All of the Topamax lawsuits that have been recently filed in Pennsylvania state court have been centralized for pretrial proceedings. The lawsuits were filed by the families of babies born with birth defects after their mothers took the anti-epilepsy medication during pregnancy.
All of the complaints say that the makers of Topamax, Ortho-McNeil Neurologics (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), did not properly warn them of the research that showed that the drug was dangerous to for the babies of pregnant women who take Topamax. Some of those dangers include cleft lip, cleft palate, genital malformations and heart, lung and brain defects. So many lawsuits have been filed against Ortho-McNeil that they had to be centralized in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
Topamax was approved as an epilepsy medication in 2004 and the generic version became available in 2006. Back in March of this year, the FDA issued a warning stating that Topamax was a danger to pregnant women and their babies. Because of that warning, the FDA has tried to get doctors to stop prescribing the drug to pregnant women and those who are planning to become pregnant.
Numerous women have filed lawsuits after taking Topamax during pregnancy and giving birth to children with varying complications and defects. Some babies have reportedly died as a result of their birth defects, but for some reason the drug is still FDA approved. For those children that survive, the quality of life can be weakened by the birth defects.
If you or a loved one have suffered from birth defects after taking Topamax, contact attorney Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Topamax lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.