Woman Sues Drugmaker over Paxil
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Nov 07 2008 at 4:11 PM
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A Brampton woman is suing Glaxo Smith Kline over its antidepressant drug Paxil. She claims that her young son’s health issues are directly linked to the drug which was prescribed during her pregnancy.

Attorneys representing Shannon Cote, 29, and her 10-year-old son, have commenced a lawsuit against Glaxo.

Officials from the company said that the company had not received formal notification regarding the legal action.

Officials say that the drug has been used by tens of millions of patients.

“When used appropriately, the drug has been proven to be a safe and effective treatment since its launch more than 15 years ago,” the company said in a statement.

Cote became pregnant in August 1997. As Cote started suffering from low self-esteem and depression, her family physician prescribed Paxil. Cote says that she was assured that Paxil, unlike the other antidepressants, was safe during pregnancy. However, Cote’s child was born with heart defects. Her attorneys argue that the defect is directly linked to use of Paxil.

Cote’s lawyers said that the kid’s birth defects were caused as a result of the negligence of the defendant manufacturer.

Lawyers said that the doctor who prescribed the drug is not liable as he was not aware of the potential side effects at that time.

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