Paxil (paroxetine) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which is a class of antidepressants that is believed to work by influencing the balance of chemicals in the brain. Although paroxetine may help patients with depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental health disorders, some patients have questioned the drug’s safety... Read more »

A new study released by Professor Anick Berard from the University of Montreal has revealed that pregnant women who take antidepressants during the second and/or third trimester ultimately increase the likelihood that their children will receive an autism diagnosis by the time they reach the age of 7. According to the... Read more »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked Pfizer to update its Zoloft safety warnings to acknowledge that some studies have linked the antidepressant to infant heart defects. There is still no concrete evidence definitively connecting the drug to birth defects, but some researchers have noted an “increased risk of... Read more »

Times are changing within the realm of published medical studies. More and more, experts are questioning assertions made decades ago, choosing instead to examine data in a new light. As a result, retractions are at an all-time high, published works are proving to be inaccurate, the allegations of fraud are... Read more »

Families who are suing Zoloft manufacturer Pfizer based on allegations that the SSRI caused birth defects in their children have been granted a second chance to present an expert witness, according to a recent ruling by Judge Cynthia M. Rufe. The plaintiffs’ Zoloft birth defects lawsuits have been centralized for... Read more »

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is currently facing at least 68 product liability lawsuits filed in the federal court system with regard to its medication, Effexor (venlafaxine). The Effexor lawsuits claim the drug causes birth defects. In August of 2013, federal Effexor lawsuits were centralized into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), which is... Read more »

Judge Cynthia Rufe, who is overseeing MDL No. 2342 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, recently remanded a Zoloft lawsuit back to Missouri state court, reports Harris Martin. The MDL judge found that the 25 claimant families did not fraudulently misjoin their complaints into a... Read more »

The judge overseeing coordination of Zoloft birth defects lawsuits in Pennsylvania has excluded the testimony of one of the expert witnesses for the plaintiff. Judge Cynthia Rufe determined that testimony provided by Dr. Anick Berard will not be allowed because the methods by which she drew her conclusions were “scientifically... Read more »

For quite some time, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI’s) have been linked to an exhaustive array of congenital birth defects. Researchers are currently aware of SSRI pregnancy side effects including club foot and cleft palate, cranial and skeletal issues, heart defects and several other serious conditions. According to a new... Read more »

The first federal Zoloft lawsuit trial slated for MDL 2342 has been postponed until January 2015. The In Re: Zoloft (Sertraline Hydrochloride) Products Liability Litigation is being overseen by the Honorable Cynthia M. Rufe, who issued a pretrial order on May 1 which indicated the case would be pushed back... Read more »