Springfield Missouri Topamax Lawyers – An Update on a Large Verdict

A recent jury in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania awarded $4 million against Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceutical Division in favor of a mother who took the drug Topamax before giving birth to her son with a cleft pallet. The Plaintiff took the drug from August 2006 through February 2007. There are numerous cases pending in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania State Court. In 2011, the FDA changed the Topamax label to a Pregnancy Category D drug. This new label classification indicates that there is scientific support for the claim that the drug causes birth defects in humans. Usually, Pregnancy Category D drugs should only be used if this drug is needed in a life-threatening situation or for a serious disease where other, safer drugs are not available. Topamax is an epilepsy and migraine drug manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceutical, which is a division of Johnson & Johnson. Further, in 2011, the FDA issued a warning that Topamax may increase the risk of cleft birth defects among infants whose mothers use Topamax during the first trimester of pregnancy. If you or a loved one have given birth to a child with a cleft pallet or a cleft lip of any kind, and the mother took Topamax, please call the attorneys at Preston Law for a free consultation at 417-616-5000.