First EFFEXOR Birth Defect Case Filed

FIRST EFFEXOR™ BIRTH DEFECT COMPLAINT FILED IN PHILADELPHIA

Pregnant Mother Ingests Anti-Depressant Drug; Infant Dies

PHILADELPHIA - Feb. 9, 2012 - Today, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, six attorneys from across the country filed what is believed to be the first birth defect case against EFFEXOR™, a popular and common drug used in the treatment of depression. Alleging the death of an Ohio infant was directly related to her mother's ingestion of EFFEXOR™, the young girl's parents are represented by Thomas Anapol and Gregory Spizer of Anapol Schwartz; Christopher Coffin and Nicholas Rockforte of Pendley, Baudin & Coffin, L.L.P.; David Landever of Weisman, Kennedy & Berris, LPA; and Tim Becker of Johnson Becker, PLLC.

The case is believed to be the first that declares a link between birth defects and use of the prescription drug, manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer, Inc. Also listed on the complaint is Wolters Kluwer Health/United States, Inc. as the labelers and distributors of information about the drug.

"The information that patients - especially women who are pregnant - receive about the medication that is prescribed to them is crucial," said Thomas Anapol, a Philadelphia-based attorney heavily focused in pharmaceutical and catastrophic injury civil litigation. "This SNRI (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) drug was approved by the FDA in 1993, but the parties involved neglected to disclose the birth defect risks to physicians treating women of child-bearing age."

In Boyer & Boyer v. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, et al., plaintiffs Glenn and Lauren Boyer were overjoyed to learn that they would be having a baby girl, who they named Adelaide. However, shortly after taking her first breath on Feb. 11, 2010, it was discovered that Adelaide suffered lethal cardiac anomalies, including severe left hypoplastic heart, a malformed aorta, no aortic value, a malformed mitral valve and other related conditions. The Boyers allege that the anomalies were caused by Mrs. Boyer's use of EFFEXOR™.

The filed complaint contains 16 individual counts against the three defendants. In addition to failure to warn and negligence claims, the suit alleges that fraud and misrepresentation led to Adelaide's death.

"It is likely that the defendants had evidence to the contrary of what was disseminated for public information," according to registered nurse and attorney Christopher Coffin of New Orleans, La., who specializes in pharmaceutical litigation throughout the country. "To minimize and understate the risks was to place Adelaide and her family in an experiment they would never have consented to."

For more information on EFFEXOR™ and other prescription drug litigation contact 1-888-725-2477.  Click here to read more about birth defects caused by anti-depressant drugs.