Federal Panel Consolidates Zofran Birth Defect Lawsuits in Massachusetts

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has granted GlaxoSmithKline’s request to create a coordinated docket to handle pretrial proceedings for lawsuits linking Zofran to birth defects in children whose mothers ingested the anti-nausea drug while pregnant.

In an October 13 order, the JPML said centralization in the District of Massachusetts before Judge F. Dennis Saylor will “will serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of the litigation.”

The panel found that the 12 actions pending against GSK share factual questions arising from allegations that Zofran and its generic equivalent …