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Effexor Lawsuit: Antidepressant Birth Defect Side Effect Injuries

Arizona resident Miram took Effexor for two months while she was pregnant after her local ob-gyn prescribed the drug to help her overcome depression. She gave birth to a baby boy a few weeks later. During the postnatal checkup of the new born, Miram was shocked when the doctor told her to admit her three-day-old son to the hospital immediately.

The infant turned blue while under intensive care and doctors performed a cardiac catheterization. Medical diagnosis revealed that the boy was suffering from valvular heart disease, leading to narrowing down of aortic and mitral valves. Next day, the four-day-old infant had a valvuloplasty. However, the agony did not end there. Six months later, the boy had an open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve with the pulmonary valve and implant an artificial valve in place of the latter.

Now after 10 years, she came to know from a doctor that it was Effexor that led to such suffering of her son. The boy underwent second open heart surgery to replace his artificial pulmonary valve last March and it may be repeated in future as the artificial valve does not evolve with age. He may require heart transplant if mitral valve malfunctions. He lives with restrictions and remains prone to fatigue, cold symptoms, and sweating for his entire life. Miram is among the hundreds of mothers weighing the possibility of filing Effexor lawsuits against Pfizer for pregnancy-linked birth injuries caused to their children.

Effexor Birth Defects

A serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, Effexor when taken by pregnant women can cause their babies born with congenital birth defects, including

• septal heart defects
• aortic and mitral valve defects
• persistent pulmonary hypertension
• neural-tube malformations
• abdominal problems
• cranial defects
•  cleft problems in lip and palate

Effexor Side Effect Studies

• Two research reports published in British Medical Journal between 2009 and 2013 comprehensively highlighted the two-fold potential risk linked to Effexor birth defects. The first based on the medical reports of 500,000 children born to mothers treated with antidepressants concluded that Effexor increased the risk of birth defects by almost two times. It linked low blood circulation and improper heart wall formation to the antidepressant side effects during the prenatal stage.
• The second study published recently went through the history of 106,000 women who were treated for anxiety disorders when pregnant while between 14 and 50 years. It highlighted high incidence of birth defects and postpartum hemorrhage risk, leading to delivery bleeding among those treated with Effexor.
• In March 2010, the Pediatrics journal cited that children exposed to Effexor and similar antidepressants at the prenatal stage were more likely to lag behind their developmental stages. Researchers also warned of delay in fetal brain development due to the exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy.
• According to a 2012 advisory by the American Academy of Pediatrics, doctors should refrain from prescribing Effexor and similar antidepressant medications to pregnant women citing the risk of delivery complications, miscarriage risk, and birth of children with congenital defects.

Effexor Lawsuit

In August, the MDL panel transferred at least nine reported Effexor lawsuits at the Pennsylvania eastern district court of Judge Cynthia M. Rufe for consolidated proceedings. The judge is entrusted with the duty to oversee all Effexor lawsuits filed in the federal courts representing children born with congenital defects because of their prenatal exposure to the antidepressant.

The plaintiffs include two Utah mothers, who gave birth to children with multiple heart defects and malformations following intake of Effexor antidepressant during pregnancy. Another Effexor lawsuit filed by a Texas woman has claimed that her daughter was born with persistent pulmonary hypertension because of side effects of the antidepressant she took during pregnancy.

Helping You

As lawyers that represent persons who have been injured by defective medical devices and prescription drugs, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your case with you.  Our team of attorneys and support staff will review your potential case for free and will accept medical device and prescription drug cases on a contingency basis, meaning you do not owe us a fee if we do not recover monies for you by settlement or judgment.

If you or a loved one took Effexor and a child was born with birth defects,please fill out the form to the right or call us so that we can provide you with forms to evaluate your potential case immediately.

CALL: 1-800-632-1404

EMAIL: clicking here

FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR A FREE CONSULTATION AND CASE EVALUATION:

NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.

