A young Texan woman recently filed a Zofran lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline, alleging that the Zofran her mother ingested during pregnancy caused significant birth defects.

The plaintiff, Ja’Taria W. was born with significant birth defects after her mother, Jocelyn W., used Zofran to combat her morning sickness during pregnancy. Jocelyn began taking Zofran during the first trimester of her pregnancy with Ja’Taria and continued to take the drug until the beginning of her third trimester.

Ja’Taria was born in 1995 with birth and heart defects, which the Zofran lawsuit claims is directly due to the ingestion of Zofran and GSK’s concealment of the risks.

Because of these Zofran birth defects, the plaintiff has undergone three surgeries thus far, according to the Zofran lawsuit, and has at least one more to go. The Zofran lawsuit claims that these birth defects – she was born with cleft lip and cleft palate – take away from the plaintiff’s development and enjoyment of life. They also caused a speech disability.

The Zofran lawsuit claims that had the plaintiff’s mother, Jocelyn W., known about the unreasonable risk of birth defects that GSK concealed, she would never have used Zofran, and her child would not have suffered from these Zofran birth defects.

These birth defects are not just physical deformities. Instead, these injuries have caused both emotional and physical pain as well as mental anguish. The birth defects have also led to steep medical expenses, which will only continue to add up through additional surgeries, monitoring, and treatment.

Background of Zofran

Zofran (ondansetron) is a popular anti-nausea drug from GlaxoSmithKline. Zofran is used on patients who suffer from severe nausea, usually including chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved Zofran for this purpose in 1991.

GlaxoSmithKline has marketed Zofran “off label” to treat morning sickness during pregnancy.

Zofran Lawsuits

This Zofran lawsuit and others like it claim that GlaxoSmithKline was aware of the unusual risk of birth defects associated with Zofran, and had been aware since as far back as the 1980s, when tests were done showing birth defects in animal test subjects.

Later studies showed that Zofran can easily cross the human placenta barrier, exposing the unborn children of pregnant mothers to birth defects that can be serious.

Zofran lawsuits claim that GlaxoSmithKline failed to adequately warn both the public and the medical community that Zofran can be unsafe during pregnancy.

This Zofran lawsuit and other similar lawsuits allege that GlaxoSmithKline purposely concealed this information from the medical community, consumers, and the plaintiff, placing company profit over the safety of unborn children.

Many plaintiffs, including mothers whose children have been affected and sometimes the injured children themselves, have filed a Zofran lawsuit. A Zofran lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of birth or heart defects, but can help with the medical expenses these defects often incur.

The Zofran lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of express and implied warranties.

If you or someone you know has used Zofran as an anti-nausea drug during pregnancy, and has given birth to a child with birth defects, you may be able to file a Zofran lawsuit.

The Zofran Lawsuit is White v. GlaxoSmithKline, et al., Case No. 1:15-cv-14197-FDS, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.