Pfizer settlement overview:
- Who: Direct purchasers represented by Rochester Drug Co-Operative, SAJ Distributors and Uniondale Chemists agreed to a $39 million settlement with Pfizer unit Wyeth.
- Why: The direct purchaser class accused Wyeth of working with Teva Pharmaceuticals to delay generic versions of Effexor from reaching the marketplace.
- Where: The Effexor settlement was filed in federal court in New Jersey.
A direct purchaser class agreed to a $39 million settlement with Pfizer unit Wyeth to resolve claims Wyeth conspired with Teva Pharmaceuticals to delay generic versions of Effexor from reaching the marketplace.
The Effexor settlement resolves claims against Wyeth but not Teva and comes after 12 years of litigation and extensive mediation.
The direct purchasers accused Wyeth and Teva of using a reverse payment scheme to delay the release of generic versions of the antidepressant drug Effexor.
Large-scale pharmacies excluded from settlement
The Effexor antitrust settlement includes proposed service awards of $100,000 for named plaintiffs Rochester Drug Co-Operative, SAJ Distributors and Uniondale Chemists.
The settlement includes all who purchased Effexor XR and/or AB-rated generic versions of Effexor XR directly from the defendants between June 14, 2008, and May 31, 2011.
A group of large-scale pharmacies including Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Eckerd and Kroger are excluded from the settlement.
Pfizer faced a 2013 lawsuit over Effexor, claiming it caused a child to develop serious heart defects in utero.
Have you been prescribed or taken the drug Effexor? Let us know in the comments.
The direct purchaser class is represented by Peter S. Pearlman and Matthew F. Gately of Cohn Lifland Pearlman Herrman and Knopf LLP; David F. Sorensen and Caitlin G. Coslett of Berger Montague PC; Thomas M. Sobol and Gregory T. Arnold of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP; Peter Kohn and Neill W. Clark of Faruqi & Faruqi LLP; Bary S. Taus and Kevin S. Landau of Taus, Cebulash & Landau LLP; Dianne M. Nast of Nastlaw LLC; and Don Barrett of Barrett Law Group PA.
Wyeth is represented by Raj Gandesha of White & Case LLP and Liza M. Walsh of Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP.
Teva is represented by William H. Trousdale of Tompkins McGuire Wachenfeld & Barry LLP and Jay P. Lefkowitz, Devora W. Allon, Karen N. Walker and Alexandra I. Russell of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
The Pfizer settlement is in re Effexor XR Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 3:11-cv-05479-PGS-JBD, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
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44 thoughts onPfizer agrees to $39M settlement to resolve Effexor antitrust claims
I’ve been on Effexor 20+ years and have been trying to withdraw from it for years, but could not because of the terrible withdrawal side effects. After carefully tapering per my Drs. instructions, I have been off all Effexor for going on a month and am still having debilitating prolonged withdrawal side effects such as confusion, irritability, brain fog, flu like symptoms, and aggressive behavior. I have no depressive issues, only these severe side effects. I am hesitant to take other anti depressives because what the Effexor had done.
Please add me. I have taken Effexor I from 2020-2024
Today is February 28th 2025, I have been off of Effexor XR completely for 5 days now. If I knew the side effects in the beginning , I would have never started. Constantly brain zaps, ch age in mood, I started taking a mood supplement. I was never told not to. Doing so has a terrible interaction and made it hard just to get through the days. I didn’t understand why. Until, I did my own research. You’re supposed to be able to trust doctors. Withdrawals were like I was on a hard core drug, I couldn’t function day to day anymore I knew something had to change as I have two young children. Awareness needs to be increased. As I’m coming off of it, my brother gets prescribed it. It breaks my heart as I know how difficult it is to get off of. I don’t see why it’s even on the market.
I had taken for many years and I still have the zap sensation in my face along with my memory loss.
It was hell coming off it. My memory is shot and the brain zaps were unreal. It was really terrible.
This drug ruined my life. I can not work now, because of the myoclonus it caused, (which makes me fall at times), from the permanent central nervous system damage it caused, per the National Institute of Health, who, conveniently, lost all the data they got from studying me for a whole day. Wires hooked to my head, stuck me in a box and said start jerking, but I had to be relaxed for the myoclonus to start. It took a bit. Then once it was started I was all over the place. They said it was permanent central nervous system damage, caused by Effexor. That was shortly after it came from the UK, and they had no extended release. If that matters. The longer I took it the worse the myoclonus got. I kept telling my Drs I was having this strange issue. No one connected the dots until one Dr in Englewood Ohio said stop taking that right now and go to the hospital. So I went, they tried everything. Nothing helped. This was after 7 months of taking it. They kept me for a week and dud a lot of testing. Nothing was positive. They thought I was crazy. I took a psychiatric test, that Dr said “no, you are not making this happen on purpose.” I went to the Mayo first, the Dr I saw said he could not help me. I cried from frustration. He said there’s someone in Maryland at the NIH that might look at me. So I went, saw a bunch of young Drs in residency, then after all done with testing, the big wigs all gathered around a huge conference table and stared at me jerking like a fish out of water, not saying a word. There must have been at least 25 Drs around that table. After a while my husband says, “okay, that’s enough.” And helped me walk out the door. After we got home I had very little information from them, so I called to ask for information, testing data, etc, they said it had been lost. How very convenient! I’ve spent the last 34 years dealing with the jerking, falling, using canes, wheel chairs, walkers, etc. it still bothers me. I can’t sleep well because of it. It causes pain too. And because of all that, my working days are over.
So I ask you, have there been any law suits on the damage of this drug?!
Please let me know. I have been off Effexor since 2004/2005 and I still suffer from brain issues too. I have a physical therapy appt because my brain and body are not working well. I have permanent vestibular issues
I take Effexor and have been for 14 years! Add me.