FREE CASE EVALUATION: CALL TOLL FREE AT 1-800-632-1404

Effexor Birth Defect Lawsuit

Pfizer is facing an increasing number of Effexor lawsuits as many families are coming forward blaming the antidepressant drug for birth defects. Introduced in 1993 by Wyeth, now a Pfizer subsidiary, Effexor has been used to treat anxiety, panic, depression, diabetic neuropathy, migraine, and bipolar disorder. However, recent research has unveiled a close link between Effexor and birth defects in babies born to women treated with the antidepressant drug.

Effexor Birth Injury Risk Studies

Research findings reported in the British Medical Journal in September 2009 warned of two-time higher risk of septal heart defects in children due to Effexor side effects during pregnancy. The study took into account over 500,000 children born to women, who used Effexor and similar SNRI antidepressant drugs, between 1996 and 2003.

The results reveal that such children exposed to Effexor-class antidepressants face double risk of congenital heart defects caused by incorrect formation of wall separating the heart into two parts. Blood flowing between the two parts reduce efficiency of the heart, leading to low blood circulation. It was found that surgical intervention soon after the birth may be the only resort to save children born with such defects. In 2002, a similar report based on an Australian research finding warned of high toxicity risk caused by venlafaxine, the generic name of Effexor.

In August 2013, a research study published in the British Medical Journal went a step ahead with a more detailed explanation regarding Effexor pregnancy injuries. Researchers looked into the case study of 106,000 mothers who suffered anxiety or mood disorders when they aged between 14 and 50 years. They found that those treated with Effexor had a two-fold risk of bleeding during delivery caused by postpartum hemorrhage. Also, children born to such mothers had a higher risk of congenital defects.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also advised pregnant women in January 2012 against using SNRI antidepressants, including Effexor and similar medications, for the potential risk of pregnancy complications and birth defects.

Effexor Lawsuits Claiming Birth Defect

In July 2013, one Utah mother sued Pfizer holding its antidepressant medication Effexor responsible for congenital birth defects in her son. According to the Effexor lawsuit filed in a federal court, Charity Block took the antidepressant drug during her pregnancy. The drug side effects led to birth of her son with serious heart malformations, hypoplastic lungs, umbilical hernia, and ventral septal defect. There were no warnings from the manufacturer about the risk of birth defects in babies exposed to Effexor during the prenatal stage. The plaintiff has claimed that Pfizer sold the antidepressant that was “defective, dangerous to human health, unfit and unsuitable to be marketed.”

Block’s litigation is one of the dozens of Effexor lawsuits seeking product liability and damages citing that the manufacturer withheld information about pregnancy risks linked to the antidepressant. The plaintiffs have sought compensatory and punitive damages, citing fraud, suppression of facts, negligence, breach of warranty, and violation of consumer laws. In August 2013, the federal MDL panel selected Judge Cynthia M. Rufe of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for pretrial consolidation of all federal Effexor lawsuits.

Helping You

As lawyers that represent persons who have been injured by defective medical devices and prescription drugs, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your case with you.  Our team of attorneys and support staff will review your potential case for free and will accept medical device and prescription drug cases on a contingency basis, meaning you do not owe us a fee if we do not recover monies for you by settlement or judgment.

If you or a loved one took Effexor and a child was born with birth defects,please fill out the form to the right or call us so that we can provide you with forms to evaluate your potential case immediately.

CALL: 1-800-632-1404

EMAIL: clicking here

FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR A FREE CONSULTATION AND CASE EVALUATION:

NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.

FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

As attorneys that are providing free case evaluations to women whose children were born with birth defects following the ingestion of Effexor or Effexor XR during pregnancy, we wanted to advise that the JPML has created a multi-district litigation in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  Judge Cynthia M. Rufe will oversee the MDL proceedings.

The MDL suits that will be pending in Pennsylvania accuse the Pfizer Inc. and White Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of failing to inform the Food and Drug Administration, doctors and patients that Effexor could cause serious birth defects if ingested during pregnancy.  The cases will all involve common questions of fact and transferring the cases to a single judicial district will be convenient for the parties and witnesses and will promote the just and efficient conduct of the litigation.

