Glaxo Ordered to Pay $2.5 Million for Paxil Birth Defects
The makers of the antidepressant Paxil must pay $2.5 million to the family of a boy who was born with severe heart-related birth defects after his mother took the drug during pregnancy, a Philadelphia jury has ruled.
GlaxoSmithKline was sued by the relatives of Lyam Kilker, a three-year-old with heart defects which his mother blamed on her taking Paxil during pregnancy. In the first of about 600 such lawsuits now filed against the drug company for Paxil-related birth defects, jurors agreed that the drug was responsible for the boy’s injuries and ordered Glaxo to pay up.
The trial was the first time a jury had been asked to determine whether Glaxo should be held responsible for birth defects and other injuries caused by Paxil, which was approved in 1992. The lawsuit accused Glaxo of knowing about the risks of birth defects but hiding the information in order to boost profits.
The jury’s verdict in favor of the plaintiffs in the first Paxil trial could help determine how future Paxil victims fare in their lawsuits against Glaxo and shape the direction and scope of the litigation.
Company Vows Appeal
A Glaxo spokesman said the company disagrees with the jury award and will file an appeal, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report.
“While we sympathize with Lyam Kilker and his family, the scientific evidence does not establish that exposure to Paxil during pregnancy caused his condition,” the company statement said.
Jurors concluded that Glaxo officials “negligently failed to warn” the doctor treating Lyam’s mother about Paxil’s risks and concluded the medicine was a “factual cause” of the child’s heart defects.
However, a court ruling that Glaxo’s handling of the drug was not “outrageous” meant the family couldn’t seek punitive damages to effectively punish the company. Instead, the family was limited to seeking compensatory damages to reimburse them for medical bills and other out-of-pocket expenses.
Other Paxil Settlements
Paxil has cost Glaxo money before. The company recently settled claims that Paxil caused suicidal and violent behavior. The terms of that settlement were not disclosed.
Also, in 2004, Glaxo agreed to pay $2.5 million to resolve claims in New York that company officials buried research showing Paxil could increase suicide risks in young people. As part of that settlement, the company was required to publicly disclose the studies.
A Wyoming in 2001 ordered Glaxo to pay $6.4 million to the relatives of a man who shot his family to death and then turned the gun on himself after taking Paxil. The case was later settled on appeal for undisclosed terms, officials said.
Related posts:
- Paxil Costs Maker $1 Billion in Damages Paxil became a blockbuster antidepressant drug after it debuted in...
- Valproate Sodium (Depacon) Again Linked to Birth Defects, FDA Warns Babies exposed to valproate sodium and related products during pregnancy...
- Some Antibiotics Given During Pregnancy Tied to Birth Defects Drugs commonly given to pregnant women to treat urinary infections...
- Paxil Birth Defects Trial Now in Jury’s Hands The first of more than 600 lawsuits claiming the makers...
- Antidepressant Paxil Linked to Heart-Related Birth Defects Women who take the popular antidepressant Paxil during pregnancy are...
