Morning sickness and pregnancy often go hand in hand. Likewise, although many women do not particularly enjoy the feeling of morning sickness, none would knowingly put their unborn child at risk to stop the unpleasant symptoms. Sadly, some women are being prescribed Zofran while in their first trimester to stop morning sickness, and are having babies with serious birth defects in the process.
Zofran is an anti-nausea drug used to help people going through chemotherapy, radiation, and those who have recently had surgery. The FDA has not cleared Zofran as a safe drug for use in pregnant women, yet the makers have ignored those warnings and marketed it an option to treat morning sickness. Pharmaceutical giants, GlaxoSmithKline are the makers of Zofran and have been aware of the tragic risks associated with use during pregnancy since 1992.
GSK ignored the warnings of birth defects associated with the use of the drug and continued to market it heavily to physicians. Several sources also allege the company even offered financial gains and incentives to physicians who prescribed Zofran to its pregnant patients. It was found during animal testing that Zofran reaches past the placental barrier and is not safe for use during pregnancy; all that GSK was fully aware of. As a result, women who have taken Zofran while in their first trimester are having babies with cleft palate, cleft lip, heart defects, and several other debilitating defects.
The esteemed personal injury lawyers at Meyerkord & Kurth are currently representing Zofran cases. If you or your child has been injured by Zofran use, we can help. Please contact us today for a no-cost assessment of your potential product liability case.