Zoloft Lawsuit Claims Drug is Ineffective

A lawsuit filed against drug giant Pfizer Inc. has claimed that its antidepressant drug Zoloft has no benefit for patients and that the company should refund patients for the costs of buying the drug.

The Associated Press (AP) reports that Pfizer dismissed the suit’s allegations as unfounded, claiming that clinical trial results and the experiences of millions of patients and doctors worldwide prove otherwise. The drug manufacturer told the AP that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zoloft in 1991 after reviewing "efficacy and safety data from more than 20 clinical studies involving more than 5,000 patients."

Drugmakers are often sued over claims that drugs harmed a patient or for hiding risks; but, in what is being seen as the first such case, the plaintiff has sued the company for a drug she claims does not work.

The plaintiff alleges in her Zoloft lawsuit that the drug was totally unproductive in the three years that she took it and claims that the company withheld information from clinical studies that showed Zoloft produced no more benefit than a placebo, according to AP. The lawsuit accused Pfizer of consumer fraud, among other offenses, and demands that the company correct misleading information in the package insert.

The lawsuit seeks approval for two class-action cases, one for California residents who used Zoloft and one for all U.S. users. The suit was filed in federal court in California.

The lawsuit has again raised concerns about the effectiveness and safety of the other newer-generation antidepressants such as Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, and Effexor, reports the AP.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a dangerous drug, contact Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation and to find out if a dangerous drug lawyer may be able to help you.

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