Zofran Lawsuit Plaintiffs Learn Of Co-Lead Counsel Appointments

Judge F. Dennis Saylor has appointed three attorneys as co-lead counsel for MDL 2657. Continue reading →

Dec 11, 2015 /prREACH/ -- The plaintiffs that are involved in MDL 2657 recently learned that three attorneys have been appointed as co-lead counsel.

MDL 2657 was formed in October of 2015. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation announced that they had decided a consolidation of Zofran lawsuits was appropriate after plaintiffs and the defendant, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), both requested that an MDL be formed. Ideally, this consolidation will expedite the litigation process and save everyone involved money. The Honorable Judge F. Dennis Saylor will be overseeing the trials.

The appointment of the co-lead counsel may mean that pretrial proceedings will begin soon. The counsel will serve as spokespersons for the plaintiffs, ensure that the litigation is prosecuted efficiently and economically, and conduct any settlement negotiations on behalf of the plaintiffs.

The first Zofran lawsuits were filed in early 2015, each one alleging that the drug caused a birth defect in a child while it was in utero. Since 1991, the anti-emetic has been prescribed to countless women suffering from morning sickness during their pregnancy. What these women and their doctors didn’t know, was that the drug had never been granted approval for the treatment of this condition.

GSK did receive approval for the drug from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but that approval only covered the use of the drug in patients who are nauseous and vomiting after radiation, chemotherapy, or anesthesia.

The company still pursued a marketing campaign that lead the public and medical community to believe that the drug was safe for expectant mothers and unborn children. Since beginning this campaign, GSK has allegedly been given numerous reports of children born with birth defects to women who took Zofran.

Birth defects include cleft lip, cleft palate, kidney defects, clubfoot, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, and respiratory distress syndrome. In the majority of cases, the birth defect required the child to undergo at least one surgical procedure.

Parents who have filed a lawsuit are alleging that GSK knew, or should have known, that the drug would harm unborn children. Nearly every mother has stated that if she knew of the risks associated with taking the drug, she would never have ingested it. By filing a lawsuit, plaintiffs are hoping to recover compensation for their medical expenses and the pain and suffering that their child has experienced.