Suit Claims Pfizer Conceals Evidence and Misleads Doctors and Patients About Safety and Effectiveness of Zoloft.LOS ANGELES Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. -- Suit Claims FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. Has Failed California Consumers Antidepressant antidepressant, any of a wide range of drugs used to treat psychic depression. They are given to elevate mood, counter suicidal thoughts, and increase the effectiveness of psychotherapy. litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. attorney Karen Barth Menzies and her partner, Ronald Goldman, filed suit today alleging Zoloft-maker, Pfizer, misled physicians and the public regarding Zoloft's safety and efficacy, particularly with regard to suicidality and withdrawal symptoms Withdrawal symptoms A group of physical or mental symptoms that may occur when a person suddenly stops using a drug to which he or she has become dependent. caused by the drug's use. Today's consumer protection lawsuit was filed in Superior Court in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or (case number BC318871). The suit details Pfizer's alleged actions and omissions that downplayed Zoloft's risks and exaggerate Zoloft's benefits. Pfizer did so, the complaint alleges, by suppressing evidence concerning: (1) Zoloft's lack of efficacy compared to placebos in treating conditions for which Zoloft is prescribed; (2) Zoloft's propensity to induce withdrawal and dependency; (3) the risk of increased suicidal and violent impulses in adult, child and adolescent Zoloft users; and (4) Zoloft's causing other side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. such as convulsions Convulsions Also termed seizures; a sudden violent contraction of a group of muscles. Mentioned in: Heat Disorders and psychosis. The Plaintiff, Roberta Madison, is a nurse and doctor of Public Health. She has brought the action as a Private Attorney General on behalf of all California residents who have been misled about Zoloft. Last month, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Attorney General Eliot Spitzer filed a similar lawsuit on behalf of all "aggrieved consumers" in the state of New York related to the drug Paxil. California's Unfair Competition Law provides that a private citizen may act as Attorney General on behalf of consumers. Baum Hedlund is a national law firm representing thousands of antidepressant victims. Through its investigations on behalf of clients that suffered unwarned adverse side effects while using Zoloft, Baum Hedlund has obtained information supporting the complaint's allegations. Karen Barth Menzies of Los Angeles based Baum Hedlund, stated: "We are looking forward to working with Dr. Madison in this case to expose the fraud that has been perpetrated against the public by Pfizer. Pfizer has promoted the benefits as huge and the risks as minimal in an extremely deceptive way. "We have been trying for years to raise public awareness about these issues. We believe that the truth has been suppressed for too long and as a result there has been an enormous waste of money, thousands of people have been harmed by these drugs and many lives have been shattered. We hope this lawsuit will be a significant step toward exposing the fraud. "Once all the evidence comes out it will become clear that Pfizer was well aware of Zoloft's safety and efficacy issues for many years. Despite this knowledge, Pfizer has continued to market Zoloft as 'highly effective,' when only one out of five of Pfizer's own clinical trials for Zoloft's license application indicated superiority over placebos. We believe that the evidence will prove that the risks of Zoloft far outweigh any alleged benefits. Because of Pfizer's marketing practices and concealment of the truth, California healthcare providers have not been able to conduct accurate risk/benefit analyses when prescribing Zoloft. Additionally, we have seen many doctors who were unaware of Zoloft's serious side effects and consequently mis-diagnosed them. Where the public health is at stake, there is no room for secrecy and deception." |
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