Among the common questions of fact are whether and to what extent Effexor has caused birth defects, when defendants first learned of the link between the drug and risks/complaints of birth defects, whether Effexor is defective in design and is unreasonably dangerous, whether the drug sold without warnings, and whether the defendants intentionally or negligently concealed Effexor’s risks from the FDA, doctors and consumers.

It should also be noted that the claims regarding Effexor in this litigation will parallel in all likelihood the claims as involving the drug Zoloft in MDL 2342, already pending before Judge Rufe and involving Pfizer as a defendant. The FDA approved Effexor in 1993 for the treatment of major depression in adults.  Plaintiffs allege that Pfizer and White knew or should have known that the ingestion of Effexor during pregnancy poses risks to the developing fetus because the drug crosses a placenta.

If your child was born with a serious birth defect and you took Effexor or Effexor XR during pregnancy, please contact us as soon as possible.

Helping You

If you or a loved one took Effexor and a child was born with birth defects,please fill out the form to the right or call us so that we can provide you with forms to evaluate your potential case immediately.

CALL: 1-800-632-1404

EMAIL: clicking here

FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR A FREE CONSULTATION AND CASE EVALUATION:

NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.

FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

Tens of thousands of women have ingested Effexor and sustained some form of birth injury to their child. We are here to investigate a potential link between the two. Contact us as soon as possible for a completely free case evaluation to see if our team can help.

Effexor injuries

If you or a loved has suffered Effexor injuries or serious side effects then you are eligible for a defective product liability claim. Effexor (venlafaxine) belongs to a class of drugs called “SSRI’s” (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).  It is used to treat depression as well as different kinds of anxiety disorders. Manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. Effexor was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993 which in a way increased its use worldwide. But since then numerous studies came into light pinpointing on the adverse effects of the drug which has led the FDA to issue an alert in 2006 against the usage of this drug. The alert clearly states the high risk of a life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome and also explains the various ways the condition can exacerbate.

Use of anti-depressants like Effexor has shown many adverse effects including suicidal tendencies and severe birth defects in newborns of the mother had been administered Effexor. Increasing instances of such side-effects have in turn led to an increasing number of Effexor injuries lawsuits filed against the manufacturers who allegedly knew about  these risks but did nothing to warn the public about them. In the past two years there have been numerous cases filed against them, the majority on behalf of women who took the drug during their pregnancy and delivered a child with severe birth defects which ranged from skull, heart, abdominal and other defects. A common condition in such infants is a condition called “persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn” which can often turn fatal.

As mentioned above, Effexor injuries lawsuits typically fall under products liability claim. This means that the plaintiff can seek compensation for an injury caused by a consumer product. In case of a pharmaceutical drug causing these injuries the claims can include:

• Lack of adequate warnings or instructions by the manufacturer, pharmacy or the doctor
• Dangerous side effects caused by the drug
• The antidepressant was the cause of your pain and injury

If you have taken Effexor and suffered in any manner mentioned above, then you can expect substantial compensation for your distress. Get in touch with an experienced Effexor injuries attorney who will take in all details of the case and evaluate your potential claim. It could be a case of products liability claim or even a medical malpractice claim depending upon your situation. You can file this case individually or band together with others who have suffered similarly and file a class action lawsuit. Many a times, this can help you get faster results and better compensation but confer with your lawyer because he or she will be the best judge of what would suit you best.

Defective product liability claims can be complicated with numerous medical and legal implications to consider.  The best way to ensure that you get justice and win the case is to hire the services of a lawyer who specializes in products liability, particularly pharma products like Effexor. If you or a loved one has suffered from Effexor injuries then you will be liable for compensations like medical bills and other damages along with reparations for the psychological stress and agony that you have had to go through. Get in touch with a lawyer today for a free initial consultation and find out where you stand so that you can start legal proceedings soon.

Helping You

If you or a loved one took Effexor and a child was born with birth defects,please fill out the form to the right or call us so that we can provide you with forms to evaluate your potential case immediately.

CALL: 1-800-632-1404

EMAIL: clicking here

FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR A FREE CONSULTATION AND CASE EVALUATION:

NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.