Doctors continue to prescribe Zofran to pregnant women despite a growing body of information that states that doing so can be dangerous. Technically, prescribing Zofran to pregnant women is what is known as an ‘off-label’ use of the medication. That means that the drug was never specifically approved for this use. Based on the number of Zofran birth defects lawsuits that have been filed across the United States, it’s fair to argue that perhaps it should not be used by women who are expecting children. What is known is that all of these Zofran birth defects lawsuits allege that using this medication led to serious problems for children born of mothers who had used it.
About Zofran
Zofran is a medication that is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, one of the true giants of the pharmaceutical industry. It was originally approved for use in the United States by the FDA in 1991. It had been around in the United Kingdom since the early 1980’s. What’s important to note is that Zofran was approved specifically to deal with the severe nausea that is experienced by cancer patients who have undergone surgery and those who were undergoing chemotherapy.
Zofran was never approved for use by pregnant women. However, given its apparent ability to minimize the symptoms of nausea, doctors began to prescribe the medication for pregnant women who were experiencing morning sickness. Over the years, many allegations have been made stating that GlaxoSmithKline marketed Zofran for this off-label use despite the fact that it had never conducted adequate studies to make sure that it was safe for pregnant women. Many Zofran birth defects lawsuits allege that doctors prescribed the medication based on faulty information provided by the drug’s manufacturer.
In addition to the allegations regarding the marketing of Zofran for off-label purposes, some industry experts estimate that Zofran prescriptions written for pregnant women have created an enormous amount of revenue for GlaxoSmithKline. The FDA estimated that approximately 25 percent of the prescriptions written for Zofran were for use by women who were expecting children. That would lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.
Zofran Birth Defects Lawsuits
Unfortunately, many women who used Zofran while they were pregnant gave birth to children who suffered from birth defects. This led to the filing of Zofran lawsuits in large numbers. The allegations in these claims basically state that using Zofran during the first trimester of pregnancies can lead to the following birth defects:
- Cleft lip
- Cleft palate
- Club foot
- Skull deformities
- Heart defects
Other Zofran birth defects have been alleged, and each of them is a serious medical challenge for any newborn to have to face.
Zofran Birth Defects and Your Legal Rights
If you used Zofran while pregnant and your child was born with birth defects, you need to make sure your legal rights and those of your child are being protected. Contact the Zofran birth defects lawyers at Parilman & Associates today to schedule a free initial consultation. You can either email the firm or call 800-800-DRUG.
