SSRI Antidepressant Lawsuit

SSRI antidepressant lawsuits claimed the popular medications had side effects that led to suicide, increased suicidal thoughts or caused behavioral changes or birth defects.

More than one in 10 American adults take these drugs — which include Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Lexapro and Zoloft.

SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These medications treat depression and anxiety by increasing serotonin, a brain chemical important for mood. They prevent the reabsorption of serotonin, allowing more of it to be available to improve communication between brain cells and regulate emotions.

SSRI lawsuits played out over nearly 30 years, from the early 1990s to around 2020. Drugwatch is unaware of any attorneys currently taking SSRI antidepressant lawsuits.

Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Lexapro and Zoloft have all been the subject of multidistrict litigations (MDLs) over serious side effects. MDLs combine several similar lawsuits to make the lawsuits move through the courts more efficiently.

People sued drug manufacturers over SSRIs because they believed the companies failed to warn about the risk of severe injuries. Others claimed SSRIs caused birth defects if women took the drugs during pregnancy.

SSRI Suicide Lawsuit Claims

Some lawsuits targeted suicidal thoughts, especially in young adults. SSRI medications can sometimes lead to sudden changes in mood or behavior, increasing the risk of self-harm.

A 2009 Supreme Court ruling stated that drug manufacturers must update drug label warnings for both doctors and patients without waiting for approval or regulation from the FDA. This opened the door for SSRI lawsuits for people whose loved ones committed suicide after taking these medications.

SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuit Claims

The Zoloft MDL involved claims that the antidepressant caused birth defects in children when their mothers took it while pregnant. Additional birth defect lawsuits were filed over other SSRIs as well.

These claims followed at least two studies that found an association between the antidepressants and birth defects.

In the early 1990s, several lawsuits claimed injuries from Prozac, a popular SSRI antidepressant made by Eli Lilly & Co. In 1992, more than 80 Prozac lawsuits were combined into an MDL to make it easier to handle all the claims.

Many people who sued Eli Lilly argued that Prozac was responsible for serious issues like suicidal thoughts and violent behavior. The lawsuits raised essential questions about whether Prozac was safe to use and if Eli Lilly had adequately warned people about its potential risks.

The lengthy legal process involved lawyers combing through a massive amount of paperwork — about 750,000 pages — and gathering nearly 60 witness statements.

Though the cases were, for the most part, quietly settled, an investigation by the Indianapolis Star estimated Lilly paid out $50 million to settle 30 Prozac lawsuits.

There had been 85 cases in the Prozac MDL when it closed in 2000. Forty-one were closed — meaning they were settled or otherwise resolved. The remaining 44 were returned to the original courts where they were filed.

There have been two MDLs over Celexa and Lexapro, SSRI antidepressants made by Forest Laboratories, now owned by Allergan.

In 2006, a federal panel consolidated Celexa lawsuits into an MDL in Missouri federal court. The lawsuits claimed that Celexa increased suicide risks.

MDL-1736 eventually involved 57 lawsuits against Forest. By 2013, when the MDL closed, Forest Laboratories had settled most cases, with 14 sent back to their original courts. The settlement amounts were not disclosed at the time.

When they first arrived on the market, labels for Celexa and other SSRI anti-depressants sold in the U.S. did not include warnings for increased suicidal thoughts for children and adolescents. However, since 2004, the FDA has required a warning on antidepressants about the potential for increased suicide risk in young people.

Lexapro and Celexa MDL

Several Lexapro and Celexa lawsuits were consolidated into another MDL in a Massachusetts federal court in 2009. The lawsuits in MDL-2067 claimed that Forest Laboratories improperly marketed the drugs for children and incentivized doctors to prescribe them.

Most cases were settled for between $7.7 and $10.4 million in 2014. The MDL closed in August 2018.

$313 Million Celexa and Lexapro Settlement

Forest Pharmaceuticals, then a subsidiary of Forest Laboratories, admitted to serious legal charges related to Celexa and Lexapro in 2010. The company pleaded guilty to obstructing justice and wrongly promoting Celexa for treating depression in children and teenagers.

The company also agreed to settle accusations that it submitted false claims to government health programs for its drugs, including Celexa and Lexapro. Forest Pharmaceuticals paid over $313 million to resolve both criminal and civil charges.

There have been several Paxil lawsuits, including a multidistrict litigation, claiming different injuries.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated 12 Paxil lawsuits MDL-1574 in December 2003. The litigation centered around allegations that Paxil caused severe health risks in consumers, including severe withdrawal symptoms, addiction and an increased risk of suicide.

The MDL eventually included 149 cases. Of those, 147 were settled or resolved, while two were sent back to the courts where they were initially filed. The MDL closed in 2009.

In December 2009, Bloomberg News reported that GlaxoSmithKline spent nearly $1 billion to settle the Paxil lawsuits. This amount included around $390 million connected to cases involving suicides or suicide attempts that were believed to be linked to the medication.

Zoloft lawsuits claimed that the drug, when taken during pregnancy, resulted in birth defects. In April 2012, the lawsuits were consolidated into an MDL in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

A series of court decisions excluded expert witnesses from testifying for the plaintiffs. This, in turn, led to the cases collapsing. In June 2014, the court overseeing the combined lawsuits excluded an expert witness for the plaintiffs. The judge found that Dr. Anick Bérard’s approach and reasoning in linking birth defects to Zoloft were “not scientifically valid.” The court later ruled that testimony from another plaintiff’s expert witness was inadmissible.

In December 2015, the court decided in favor of Zoloft’s manufacturers because there was not enough reliable expert testimony to support the claim that Zoloft caused birth defects. This effectively ended the MDL.

You should never stop antidepressant use without talking to your doctor first. Stopping suddenly can result in serious side effects.

If you believe you’ve experienced side effects from SSRIs, there are resources available to help you. While they may not focus solely on SSRIs, they can offer support and alternative treatment options.

Many organizations can connect you with in-person or online support groups. These resources aren’t a substitute for professional help, but they can help you manage depression and other symptoms.