Lexapro Lawsuit
What is Lexapro?
Lexapro (generic: escitalopram) is an antidepressant medication in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI class. Lexapro is approved by the FDA to treat depression and is also prescribed for numerous other anxiety conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Citalopram, (Brand name: Celexa), originally manufactured in 1989 by the company Lundbeck was the precursor to Lexapro. The patent for Celexa expired in 2003, which allowed other companies to legally produce generic versions of the drug. Following the expiration, Lundbeck released an updated formula called escitalopram (Brand name: Lexapro), which is the S-enantiomer of the racemic citalopram, and acquired a new patent for it. In the United States, Forest Labs currently manufactures and markets the drug.
Lexapro and Pregnancy
Recently, there has been mounting evidence linking the usage of certain antidepressants such as Lexapro during pregnancy and the incidence of certain dangerous birth defects. A study recently published by the New England Journal of Medicine stated that the use of certain antidepressants such as Lexapro during all or part of pregnancy among women might seriously increase the risk of their having children with birth defects. The New England study says that taking Lexapro and certain other antidepressants for part or the duration of pregnancy might double or even quadruple the risk of birth defects.
Certain birth defects linked with the use of Lexapro include persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), certain congenital heart defects like tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) and hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), cranial defects, congenital lung defects, and abdominal wall defects. Researchers conducting the New England Journal of Medicine study stated that specific SSRI antidepressants such as Lexapro could be responsible for doubling or even quadrupling the incidence of the aforementioned birth defects when Lexapro is taken during all or part of pregnancy.
At the moment, Lexapro is a pregnancy category C drug. This means that Lexapro has shown evidence of birth defects through animal testing, but that there is currently not adequate data from human studies suggesting a strong correlation between Lexapro and dangerous birth defects. Paxil, a similar antidepressant to Lexapro, also in the SSRI antidepressant class was recently changed to being a pregnancy class D drug by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A drug that is considered a pregnancy class D drug has shown confirmed correlations between being taken during pregnancy and causing significant fetal damage.
Lexapro Lawsuit: Speak to an Attorney
Many new parents ask themselves what was the cause of my child’s birth defects? Did it happen during pregnancy? The antidepressant Lexapro may be linked to causing the development of birth defects in unborn babies, infants, and children when their mothers took antidepressants while pregnant.
Our law firm is handling individual birth defect lawsuits against drug and pharmaceutical companies and currently accepting new Lexapro cases across the nation. If your child was born with a birth injury that you believe may have been caused by taking an antidepressant like Lexapro during pregnancy, then you should contact our law firm as soon as possible for a free confidential review of your potential birth defect lawsuit case. All cases are handled on a Contingency Fee Basis (no attorney’s fees or expenses charged unless we recover for you).
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