New Suit Says Effexor Makers Hid Birth Defect Risks

PHILADELPHIA - An Ohio couple is suing the makers of Effexor in Pennsylvania state court, accusing them of hiding the risks posed by the antidepressant to developing fetuses. Boyer v. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc., No. 120200832 (Pa. Ct. of Comm. Pls., Phila. Cty.).

The Feb. 9 complaint, filed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, says Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Pfizer Inc. knew of, but failed to inform the Food and Drug Administration, doctors and patients that Effexor could cause serious birth defects if ingested during pregnancy. The suit also accuses the publisher of patient monographs, Wolters Kluwer Health Inc., …