Case against Paxil for Causing Birth Defects Moves towards Settlement
GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to settle 200 cases in which injured plaintiffs allege that Paxil, an anti-depressant drug, caused birth defects, a Yahoo Finance article said.
Eight months ago, a jury in Philadelphia awarded $2.5 million in a case involving Paxil that went to trial. In that case, the jury found that GlaxoSmithKline failed to warn doctors and pregnant women about the risks associated with Paxil. The plaintiff was born with heart defects after his mother used Paxil during pregnancy. The plaintiff’s attorney asked jurors what caused them to rule against GlaxoSmithKline, and they felt that GSK had failed to study the drug’s effect on pregnant humans, although the animal testing showed potential problems.
Since then, GlaxoSmithKline decided to settle almost 200 cases for confidential amounts. Approximately 100 other cases have already been settled. The next round of cases is scheduled for a fall trial.
GlaxoSmithKline maintains that it acted properly in conducting a drug trial for Paxil, in marketing Paxil and in monitoring its safety. GSK argued that 65 percent of all birth defects have no known cause. Less than 1 percent is attributable to a mother’s exposure to prescription drugs during pregnancy, it claimed. GSK claims that the settlement of lawsuits is merely the result of an economic analysis of the costs of going to trial, and not an admission of wrongdoing.
Has your child or a child in your family been born with birth defects after his or her mother used Paxil during pregnancy? If so, you may be entitled to compensation from GlaxoSmithKline for medical expenses over the child’s lifetime. Contact an experienced St. Louis personal injury attorney at Page Law today at 314-322-8515 for a free consultation.
