Zoloft Manufacturer Requests Consolidation

The manufacturer of popular antidepressant Zoloft is facing a number of lawsuits regarding the product from patients who have experienced adverse side effects after taking the drug. Now, drug maker Pfizer is requesting that 59 lawsuits relating to Zoloft birth defects, one of the more commonly cited Zoloft side effects in these lawsuits, be consolidated into a multidistrict litigation case. The request was filed in a motion with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on January 18th, 2012.

Pfizer requests location for Zoloft MDL

Pfizer has requested that Zoloft multidistrict litigation, if it is approved, take place in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, but also suggested the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi and the Northern District of Ohio as other possible locations for Zoloft multidistrict litigation. 

A multidistrict litigation case would allow one federal judge to handle more than one Zoloft lawsuit, especially if the lawsuits dealt with similar circumstances or side effects. This would help plaintiffs and defendants reach consensuses about settlements and other matters in a more efficient way, as pretrial processes would be combined in similar cases so that litigation could move more quickly through the legal system. Pfizer is arguing that consolidating cases into a multidistrict litigation lawsuit would be beneficial to plaintiffs and defendants alike. 

More Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuits Filed in New York

A long list of Zoloft birth defects is beginning to add up in recent Zoloft lawsuits filed against the antidepressant’s manufacturer, Pfizer, Inc. The plaintiffs in the cases allege that the use of Zoloft led to various birth defects, including heart defects, clubfoot, cleft lip, craniosynostosis, anal atresia and cleft lip. Six plaintiffs recently had their cases added to Judge Carol E. Huff of the New York County Supreme Court, on January 17, 2012. These plaintiffs all state that if the warnings on the drug had been made clearer, showing a clearer link to the Zoloft birth defects, then they never would have taken the risk of using the drug while pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant.

Zoloft was introduced by Pfizer in 1991 for the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. By 2007 there were nearly 30 million prescriptions, making it the most prescribed antidepressant in the United States. Zoloft belongs to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The Zoloft litigation is currently spread out among at least a dozen different U.S. District Judges, which could result in conflicting scheduling orders. However, the vast majority of the complaints over Zoloft are currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where at least 48 of lawsuits are pending. The number of lawsuits over Zoloft is expected to continue to grow over the coming years as parents and young adults discover that birth defects or malformations may have been caused by the popular antidepressant.

According to the lawsuits that have been filed, mothers used Zoloft only because they believed it was safe to take the medication during pregnancy. These suits also allege that Pfizer knew of the dangers of Zoloft to the developing fetus, but failed to alert consumers to those risks, in fact, Zoloft lawyers are arguing that Pfizer marketed Zoloft as the safest anti-depressant on the market for pregnant mothers, despite it knowing the dangers. Zoloft lawsuit alleges strict product liability, negligence, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranties, misrepresentation by omission, negligent misrepresentation, fraud by concealment, fraud and misrepresentation, and violation of consumer protection laws.

Antidepressants Like Zoloft, Lead to Common Side Effects

Zoloft lawyers are reviewing potential claims for children who may be entitled to compensation through a Zoloft birth defect lawsuit as a result of the drug maker’s failure to warn about the risks associated with use of the medication during pregnancy. According to the FDA, SSRI antidepressants, like Zoloft, are among the most commonly prescribed drugs to treat depression during pregnancy. However, there are no adequate and well-controlled studies of SSRIs in pregnant women. In 2006, the “Usage in Pregnancy” section on the labels for SRRI antidepressants was updated with the following warning: “Infants exposed to SSRIs in late pregnancy may have an increased risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).” The labels were modified after a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported a six-fold increase in PPHN among newborn babies whose mothers were exposed to an SSRI after 20 weeks of gestation.

Despite a number of studies and reports suggesting a potential link between Zoloft and birth defects, the manufacturers have failed to provide sufficient information to pregnant women or women of child-bearing potential, so that steps could be taken to avoid using Zoloft while pregnant. In June 2007, studies found an association between the use of antidepressants like Zoloft early in the pregnancy and a risk of abnormal skull development, gastrointestinal abnormality and brain defects. As a result of the drug makers’ failure to adequately research their medication and warn women or the medical community about the risk of Zoloft birth defect side effects, many children have been left with permanent and potentially life-threatening health problems.

