Parents Are Choosing To Pursue A Zofran Lawsuit For Many Reasons

Parents across the country have chosen to pursue legal action against GlaxoSmithKline – learn more today. Continue reading →

Jan 29, 2016 /prREACH/ -- As news spreads about the rapidly growing Zofran litigation, many questions have been raised, including why parents are pursuing legal action. The answer to that question is simple - the parents involved in each Zofran lawsuit believe that the drug caused a birth defect in their child. Heart defects such as transposition of the greater vessels, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, cleft palate, cleft lip, kidney defects, and clubfoot have all been noted in the complaints.

Zofran, an anti-nausea medication, is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. The company first put the drug on the market after they earned an approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A marketing campaign was started, advertising the drug as a “safe” and “effective” treatment for morning sickness. However, the medical community and the public were unaware that the drug hadn’t been approved as a treatment for this condition. In fact, the FDA approval only covered the drug as a treatment for nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, and anesthesia.

The drug was prescribed to thousands of women “off-label” and GSK allegedly began to receive reports that children had been born with birth defects to women who had taken Zofran. This information didn’t slow down their campaign. Nearly every child has required surgical intervention in order to correct their defect and many have been left with visible scarring. Parents frequently state that the defect, and the required treatments, have reduced the child’s quality of life and has caused them to suffer considerable emotional and physical pain.

Today, plaintiffs are seeking compensation for their child’s pain and suffering, medical expenses, and more. Over 200 lawsuits have been consolidated in MDL 2657. This order, announced by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in October of 2015, moved federally filed Zofran lawsuits to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts under Judge F. Dennis Saylor. Recently, GlaxoSmithKline filed a motion to dismiss all federally filed Zofran lawsuits. Judge Saylor heard arguments from both the plaintiffs and defendant on January 14th, 2015, however, a decision has yet to be announced.