The Class Actions team at Siskinds LLP recently commenced a new case against the pharmaceutical manufacturers of Zofran. The class action claim alleges that the drug manufacturers failed to warn that Zofran was unsafe for pregnant women.
Zofran is a powerful anti-nausea medication approved by Health Canada to treat nausea and vomiting in postoperative and chemotherapy patients. Zofran is available orally or by injection. A generic equivalent is also available called Ondansetron. Zofran was never approved for treating pregnant women, yet Canadian women with severe morning sickness continue to be prescribed Zofran or Ondansetron.
Siskinds LLP has learned that this “off-label” use of Zofran carries a risk of birth defects when the medication is used during the first trimester of pregnancy. Studies have demonstrated an association between Zofran use in the first trimester of pregnancy and birth defects, including: heart defects, septal defects, cleft lip, cleft palate, kidney defects, and musculoskeletal defects.
Avis Favaro, a medical specialist for CTV News, recently interviewed the Representative Plaintiff for the Zofran Class Action and Jill McCartney, a partner at Siskinds LLP specializing in health law. Watch the full interview here.
If you were prescribed Zofran during the first trimester of pregnancy to treat morning sickness, and your child suffered birth defects, we encourage you to join Siskinds LLP’s Zofran Class Action. Visit www.classaction.ca/zofran, email zofranclassaction@siskinds.com or call 1-800-461-6166 ext. 2341 for English enquiries or ext. 2409 for French enquiries.