Orrick, Minor, Smithkline Beecham, Paxil & Birth Defects: A recent case in the United States District Court, E.D. Missouri, Eastern Division recently ruled on a motion remand.

Orrick, Minor, Smithkline Beecham, Paxil & Birth Defects case documents what many paxil prescription drug users may be experiencing today – potential birth defects in their child from the use of paxil during pregnancy. The court ruled in favor of the Plaintiffs in the case.

To find out more on the case, see Case No. 4:13CV2149 SNLJ – August 13, 2014.

A brief summary of the facts include:

• Plaintiffs originally filed this cause of action in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis against defendants for claims involving the prescription drug Paxil® (“Paxil”).
• Plaintiffs are mothers who filed the action as next friends of their minor children claiming that their minor children suffered congenital birth defects, disorders, and/or related illnesses as a result of their own ingestion during pregnancy of Paxil.
• Plaintiffs allege that Paxil was researched, developed, tested, manufactured, promoted, marketed, labeled, and distributed by defendants SmithKline Beecham Corporation d/b/a GlaxoSmithKline, and GlaxoSmithKline, LLC (“defendants”). Plaintiffs allege that Paxil’s design is unreasonably dangerous and defective; that defendants knew or should have known that Paxil use during pregnancy posed an increased risk of congenital birth defects and other malformations; that defendants failed to adequately warn doctors and the consuming public of such risks; that defendants failed to properly test, study, and report the adverse effects of Paxil use during pregnancy on the developing fetus; that defendants marketed Paxil using false and misleading information with regard to safety and efficacy; and that, in doing all of the foregoing, defendants acted with evil motive or reckless disregard for the rights of the plaintiffs and the public.
• Plaintiffs’ third amended complaint alleges claims of negligence and negligence per se, negligent pharmaco-vigilance, strict liability failure to warn, and fraud and seeks actual and punitive damages.

PAXIL

Since September 2005, scientific evidence has revealed that SSRI antidepressants, such as Paxil, Zoloft (sertraline), Prozac (fluoxetine), and Lexapro (escitalopram), may cause birth defects in children whose mothers took these or other SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy. The same has been shown for SNRI (serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants like Effexor (venlafaxine).

Studies have linked the use of SSRI/SSRIs like Paxil and Zoloft during pregnancy with an increased risk of birth defects like heart congenital defects (cardiac birth defects in babies, risk birth injury defects) – heart valve defects, atrial (ASD) and ventricular septal defects (VSD) (holes in the walls of the chambers of the heart) – in newborns when Paxil or Zoloft is taken during the pregnancy (possibly the first first three months of pregnancy) and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), a life-threatening respiratory condition that affects a baby’s ability to breathe after birth.

At the Gooch Law Firm, we pride ourselves on providing our clients reliable representation for even the most challenging cases. If you have a child that has a birth injury or birth defect (e.g., PPHN, heart or lung defect) that you believe may have been caused by a defective drug, e.g., paxil – and need help filing a paxil lawsuit, contact our office at 1.844.329.5955.

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