Zofran - generic name ondansetron - has never been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of morning sickness symptoms and medical studies have linked Zofran use during the first trimester of pregnancy to birth defects, the law firm said.
Weitz & Luxenberg added that approximately 1 million women take Zofran or ondansetron each year to relieve the symptoms of morning sickness, specifically nausea and vomiting.
Zofran is FDA-approved for use by cancer patients to prevent the nausea and/or vomiting that can accompany chemotherapy and that can occur after an operation, the firm explained.
However, Zofran has not been approved by the FDA to prevent or treat morning sickness in pregnant women.
Zofran Maker Accused by U.S. Justice Dept.:
In 2012, the manufacturer of Zofran - pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline - paid a fine of $1 billion as part of a settlement of claims brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, Weitz & Luxenberg said.
The Justice Department claimed, among other things, that GlaxoSmithKline illegally promoted certain forms of Zofran for the treatment of morning sickness in pregnant women, and paid doctors to promote and prescribe Zofran, the firm indicated.
Despite that settlement, GlaxoSmithKline still faces civil liability. Weitz & Luxenberg said it is moving forward with efforts to hold GlaxoSmithKline accountable by accepting cases where women who took Zofran in the first trimester of pregnancy gave birth to children with congenital heart defects and/or cleft lip, cleft palate or both.
Free Consultation For Zofran Birth Defect Victims:
The law firm said Zofran victims can contact Weitz & Luxenberg for a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of their legal rights to compensation from Zofran's maker.
The free consultation can be arranged by contacting Weitz & Luxenberg toll-free at 844-400-HELP or online at www.weitzlux.com, the firm said.
In addition to wanting to hear from mothers who took Zofran, Weitz & Luxenberg also expressed interest in exploring the legal rights of men and women born with a potentially Zofran-related birth defect who this year are between the ages of 18 and 24.
About Weitz & Luxenberg:
Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. is among the nation's leading and most readily recognized personal injury and consumer protection law firms. Weitz & Luxenberg's numerous litigation areas include: mesothelioma, defective medicine and devices, environmental pollutants, products liability, consumer protection, accidents, personal injury, and medical malpractice. Victims of consumer fraud are invited to rely on Weitz & Luxenberg's more than 25 years of experience handling such cases. You can contact the firm's Client Relations department at 800-476-6070 or at clientrelations@weitzlux.com.
More information: http://www.weitzlux.com/.
Twitter: @WeitzLuxenberg
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NEWS SOURCE Weitz and Luxenberg P.C. :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.