Miss. Couple Sues Pfizer for Zoloft-Induced Birth Defects

Mississippi parents Daphnae and Eric Lee are suing Pfizer Inc. for the injuries their daughter allegedly suffered as a result of the primary plaintiff ingesting Zoloft. Mrs. Lee gave birth to her daughter “M.L.” on April 30, 2011. Their daughter was born with multiple congenital heart defects including atrial septal defect and pulmonary stenosis.

Mrs. Lee had been prescribed with Zoloft for her depression before her pregnancy, and had taken it under the assumption that it posed no threat to her then unborn child. However, after the child was born, she was put into immediate medical care to assist her survival from the heart defects allegedly caused by Zoloft.  The minor plaintiff was born with multiple cardiac birth defects.

The plaintiffs were not aware that Zoloft could potentially cause such side effects to the mother or their daughter.  They allege there were no warnings or indications on the drug’s label, nor had the defendant company made any effort to notify them.  Their physicians were not made aware of any relevant studies, and were also not informed of the dangers the drug imposed on the minor plaintiff.  Lee and her husband state that Pfizer had the responsibility to inform them of all of the drug’s side effects, because they had been relying on the information given to them at the time.

So, for being directly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous drug, Lee and her husband are suing Pfizer Inc.  The charges include: negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

Overview of Zoloft Complications

Zoloft (Sertraline) was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1991, and was later released to the U.S. market in 1992.  It is a powerful antidepressant that is prescribed to adult and child patients to treat various psychological disorders.   The drug is a part of the recently-developed drug family called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).   Despite its recent association with birth defects, it remains one of Pfizer’s most popular products; there were 37,208,000 Zoloft prescriptions alone, in 2011.

SSRI antidepressants differ in mechanism in comparison to traditional mood stabilizers; these drugs work by targeting the specific malfunction in the brain, and then work to directly counteract it.  This causes the emotional and physical side effects less severe for the patient, making this feature one of the main contributors to the drug’s popularity.  Unfortunately, it has been discovered that these drugs come with severe side effects which are not mentioned on the drug’s warning label.  These side effects are the occurrences of birth defects in unborn children; the fetuses are exposed when ingested by their mothers.

According to court records, Pfizer had conducted medical testing on pregnant mice to observe the effects of Zoloft and other SSRIs. The study showed the drugs had harmed a majority of the fetuses.  Despite the scientific evidence along with many research studies, Pfizer did not discourage pregnant women from using Zoloft, nor did they include any indicating language on the drug’s label.  Multiple Zoloft lawsuits allege that Pfizer in fact designed specific advertisements aimed at pregnant women in some advertisements.

Many of these birth defect lawsuits have been consolidated into the Zoloft MDL known as In Re: Zoloft (Sertraline Hydrochloride) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2342, in the United states District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania.

File a Zoloft Lawsuit Today

If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of an SSRI birth defect, you have legal options.  Please visit the Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro & Prozac SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.  There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a seasoned SSRI birth defect lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation.  You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees.  The birth defect attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.