Lawsuit Alleges Paxil Birth Defects

Lake Charles, LAA lawsuit alleging a young boy suffered Paxil birth defects will reportedly be heard in a Louisiana court. The lawsuit alleges the young boy suffered the serious Paxil side effects, including Paxil heart defects, after being exposed to Paxil prior to birth.

The lawsuit was reportedly filed by Russell and Desiree Figueroa, who allege Paxil caused their son's birth defects, which include a club foot and congenital defects. According to a report by Consumer Affairs (03/28/11), Desiree was prescribed Paxil to treat her depression. She alleges, however, that GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Paxil, did not provide adequate warnings about the risks associated with taking Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Figueroa's son was born in 2003; warnings about the possible risk of birth defects were not issued until 2005, following the release of a study that linked an increased risk of congenital defects with use of Paxil during the early stages of pregnancy. Figueroa says if she had been aware of the risks associated with taking Paxil during pregnancy she would not have taken the antidepressant.

The lawsuit, filed on March 25, 2011, alleges that Paxil is unreasonably dangerous.

GlaxoSmithKline has already faced lawsuits alleging that the use of Paxil during pregnancy caused birth defects. Some lawsuits were settled individually, such as the lawsuit filed by the family of Lyam Kilker, who alleged that Lyam's birth defects were caused by exposure to Paxil. The jury in that lawsuit awarded Lyam's family $2.5 million.

In a different lawsuit, the family of a boy who died less than two months after birth reached a confidential settlement with GlaxoSmithKline. The lawsuit alleged that exposure to Paxil prior to birth caused his birth defects, which ultimately resulted in the infant's death.

Meanwhile, in 2010, GlaxoSmithKline reportedly agreed to pay around $1 billion to settle hundreds of cases alleging Paxil birth defects. Although the settlement covered approximately 800 lawsuits, it did not cover all Paxil birth defects lawsuits. Approximately 100 lawsuits remain pending, with five reportedly set to go to trial in May 2011.

Paxil is among a group of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs have been linked in some studies to persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) and other birth defects.