Arkansas Mother Sues Pfizer for Son’s Birth Defects

Arkansas plaintiff Layla S. Johnson is suing Pfizer for the birth defects her son experienced, which were allegedly caused by the plaintiff’s use of Zoloft. The minor plaintiff in this case is named K.M.R., and was born on April 24, 2006. Due to his severe Zoloft birth defects, he required several open heart surgeries upon his birth.

The minor plaintiff was born with a large ventricular septal defect (VSD), atrial septal defect (ASD), double outlet right ventricle (DORV) and transposition of greater arteries (TGA). To remedy these conditions, heart surgeons implanted a prosthetic aortic valve, arterial switch and pacemaker, to insure a longer life for the baby. Without these surgeries or devices, the minor plaintiff’s life would have been severely debilitated, and may have even ended.

In September 2005, Johnson was prescribed Zoloft by her physician, to treat her anxiety and depression. At no point in time, did Pfizer contact her or her physician to warn her that Zoloft may possibly cause birth defects. According to her Zoloft lawsuit, had the plaintiff known about the risk of birth defects, she would have opted to take a different medication. Her son still continues to suffer physically and emotionally from his birth defects, and will require a follow-up procedure for his cardiac conditions.

Johnson is suing Pfizer for negligence, concealing information, misrepresenting a product and false advertising. Additionally, Johnson is seeking medical compensation, economic loss, pain and suffering and other punitive damages.

Overview of Zoloft Birth Defect Complications

Zoloft was initially approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1991, and was released into the market in 1992. According to court records, Pfizer had conducted medical testing on animals using this drug, discovering that it was harmful to some mice fetuses. Despite this evidence, Pfizer did not discourage pregnant women from prescribing to Zoloft, nor did they include any warning indications on the drug’s label. According to the Zoloft lawsuit, Pfizer even allegedly marketed Zoloft specifically to pregnant women.

Zoloft belongs to certain drug family called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and is marketed for its efficiency as an antidepressant medication. This drug is typically prescribed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder. SSRIs are unique compared to other antidepressants due to their advanced chemical design. Compared to other medications that target the entire brain, SSRIs are designed to target the specific malfunction in the brain and then counteract it.

While many praise Zoloft for its effectiveness, Pfizer has received mass criticism due to the fact that the company admits that they do not know how the mechanism for the drug works. Additionally, many medical experts believe that it is the SSRI’s exact mechanism that causes harm to the fetus. However, no definite conclusions have been made. There have been various studies through the years to study this correlation, which has raised high levels of concern from the FDA.

Sometime in 2006, a scientific study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which showcased a study that showed a possible relationship between Zoloft and other SSRIs with birth defects occurring in babies. This study found that women who took SSRIs after their 20th week of pregnancy were six times more likely to give birth to babies with heart defects than mothers who took other medication during pregnancy.

Despite the large number of studies conducted on Zoloft, it has been shown that Pfizer had taken some action to actively conceal this information from the medical community, general public, and the FDA. Many believe it was to protect their profit margin.

Zoloft Litigation Movement

Currently, there are thousands of Zoloft lawsuits against Pfizer, alleging that the company knowingly placed a dangerous drug onto the market. Due to the large number of similar lawsuits, many Zoloft lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation.

This Zoloft lawsuit is Layla S. Johnson vs. Pfizer Inc., Case No.: 2:13-cv-04786-CMR, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of 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.