PENNSYLVANIA RECORD

Two woman filed separate products liability suits against drug manufacturer Pfizer this

week over claims that their respective children sustained injuries because the mothers were taking the anti-depressant drug Zoloft during pregnancy.

The two claims were filed by Christine Cho and Dana Nolan.

Each plaintiff alleges that their children were born with birth defects because the women ingested the pharmaceutical Zoloft while they were pregnant with their children.

Cho’s child, Alex Cho, was born in late 2004 while Nolan’s son, Shawn Nolan, was born in the summer of 2001.

Each child was born with congenital birth defects, although the respective complaints don’t seem to specify exactly what types of birth defects the plaintiffs’ children experienced.

The lawsuits, both of which were filed at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Nov. 29 by Texas attorney David L. Friend, of the firm Hissey Kientz, claim that Pfizer knew or should have known that Zoloft causes serious birth defects in children born to women who had taken the drug during pregnancy, but that the drugmaker failed to properly warn consumers of such risks relating to the medication if taken by pregnant women.

Despite the defendant’s knowledge of said risks, the pharmaceutical company continues to fail to warn and disclose to consumers that Zoloft significantly increases the risk of heart malformations and other birth defects in children born to women who had taken the drug during pregnancy, each lawsuit states.

“The current Zoloft label remains deficient to adequately and accurately warn doctors and/or their patients of the increased risk of cardiac malformations and other birth defects that are seen in babies whose mothers took Zoloft during pregnancy,” the complaints read.

Both plaintiffs claim they would never have taken Zoloft while they were pregnant had they known of the risks for birth defects.

The suit contain counts of strict products liability, negligence, and fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment.

The plaintiffs seek compensatory damages in excess of $75,000, plus litigation costs, pre-and-post-judgment interest, unspecified punitive damages, and other court relief.

 

The federal case numbers are 2:12-cv-06664-CMR and 2:12-cv-06665-CMR.