex addict, according to UK-based news paper, Daily Mirror.

Mr Jambart stopped taking the tablets in 2005 after linking his addictions to the drug.
GSK was previously ordered to pay $160,240 (£100,000) after a hearing in Mr Jambart's home town of Nantes in March. However, the firm appealed the ruling and the higher court upheld the decision and raised the compensation.

Mr Jambart alleged that he developed wild urges for online gambling and seedy gay encounters within two years after he started consuming the drug. Lawyers said that GSK knew for years that the drug had undesired side effects but only put a warning on the pack inserts in 2006. Mr Jambart said that, "It's been a seven year battle. GSK lied to us and shattered our lives."

He tried to kill himself eight times as his addictions took hold and blew his family's life savings to fund his gambling. Mr Jambart even sold his children's toys. He began cross-dressing and arranging illicit meetings, including one in which he was raped.