According to a Bloomberg report, a former GlaxoSmithKline executive testified under oath that the drug company knew as early as 2001 that its anti-depressant drug–Paxil–could cause birth defects in the fetuses of pregnant women. It has been alleged that this information was withheld from the public so the company could maximize profits at teh expense of public health. The reports notes that in a videotaped deposition, former Glaxo drug-safety executive Jane Nieman stated that the company was “almost certain” by 2001 that Paxil was to blame for a certain heart defect that caused women to abort their fetuses.
The drug generated about $942 million in sales last year alone. We have no problem with companies making money–that’s America. What’s un-American is putting profits over people. No company should ever risk public health in a greedy effort to pad profits. Many lawsuits against the drug manufacturer are pending, and we expect that the truth will be revealed and that the victims’ suits will help protect all Americans from corporate greed.
About the author:
Mr. Zambri is Past-President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, DC and has been rated by Washingtonian magazine as a “Big Gun” and among the “top 1%” of all lawyers in the Washington metropolitan area. The magazine also describes him as “one of Washington’s best–most honest and effective lawyers” who specializes in personal injury matters, including medical malpractice actions stemming from defective or dangerous medications. He has also been named a “DC Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyer magazine (March/April 2009)–a national publication that honors the top lawyers in America. If you need a patient advocate, we recommend that you read an article about medical malpractice claims authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.
If you want more information about your legal rights, please email Mr. Zambri at [email protected] or call him at 202-822-1899.