Symbyax Lawsuit

SSRI antidepressants including the popular drug Symbyax (Generic: olanzepine/fluoxetine) have been linked to variety of severe birth defects including Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN), heart, lung, abdominal and cranial defects.

Symbyax Birth Defects Update 5/30/12: A new study suggests that women who take SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely, or have babies who have seizures shortly after being born. The research found that expecting mothers who filled two or three prescriptions during their second trimester tended to have babies that stayed in the womb four to five days less than other babies. Click here to learn more.

Symbyax Update 4/27/12: Research published in this week’s online edition of the journal Frontiers in Evolutionary Psychology has called into question the safety and efficacy of SSRI antidepressants. The study concludes that the risks involved with taking SSRIs outweigh any potential benefits, and that the medications do more harm than good. Click here to learn more.

Symbyax Update 3/23/12: In addition to having the potential to cause serious birth defects in babies born to mothers who take the drugs during pregnancy, SSRI antidepressants like Symbyax have also been found in a new study to increase the risk of high blood pressure in pregnant women. The research indicates that SSRIs may increase the risk of hypertension beyond that what could be attributed to the depression and anxiety that likely drove the women to take the drugs in the first place. Click here to learn more.

If you or a loved one have taken Symbyax while pregnant and given birth to a child with a congenital birth defect, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and we can help.

Symbyax Lawsuit Update: Schmidt & Clark, LLP continues to be contacted by a large number of mothers, fathers and family members of babies born with birth defects directly related to the use of Symbyax during pregnancy. It is important to remember that you are not alone, and the birth defects that your child was born with are not your fault.

Drug manufacturers have a responsibility to warn patients and doctors of the known risks in taking medications while pregnant. When drug manufacturers fail to warn consumers, they must be held accountable. The filing of a Symbyax lawsuit will never heal the emotional devastation of knowing that your child’s birth defect could have been prevented, however it can assist you and your family in the paying of medical bills, covering future healthcare costs and give you the satisfaction of knowing that you/we will not stand by and let a giant pharmaceutical company put their profits over the safety of American consumers and their families.

Michael E. Schmidt, Managing Partner of Schmidt & Clark, LLP, has stated, “Our law firm has represented thousands of victims in pharmaceutical side effect and recall lawsuit. However, as a father of four, this particular litigation [Symbyax birth defects] really strikes home. We intend to passionately represent the children and families affected by the manufacturer’s inability to warn the mothers of the potential for Symbyax induced birth defects when taking this drug while pregnant.”

FDA Video: SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defects

Below is an excellent video produced by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which warns patients and physicians of serious, life-threatening birth defects linked to SSRI antidepressants.

Read the Full Transcript: SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defects

Congenital Heart Defects

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has warned doctors and patients that exposure to SSRI’s such as Symbyax during pregnancy pose a serious risk to the fetus and has been linked to an increased risk of Congenital Heart Defects.

More specifically, the most common form of Symbyax induced heart birth defects observed by our firm has been either Atrial Septal Defects or Ventricular Septal Defects.

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)

Recently, The New England Journal of Medicine released the results of a case-controlled study wherein SSRI’s including Symbyax were linked to an increased risk of an infant being born with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN).

Shortly after the aforementioned study was released, the FDA issued another Public Health Advisory warning that exposure to Symbyax during pregnancy posed a serious risk to the fetus and was linked to an increased risk of PPHN.

Abdominal & Cranial Birth Defects

According to information released from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study of Infants, SSRI antidepressants like Symbyax may cause two separate congenital abnormalities called Omphalocele and Craniosynostosis.

Omphalocele is a congenital (present at birth) abdominal wall defect at the base of the umbilical cord (umbilicus); the infant is born with a sac protruding through the defect which contains small intestine, liver, and large intestine.

Craniosynostosis is a congenital (present at birth) defect that causes one or more sutures on a baby’s head to close earlier than normal. Sutures are connections that separate each individual skull bones. The early closing of a suture leads to an abnormally shaped head.

Symbyax and Autism

In June 2011, a study conducted by researchers at Kaiser Permanente found that taking SSRI antidepressant drugs like Symbyax during pregnancy may significantly increase the risk of giving birth to a child with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). ASDs are a group of complex developmental disabilities that cause problems with social interaction and communication. Research indicates that approximately 3.4 of every 1,000 children between the ages of three and 10 have autism, making ASDs more common than many better known disorders such as diabetes, spina bifida or Down syndrome.

Known Symbyax Side Effects

Withdrawal
Birth Defects
Congenital Heart Defects, Atrial or Ventricular Septal Defects (hole in heart)
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)
Abdominal Birth Defects / Omphalocele
Cranial Birth Defects / Craniosynostosis

Birth Defects Linked to Antidepressants – What Type of Symbyax Lawsuits Are Being Filed?

Our lawyers are filing Symbyax lawsuits for injured individuals and families for the following life-threatening birth defects that have been linked to the use of Symbyax and other antidepressants:

Do I have a Symbyax Lawsuit?

The Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus exclusively on the representation of plaintiffs in Symbyax lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Symbyax birth defect lawsuits in all 50 states.

Our Symbyax lawyers have decades of experience and the resources you need to effectively hold the manufacturers of Symbyax responsible for their failure to warn expectant mothers of the risks in taking Symbyax while pregnant.

The initial steps in filing a Symbyax lawsuit are simple. First, it is important to understand that our law firm works on a contingency basis, which means that we do not charge for our legal services unless we file and successfully receive a settlement or verdict on your behalf. So, if you or a loved one has taken Symbyax while pregnant and given birth to a child with a congenital birth defect, you should contact us immediately for a free confidential evaluation of your potential lawsuit. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a Symbyax lawsuit and we can help.