Boston Fox News Story Discusses Zofran Birth Defect Lawsuits And Drug Safety

January 15, 2016 – – ZofranLegal.com reports on a news story recently released by myfoxboston.com which discusses the safety of GlaxoSmithKline’s anti-nausea drug Zofran for “off-label” use by pregnant women. The article’s publication follows a recent surge of lawsuits which have been filed against the drug’s manufacturer, prompting the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate the mounting cases to a single judge and courtroom in Boston, Massachusetts.

The consolidation of MDL No. 2657 was possible due to the alarmingly similar allegations within each case, and the fact that each lawsuit was filed against the same defendant. Lawsuits from around the U.S. commonly allege that fetal exposure to the drug through their mothers causes babies developing in utero an increased risk of serious congenital birth defects. Defects most commonly mentioned in the MDL lawsuits are: cleft lip and palate, transposition of the greater vessels, atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of fallot, clubfoot, kidney defects, and respiratory distress.

The FOX news article discusses the popularity of Zofran for pregnant women experiencing morning sickness during their first trimester. It also discusses the fact that over four dozen lawsuits have now been filed by parents against GSK, saying that their children’s lives have been ruined due to their use of the drug while pregnant. Plaintiffs commonly note the alarming fact that Zofran is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat pregnant women. It was never safety tested on this consumer group, either. Quite differently, in the 1990’s, Zofran was specifically approved to treat patients battling nausea and vomiting episodes after undergoing anesthesia, chemotherapy, or radiation.

Since this early FDA approval, however, GlaxoSmithKline began to market the drug to Ob/Gyn’s and pregnant women as a morning sickness treatment. Subsequently, the drug has been prescribed “off-label” in this way to a vast number of expectant mothers across the nation. These women put the drug into their systems during their first trimester of pregnancy, when morning sickness nausea is most prevalent. This also happens to be a time when the fetus does much of its initial heart, mouth, and limb tissue development.

The news story from Boston specifically reports on a recent case in which a mother who used the drug while pregnant noted serious medical issues upon the birth of her daughter. Physicians indicated that the infant was struggling to breathe, and eventually discovered that the baby had a congenital birth defect which would require her to be on life support and use a feeding tube. They also informed the mother that, in order to survive, her infant daughter would require open heart surgery.

The mother portrayed in greater detail in the article states that, while she is grateful that her daughter is still alive today after some incredibly difficult medical issues, the young girl remains small for her age and often struggles in the classroom. Most difficult at this point, perhaps, the mother indicated, is the fact that there are still no definitive answers regarding her daughter’s long-term medical outlook.

The attorneys at Monheit Law are currently working to ensure that anyone who took Zofran while pregnant and who subsequently gave birth to a child with defects will have the opportunity to fully explore their legal rights. These families and the children involved may be entitled to legal action and significant compensation. Monheit Law is currently offering complimentary consultations for affected families.

For additional information regarding this release, or to ask questions, contact Attorney Michael Monheit by calling 877-620-8411.

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Contact ZofranLegal.com:

Michael Monheit
1-877-620-8411
michael@monheit.com
1368 Barrowdale Road, Rydal, PA 19046

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