According to the lawyer representing a family suing GlaxoSmithKline, company executives intentionally ignored the possibility that Paxil could cause birth defects. Paxil is an antidepressant, and there were studies showing that Paxil posed a risk of birth defects. However, the plaintiff’s lawyer argued that due to the fear of harming sales, Glaxo never followed up on those studies. The lawyer made these comments during closing arguments at the Paxil trial in state court in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia case is the first to go to trial, alleging that Glaxo was aware of the Paxil birth defect risks and hid those risks to increase profits. There are more than 600 such cases against Glaxo, the U.K.’s largest drugmaker. The Philadelphia case was filed by Michelle David, the mother of Lyam Kilker, who claims that Paxil wasn’t properly tested, and that it caused Lyam’s life-threatening heart defects. Mrs. David alleges that information about Paxil’s risks was withheld from consumers and regulators.
Paxil was approved in 1992 for U.S. use, and generated approximately $942 million in sales for Glaxo in 2008.
Jamie Sheller, of Sheller, P.C., is one of the lawyers trying the Paxil case in Philadelphia. Sheller lawyers have a long history of succesfully representing individuals and classes of individuals who have been injured by pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
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