New Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit Alleges Pfizer Marketed Zoloft to Pregnant Women

By Sarah Mirando | July 27, 2012

Category: Pharmaceuticals

By Mike Holter

Hundreds Zoloft birth defect lawsuits have been filed in recent years, and the numbers keep growing. In June 2012, 38 Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit claiming the SSRI antidepressant Zoloft caused birth defects in their newborns. Their lawsuit alleges that Pfizer, the drug’s manufacturer, failed to properly warn consumers and medical professionals about Zoloft’s potential harm on developing fetuses. The Plaintiffs further accuse Pfizer of actually marketing Zoloft to pregnant women, despite knowing about the risks of Zoloft birth defects.

Multiple Zoloft birth defect lawsuits have been filed by Plaintiffs alleging Pfizer marketed the SSRI antidepressant to pregnant women and women of childbearing age, ignoring evidence of congenital abnormalities demonstrated in clinical trials. These birth defects include persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (Zoloft PPHN), a rare but serious lung problem that can be fatal. Other infants have been born with Zoloft birth defects like limb abnormalities, heart conditions, growth problems, cranial defects, spina bifida, clubfoot, omphalocele (abdominal birth defects), and more. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued multiple warnings over the past seven years about the danger of taking SSRI drugs like Zoloft and Paxil while pregnant, but many women are still unaware of the risks. According to the FDA, women who take SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy are six times more likely to have a baby with a birth defect.

A key allegation in many Zoloft birth defect lawsuits is that Pfizer was aware — or should have been aware — of these risks before Zoloft was approved by the FDA. Many of these lawsuits cite a preclinical animal study done by Pfizer prior to FDA approval that demonstrated significant fetal harm, including heart malformations and increased risk of death, as evidence that Pfizer knew about the risks but failed to warn the public.

So many Zoloft birth defect lawsuits have been filed that a new multi-district litigation (MDL) was created in April 2012 to help expedite the process of resolving them and possibly reaching a lawsuit settlement. An estimated 100 Zoloft birth defect lawsuits have joined the Zoloft birth defect MDL, and hundreds more are expected to join. Some parents have opted to join a Zoloft birth defect class action lawsuit that is currently being litigated.

If your child was born with a birth defect you believe was caused by taking Zoloft or another SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy, a Zoloft birth defect specialist can provide a free consultation about your legal options.

If you would like more information about filing a Zoloft birth defect class action lawsuit or would like to file an individual Zoloft birth defect lawsuit, just go to the Zoloft Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. You can submit your information to attorneys who specialize in Zoloft related birth defect lawsuits, and other SSRI antidepressant drug birth defect lawsuits, that are actively investigating all claims regarding birth defects like Craniosynostosis, Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN), Atrial Septal Defects (ASD), ventricular septal defects (VSD), abdominal birth defects (omphalocele), cranial birth defects (craniosynotosis), aorta coarctation, hypoplastic right or left heart syndrome, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), tetralogy of fallot (TOF), spina bifida, Autism, club feet and other problems which may be attributed to Zoloft or another anti-depressant (SSRI) drug taken while pregnant. It is Pfizer’s responsibility to properly warn users of their drugs of the possibility of severe birth defects and if you feel you were not warned of the risk of birth defects an attorney may be able to help. Contact a Zoloft birth defect attorney now.

Updated July 27th, 2012

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