Hundreds of women who took the antidepressant Paxil (paroxetine) during pregnancy have filed lawsuits for their child’s birth defect. Settlements totaling more than $1 billion have already been awarded.
FDA Safety Warning for Paxil Birth Defects
Paxil (paroxetine) is an antidepressant medication manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). In 2004, a Drug Safety Communication was published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA warned that studies of Paxil linked it to a doubled risk of heart defects (about 2%, compared to 1% in the general population). The FDA re-classified Paxil as a Pregnancy Category D drug. Most other antidepressants are Pregnancy Category C.
Paxil Class Action Lawsuit Information
February 6, 2013 — GlaxoSmithKline has settled a Paxil class action lawsuit in California for $8.5 million. The lawsuit resolved allegations that GSK used false and deceptive marketing practices to promote Paxil by failing to tell doctors that Paxil was habit-forming or addictive and could have severe withdrawal symptoms. Class members include adults in California who used Paxil between 1999 and 2003.
Paxil Birth Defect Lawsuits
Hundreds of Paxil lawsuits involving birth defects have been settled. One of the first lawsuits, Kilker v. GlaxoSmithKline, ended in a $2.5 million jury award for Lyam Kilker, a boy who was born with severe heart defects. In 2010, GSK agreed to settle an additional 800 lawsuits for over $1 billion total, or about $1.2 million each.