Protonix Lawsuits Target Drug Linked to Birth Defects

Protonix, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that is often prescribed to pregnant women who suffer gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, or “acid reflux”), has been linked not only to bone density problems in adults but also to Protonix birth defects.

PPI Protonix Used to Treat GERD

GERD is a condition in which acid from the stomach washes up into the esophagus, causing heartburn and erosion to other organs. A doctor prescribes a PPI to treat stomach acid problems including GERD, ulcers, and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (in which the stomach produces too much acid). PPIs reduce the amount of acid in the stomach.

Protonix, which is manufactured by Wyeth (now Pfizer), must be prescribed by a doctor. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies Protonix as a pregnancy Category B drug, meaning animal studies with the drug have been inconclusive, and it is still unclear whether the drug is a direct cause of risk to the fetus.

Protonix Birth Defects

Taking Protonix during pregnancy has been shown to increase the risk of septal heart defects in babies. Two types of birth defects – ventral and atrial septal defects, two different types of holes in the fetal heart – have been associated with the drug.

While some studies of women taking the heartburn drugs during pregnancy have been inconclusive, others have indicated that taking the drug in the weeks before conception results in an almost 40 percent greater chance of giving birth to a baby with these defects.

Protonix Lawyers Available

Lawyers are pursuing product liability and personal injury cases against the manufacturers of PPIs like Protonix for conditions including bone fractures, especially hip fractures in women, cardiac problems in adults, and now Protonix birth defects.

If you or a loved one took Protonix before or during pregnancy and gave birth to a baby with birth defects, contact one of Chaffin Luhana LLP’s Protonix lawyers at 1-888-480-1123 for a free and confidential case review today. You may be entitled to compensation, and the lawyers at Chaffin Luhana can help.