Trial Opens in Philadelphia in Paxil Lawsuit
On September 15, an attorney told a Philadelphia jury that GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C. ignored evidence for years that its antidepressant Paxil may have caused birth defects. According to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, this attorney represents a woman who says that taking the drug during her pregnancy caused her three year-old son’s heart problems.
The Bucks County resident, a former cheerleader for the Philadelphia 76ers, is making the claim for her son who appeared briefly in the courtroom this morning. According to her attorney, Glaxo told its scientists to avoid disclosing possible risks associated with the drug’s use by pregnant women.
An attorney for GlaxoSmithKline is claiming there is no evidence that Paxil caused the child’s heart problems. The case is being heard in Common Pleas Court.
The woman’s attorney showed the jury a series of documents that showed that Glaxo knew before Paxil went on the market that rats administered the drug were more likely to have pups that didn’t survive past four days and that the rate of death increased with higher doses of Paxil.
In the late 1980s, at about the same time as the rat study, an internal Glaxo scientist warned that “there remains the possibility that this compound could be teratogenic (meaning can cause birth defects) at higher dose levels.”
The trial is the first of more than 600 cases alleging that Glaxo knew Paxil caused birth defects and hid those risks to pump up profits. Approved for U.S. use in 1992, the drug generated about $942 million in sales last year, 2.1 percent of Glaxo’s total sales.
By 1997, the company received reports of 50 miscarriages or intrauterine deaths. When the company studied whether there was a connection between Paxil and birth defects, its scientists called the number of birth defects an “alarming finding.” But those words were not included in the final version of the report. According to the article, Glaxo did not give the report to the FDA, even though it was required to do so.
The FDA initially classified Paxil as a Category B drug, meaning animal studies suggested no problem. It eventually changed to C and then D, meaning there is positive evidence of human fetal risk but allowing doctors to continue prescribing the drug to women of childbearing age if the benefits outweigh the risks.
People of all ages take prescription drugs, non- prescription drugs, and supplements on a daily basis in the United States to prevent and treat various illnesses. Although these medications are supposed to help people, many people have suffered serious side effects, and even death. If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of a dangerous drug reaction in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania pharmaceutical drug litigation attorneys at Cherry Fieger and Marciano, LLP may be able to help you recover the monetary compensation that you deserve.
Source report: http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20090915_Trial_opens_here_in_Paxil_lawsuit.html
