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Class Action Lawsuit against Zoloft

Jul 10, 2012 |

 

It was announced earlier this year that Zoloft, (Setraline), the world’s most popular anti-depressant, produced and manufactured by Pfizer Drug Company, will be taking on a class-action lawsuit on behalf of 21 mothers who say their children were born with birth defects caused by the anti-depressant.  Zoloft is considered a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI), and is taken to treat everything from anxiety disorder to obsessive-compulsive disorder.  It is prescribed to adults as well as children as young at six-years-old.

Pfizer began advertising Zoloft in 1992. Zoloft generates $2 billion in annual sales and is one of the world’s top selling drugs.  This particular lawsuit was filed in February of this year.  According to Lawyers.com:

It is but the latest addition to a disturbing number of prescription drugs which are the subject of litigation due to the serious side effects they cause. Antidepressants in particular have been under fire for causing severe birth defects, up to and including fetal death.

Zoloft use has been linked to the following birth defects:

• Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of Newborn – PPHN
• Atrial Septal Defect – ASD
• Transposition of Great Arteries
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Hypoplastic Left-Heart Syndrome
• Hypoplastic Right-Heart Syndrome

The FDA has issued advisories to healthcare providers about the possible dangers of taking the drug during pregnancy, but has not officially determined the percentage of women and children affected.  However, due to the massive amount of Zoloft prescriptions being filled in theU.S., 30 million annually, it is certain that many innocent people will be affected.

In addition to being harmful to newborns, the drug has also been linked to “severe withdrawal symptoms in its users when discontinued, increasing rate of suicide in adults and children, and an increased risk of bone loss for older patients” (http://zoloftlawsuitz.com/).

If you, your child or anyone you know has been a victim of these SSRI side-effects, contact Bentoff & Duber for a consultation.