Morning Sickness Drug Zofran May Cause Deformities and Heart Defects in Unborn Children

It’s always very tragic when unborn children suffer serious illnesses or deformities due to the greed of a drug company. A few days ago I wrote about how antidepressants such as Paxil and Celexa can cause birth defects.

One drug that has resulted in a spate of recent lawsuits is Zofran, a drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, that has been prescribed to pregnant mothers to help them cope with morning sickness.

Although morning sickness can be very unpleasant and as many as three quarters of pregnant women suffer from it in their first trimester, the potential side effects of taking this drug are far more serious. Zofran has been linked to musculoskeletal anomalies in babies, jaundice, mouth deformities and heart defects. In some cases the drug appears to have claimed the lives of unborn babies.

One of the most despicable aspects of this episode is the fact Glaxo was not meant to be marketing the drug at mothers in the first place, or inducing doctors to prescribe it. Zofran has historically prescribed to alleviate the feelings of nausea associated with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.

In 2012, the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Glaxo, which eventually resulted in a $3 billion settlement. The federal government filed a claim against Glaxo after it engaged in promoting off-label use of several drugs, including Zofran.

Glaxo, has admitted that using Zofran for nausea and vomiting in pregnant women is yet to be tested. However, the giant drug company continued to promote Zofran.

Zofran has not been approved for use in pregnant women, and numerous lawsuits accuse GlaxoSmithKline of marketing the drug to expectant mothers as well as paying doctors to prescribe it. As many as a million women take the medication or its generic counterpart every year and the drug has made millions for Glaxo.

This sad episode illustrates how drug companies will bend the rules and market their products at the most vulnerable people – pregnant mothers who feel sick and their unborn children. If your baby has been born with defects after you took Zofran in the first trimester – the time when fetuses are at their most vulnerable – you may have grounds to sue Glaxo.

Our Virginia personal injury lawyers can advise you if you have a claim. Call us at 757.455.0077 or see CooperHurley.com