Zofran Use Linked to Birth Defects

The anti-nausea medication Zofran has recently been linked to multiple birth defects. Zofran is a powerful drug developed by drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to treat chemotherapy related nausea. The drug was originally approved in 1991 for use in cancer patients who required chemo or radiation. While the drug was designed and approved to treat nausea in cancer patients, the drug has been marketed as an effective and safe treatment for pregnancy related nausea and vomiting. In 1995, oral doses of Zofran were approved for vomiting and nausea in post operative patients.

Allegedly, the manufacturer of Zofran never conducted a single clinical trial on the efficacy and safety of Zofran in pregnant women before marketing it to pregnant women.

A 2014 study on the drug indicated that Zofran posed an increased risk “for a cardiovascular defect and notably cardiac septum defect” in infants whose mother had taken the drug during pregnancy. A 2012 study indicated that children were two times as likely to develop cleft lip and cleft palate if their mother had taken Zofran during pregnancy.

Complications related to Zofran use during pregnancy include:

· Cleft Palate

· Cleft lip

· Congential heart defects which can lead to serious and life-threatening cardiac conditions

· Heart murmurs

· Musculoskeletal anomalies

The Manchin Injury Law Group is currently pursuing cases involving birth defects following a mother’s use of Zofran. If you or a loved one used Zofran while pregnant and your child suffered serious medical complications you have the right to take action. Contact our attorneys today through our website or at 1-800-557-4Law for a free case evaluation.