An Idaho mother filed a birth defects lawsuit, alleging her use of the antidepressant Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) during pregnancy caused her child to be born with a severe birth defect.
Plaintiff Cassandra D. was prescribed Pristiq during her pregnancy to treat depression and continued under her physician’s care to take Pristiq during her pregnancy, according to her Pristiq lawsuit. Cassandra alleges that had her or her physician been adequately warned that Pristiq could cause congenital birth defects if taken during pregnancy she would have ceased taking the drug for the duration of her pregnancy.
The Pristiq lawsuit accuses Pfizer Inc. and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals of negligence and misrepresenting a product. Cassandra’s Pristiq lawyers claim that she was not aware that this drug could cause such complications until recently, and had not been given proper disclosure at the time she was prescribed the medication.
The Pristiq lawsuit seeks to hold Pfizer accountable for deliberately concealing that Pristiq can cause serious congenital birth defects.
The birth defects lawsuit further alleges that Pfizer and Wyeth knew Pristiq posed a severe risk of congenital birth defects since it crosses the placenta and concealed this information from patients and doctors.
Pristiq and Birth Defects
Pristiq is classified as a “Pregnancy Category C” drug. Studies of Pristiq in animals have linked the drug to an increased risk of low birth rate and fetal death.
More than a dozen studies have linked antidepressants to an increased risk of severe birth defects, including:
- Heart defects
- Cranial defects (craniosynostosis)
- Abdominal defects (omphalocele, gastroschisis)
- Spinal/neural tube defects
- Oral clefts (cleft lip, cleft palate)
- Clubfoot
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)
- Low birth weight
- Premature birth
- Miscarriage
Cassandra is seeking all general, special, and punitive damages in excess of $75,000 for Pfizer’s alleged failure to warn and negligence in promoting Pristiq. She has demanded a jury trial for this case.
The Pristiq Birth Defects Lawsuit is Case No. 4:14-cv-00531-BLW, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho.
Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The birth defect attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, birth defect lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.
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If you or a loved one took Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, Effexor, Celexa, Cymbalta or Depakote during pregnancy and gave birth to a child with a congenital defect, you may have a legal claim against the drug’s manufacturer. Find out if you qualify to pursue compensation for your child’s medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages by filling out the form below now.
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