The most common side effects of Zoloft are: Increased sweating, headache, nausea, diarrhea or loose stools, drowsiness, trembling or shaking and sexual problem. In relation to the more severe side effects associated with pregnant mothers and infants, allegations have been raised by parents of many children born with defects or malformations, that the drug makers failed to adequately research the side effects of Zoloft when used during pregnancy and failed to adequately warn women and the medical community about the potential health problems that could be suffered by unborn children exposed to the medication.

Zoloft Lawsuit Over Life-Threatening PPHN

Zoloft is one of the more commonly used medications in the United States, as it is approved to treat a number of relatively common psychological disorders including depression and anxiety. A number of women turned to Zoloft for relief from depression and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy, which can be triggered by an increase or fluctuation in hormones. Some of these women found out too late that Zoloft can have a serious impact on the health of an unborn child, especially when it is taken in the first trimester of pregnancy. One of the most dangerous Zoloft birth defect side effects is the possibility of an unborn child developing Zoloft persistent pulmonary hypertension.

Zoloft Settlements Have Many Factors

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but this has not stopped an increase in Zoloft lawsuits. Through a Zoloft lawsuit, benefits and compensation may be available for families and children who have suffered a birth defect or malformation that may have been prevented if adequate warnings had been provided about the risk of Zoloft problems for babies. Women taking Zoloft during the third trimester may face a six fold increase in the risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). However, the drug maker sold the antidepressant without adequate warnings about the potential risk of PPHN from Zoloft.

Persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN) is a rare birth defect that results in babies being unable to adapt to breathing outside of the womb. They frequently require intensive care and the use of a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe. Severe cases of PPHN can result in multiple organ damage, brain damage and death. Zoloft-induced PPHN can result in circulation problems that may affect a baby’s ability to breathe outside the womb because it makes it difficult for oxygen to reach the bloodstream. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine, conducted in 2006, warned women against the risks associated with Zoloft birth defects by linking the drug to persistent pulmonary hypertension.

The Zoloft birth defect lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory damages, plus statutory remedies, a disgorgement of profits, pre-judgment interest, costs and other relief the court deems just. Settlements have included damages awarded as compensation due to the extreme pain associated with the emotional distress many parents have suffered. It charges Pfizer with strict products liability, breach of express warranty, negligence, misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, fraud and misrepresentation, fraud by concealment, violation of consumer protection laws and breach of implied warranties against Pfizer. The purpose of the settlements, far from being able to give victims any comfort, is designed to return those who have been affected back to the financial situation they would have had enjoyed had they never been involved with side effects associated with Zoloft.

Zoloft Birth Defects in Review

The Food and Drug Administration warned about Zoloft and other SSRI birth defects risks in November of 2006, and many patients have been concerned about them ever since. Zoloft and other SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs have been linked to a risk of serious birth defects, especially when they are taken in the first trimester of pregnancy. A number of patients who have seen the results of Zoloft birth defects firsthand have decided to consult a Zoloft lawyer and take legal action. 

There are a number of potential birth defects that might occur when a woman takes Zoloft for depression or other psychological conditions during pregnancy. These can include defects that affect a number of necessary systems and organs, including the heart, brain, and abdomen. 

Zoloft Birth Defects: Families Involved in Lawsuits

One of the most tragic side effects of the anti-depressant medication Zoloft is the possibility of birth defects that have been linked to the drug. A number of families have been impacted by these side effects and some have filed lawsuits because of the side effects. The medication can contribute to a risk of birth defects in children, especially when taken by pregnant women in their first trimester of pregnancy. Now, eight families have filed lawsuits in Michigan in a combined lawsuit. All of these families assert that the mother's use of the popular antidepressant during pregnancy has resulted in severe birth defects.