Zoloft was never specifically approved for use in pregnant women, but many women were allegedly told it was safe to take while pregnant.

However, it’s alleged that Pfizer knew of the dangers because early testing of Zoloft showed birth defects in rats. But the public was never told of the possibility using the medicine could cause a Zoloft birth defect.

As individuals find out the connection, Zoloft birth defect lawsuits are being filed. The most recent plaintiffs, Cynthia and Robert Dyer, parents of “D.D.,” are joining the Zoloft multidistrict litigation (MDL), after their child was born with birth defects allegedly brought on by the mother’s use of Zoloft during her pregnancy.

D.D. was born on March 30, 2000 with “serious birth defects, including aortic stenosis.” According to the Zoloft lawsuit, D.D.’s injuries “were a direct result of Mother Plaintiff’s ingestion of Zoloft during her pregnancy in a manner and dosage recommended by Pfizer and prescribed by Mother Plaintiff’s doctors.” Dyer said she would never have taken Zoloft if she had known of the potential danger to her fetus.

There have been so many complaints of birth defects from Zoloft that a Zoloft class action lawsuit has been formed. Many of the plaintiffs share the same allegations that Pfizer “knew or should have known that children were being born with congenital birth defects to women who took Zoloft” and that “Pfizer knew or should have known that Zoloft crosses the placenta and, thereby, poses significant risks to the developing fetus,” but didn’t warn of the risks.

At the core of the Zoloft MDL are allegations that Pfizer knew of the birth defect risk long before the drug was even on the market, even before U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The Zoloft birth defects lawsuit states, “Pfizer knew of studies within the same class of drugs demonstrating that mothers exposed to SSRIs late in their pregnancies showed significantly higher rates of prematurity, poor neonatal adaptation, significantly lower mean birth weight and length, and PPHN,” yet chose not to adequately warn of Zoloft side effects in any regard, including on the label.

Claims in the Zoloft lawsuit include defective design, failure to warn, negligence, and fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment. They are requesting a jury trial.

The Zoloft Lawsuit is Cynthia and Robert Dyer v. Pfizer Inc., Case No. 2:14-cv-02342-CMR,in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

What Is Zoloft?

Zoloft is a member of a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. SSRIs are the first class of psychotropic drugs discovered using a process called rational drug design, created to affect specific biological targets. In the case of Zoloft, it impacts serotonin levels.

Many patients have reported suffering fewer emotional swings and physical side effects than those experienced from other mood altering medications.

Manufactured and distributed by Pfizer, Zoloft was approved in 1991 by the FDA to treat Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Over the following years, it gained additional approval for other depressive and mood disorders, such as OCD and PTSD.