Defective Products Attorneys Speak out on Paxil and Teenage Suicide
Parents considering anti-depressant medication for their teens should take caution. Studies have shown a significant increase in teenage suicide linked to these drugs. Our Chicago personal injury attorney says the makers of Paxil (an extremely popular anti-depressant medication) recently sent a letter to doctors warning the drug caused a “six-fold increase in the risk of suicidal behavior in young adults.”
The drug maker GlaxoSmithKline conducted its own study of over 14,000 patients which showed a higher frequency of suicidal behavior in young adults (ages 18-24) treated with paroxetine (Paxil and Paxil CR) compared with placebo. In addition, The FDA issued a Public Health Advisory on March 22, 2004, cautioning physicians, their patients, and families about the need to closely monitor all patients being treated with antidepressants. The agency mandated heightened warnings on the labels of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the class of antidepressant medications that includes Paxil as well as Prozac and Zoloft. The Agency later issued another Advisory warning of an increased risk for suicidal behavior in adult patients as well (Source: www.FDA.gov).
GlaxoSmithKline (which is, by the way, the world’s second largest pharmaceutical company) agreed to pay $65 million dollars to settle a class-action lawsuit over its antidepressant drug Paxil. While Illinois personal injury lawyers explain this particular lawsuit didn’t involve the safety or effectiveness of Paxil, many believe it is just one more example of corporate greed at the expense of consumers.
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