Mother Files Effexor Lawsuit Over Child’s Severe Birth Defects

Plaintiff Sheryllyn Bonds says in the lawsuit that she took Effexor (venlafaxine) during her pregnancy because she believed it was safe to do so. However, her son was born in 2008 with very serious birth defects, including a right club foot and a life-threatening birth defect called “imperforate anus,” in which the opening to the anus is missing or blocked. Bonds also fears that there may be other problems that have yet to be detected, according to the Effexor birth defect lawsuit. 

Due to the imperforate anus, Bonds’ son has had to undergo several surgeries and other medical procedures to correct his malformations. 

According to the Effexor lawsuit, Bonds’ son’s birth defects are a direct result of the Effexor antidepressant she took while pregnant. However, she did not know the danger that antidepressants like Effexor could cause to the fetus if consumed while pregnant. If she had known, she would not have taken Effexor, she says. She also took the drug exactly as prescribed by her doctor as recommended by Pfizer. 

Pfizer Hid Birth Defect Risks, Lawsuit Says

Effexor is in the class of antidepressants called “serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors” (SNRIs). These antidepressants are different from “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors” (SSRIs) in that they increase both serotonin and norepinephrine, two neurotransmitters in the brain that affect mood. SSRIs only increase serotonin. 

Effexor was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be sold in the United States in 1993 to treat a variety of depression and anxiety disorders. 

According to the Effexor lawsuit, drug maker Pfizer either knew or should have known that children could be born with serious birth defects to women who took the antidepressant while pregnant, and that there was an increased risk of multiple birth defects linked to the antidepressant. 

SNRIs have also resulted in a lower gestational age, lower birth weight, longer hospital stays, and lower Apgar scores than children whose mothers did not consume the antidepressants. 

Bonds’ claims that Pfizer had enough knowledge by the time she was pregnant in 2008 to properly warn the medical community of the dangers Effexor posed to children of pregnant women who took the antidepressant. 

The Effexor warning label does not adequately or accurately warn doctors and their patients of the cardiac malformations that can also occur as a result of the antidepressant, the lawsuit states. 

Pfizer is being charged with defective design, failure to warn, negligence, misrepresentation, fraud, and breach of warranty.

Bonds is asking for compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees, and other damages the court deems necessary.

Bonds filed the Effexor lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York on May 17, 2013. 

If you or anyone you know has had a child born with a birth defect as a result of taking an SSRI such as Zoloft, or an SNRI such as Effexor, legal options are available. Learn more and get a free legal consultation regarding a claim’s eligibility at the Zoloft & SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Experienced legal professionals have access to medical experts to assess whether or not this antidepressant played a role in the development of a serious heart defect in your child, so act now.