Paxil, Birth Defect & GlaxoSmithKline

This entry was posted in Birth Defect and tagged bilateral clubfoot birth defect clubfoot expert report mississippi paxil on by (updated 1437 days ago)

Paxil, Birth Defect & GlaxoSmithKline is about a mother who took paxil during pregnancy and alleges that the paxil caused her child’s birth defect (e.g., clubfoot).

The Paxil, Birth Defect & GlaxoSmithKline case in the United States District Court, S.D. Mississippi, Southern Division recently ruled on a motion to strike an expert report.

A brief summary of the case:

  • In this case, the plaintiff claims that her son was injured by the drug Paxil, which she took during her pregnancy.
  • She alleges that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the manufacturer of Paxil, knew that the drug could cause harm to unborn children whose mothers ingested the drug during their pregnancy, but it “aggressively and actively promoted Paxil for use in pregnant women.” 
  • Both parties provided the same copy of Dr. Wolfson’s expert report, dated May 26, 2015. 
  • J.G. was born in 2005, and is now approximately eleven years old. He has been treated for bilateral clubfoot since infancy. J.G., who was in third grade at the time of Dr. Wolfson’s report, has experienced difficulty in school. He was held back in kindergarten, and tested below his grade level in second grade. He has participated in the dyslexic therapy program at his school
  • GSK now objects to introduction of Dr. Wolfson’s expert opinions for two reasons. First, GSK asserts that Dr. Wolfson’s report is preliminary and therefore incomplete. Second, GSK asserts that Dr. Wolfson’s opinions regarding J.G.’s future medical expenses and lost future wages are speculative and unsupported.
  • The court ruled: Granted – expert report disallowed.
  • To find out more about the case, please follow this link: Paxil – March 17, 2016.

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 Depakote and SSRI/SSRIs like Paxil and Zoloft during pregnancy with an increased risk of birth defects like:

  1. heart congenital defects (cardiac birth defects in babies, risk birth injury defects)
  2. heart valve defects (holes in the walls of the chambers of the heart)
    1. atrial septal defects (ASD)
    2. ventricular septal defects (VSD)

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.

For other prescription drugs that may be linked to birth defects, please follow these links: Depakote, Zoloft, Birth Defect, Zofran.

CASE EVALUATIONContact Us

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, birth defect or birth defects (e.g., heart defects, 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.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU PROTECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHT