65 Oregon Residents File Joinder Suit Against Paxil Manufacturer

PORTLAND, Ore. - Sixty-five Oregon residents are suing the manufacturer of Paxil claiming that they suffered withdrawal symptoms when they attempted to reduce or stop their use of the antidepressant. Susan K. Anderson, et al. v. SmithKline Beecham, No. CV-03-1734 (D. Ore.).

The plaintiffs' Dec. 12 complaint states that SmithKline Beecham (SKB) never warned U.S. consumers about Paxil's ability to induce dependency and cause withdrawal symptoms and instructed its sales representatives to misrepresent the drug's potential side effects when promoting the drug to physicians.

However, the warnings accompanying Paxil in Europe, where it is sold as Seroxat, acknowledge the antidepressant's …