Growing Zofran Birth Defects Litigation Highlights Concerns Surrounding Use of Prescription Medications During Pregnancy, According to Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Apr 27, 2015, 03:32 ET
NEW YORK, April 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Numerous Zofran birth defects lawsuits (http://www.zofranlawsuit2015.com/) now pending in courts around the U.S. have highlighted serious concerns surrounding the use of prescription medications during pregnancy, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), fewer than 10% of medications currently on the market have enough information to determine their safety for use in pregnancy. Yet 9 out of 10 expectant mothers in the U.S. take at least one medication during their pregnancy, while 7 out of 10 take at least one prescription medicine.
"Zofran is among the numerous drugs that have not been well-studied in pregnant women. Yet for years, this medication has been prescribed to treat nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy," says Sandy A. Liebhard, a partner at Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is now offering free case reviews to families who believe their child may have sustained a Zofran birth defect due to their mother's use of the medication during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Zofran Allegations
Zofran, known generically as ondansetron, is approved to treat post-operative nausea and vomiting, as well as nausea and vomiting related to certain types of chemotherapy and radiography. The medication has never been approved to treat pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. Zofran is currently listed by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in Pregnancy Category B, which indicates that its effects on a developing fetus have not been well-studied. Yet according to an analysis published last August in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, around 1 million expectant women are prescribed Zofran or generic versions every year to treat nausea and vomiting related to their pregnancies.
A growing number of Zofran lawsuits accuse GlaxoSmithKline of fraudulently promoting the medication as a safe and effective treatment for pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, even though it had never undertaken studies to investigate its effects on pregnant women. In 2012, the company agreed to pay $3 billion to resolve illegal marketing charges with the U.S. Department of Justice that involved a number of its medications. Among other things, federal prosecutors had charged Glaxo with improperly marketing Zofran as an off-label treatment for morning sickness.
Parents of children who were born with serious birth defects allegedly related to their mother's use of Zofran during pregnancy may be entitled to file their own claims against GlaxoSmithKline. To find out more about filing a Zofran lawsuit, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website, or call the Firm directly at (888) 340-4807
About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3 billion on behalf of our clients. The National Law Journal has recognized Bernstein Liebhard for twelve consecutive years as one of the top plaintiffs' firms in the country. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is the only firm in the country to be named to this prestigious list every year since it was first published in 2003.
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Contact Information:
Sandy A. Liebhard, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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http://www.zofranlawsuit2015.com/
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