Kansas to Receive $700,000 in Paxil Lawsuit Settlement

Topeka, KSThe state of Kansas will reportedly receive more than $700,000 as part of a settlement of a Paxil lawsuit with GlaxoSmithKline and SB Pharmco Puerto Rico, Inc.

According to a release from the office of Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the settlement—which totaled more than $40 million for distribution across a number of states—is a resolution to allegations that poor manufacturing practices caused certain drugs to be tainted.

"Consumers expect medications prescribed by their doctors to be effective and safe," Schmidt explained in the release. "This settlement holds drug manufacturers accountable for providing safe, reliable products."

According to the complaint filed against GlaxoSmithKline and SB Pharmco Puerto Rico, the firms were accused of engaging in deceptive practices regarding the manufacturing and distribution of a number of batches of medications including Paxil CR, Kyrtil, Avandamet and Bactroban.

The manufacturing plant, which has been closed since 2009, allegedly utilized subpar manufacturing techniques to make the drugs, according to the original complaint.

The release from the Attorney General's office notes that all of the tainted drug batches were subsequently recalled and that each of them are now past their expiration date. Still, the Attorney General encouraged any patients to speak with their physician if they believe they may be taking medications that could be unsafe, according to the release.

The settlement with the state of Kansas is not the first time that GlaxoSmithKline has been scrutinized for its antidepressant Paxil, as studies have reportedly linked the medication to birth defects—typically heart-related defects—when women take it during the first three months of pregnancy.

According to a 2005 release from the US Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency advised that healthcare professionals consider avoiding use of Paxil in pregnant women, as the risks could potentially outweigh the benefits.

"The early results of two studies showed that women who took Paxil during the first three months of pregnancy were about one and a half to two times as likely to have a baby with a heart defect as women who received other antidepressants or women in the general population," the release noted.

The defects generally included ventricular and atrial septal defects, which mean babies are born with holes in either the chambers or walls of their heart, according to the federal agency.

Other, more common Paxil side effects can include headaches, nervousness and decreased appetite in patients taking the medication, notes the National Center for Biotechnology Information.