Celexa and Birth Defects – An Area of Legal Focus

Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman
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Michael Lin Baum is a respected Southern California lawyer who engages as managing partner with Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman. Taking on major corporations, Michael Lin Baum has represented numerous plaintiffs in pharmaceutical drug catastrophe cases.

One area of focus centers on birth defects associated with the antidepressant Citalopram, which is marketed as Celexa. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is prescribed in treating conditions such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Produced by Forest Laboratories, Celexa is marketed alongside the pharmacologically similar, but more potent SSRI Lexapro.

Celexa was initially classified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a category C drug that had not been tested on pregnant women, but which had harmful side effects demonstrated through animal testing on fetuses. In 2005, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory focused on SSRI antidepressants, and the following year a specific warning was issued against Celexa.

In particular, newborns are more likely to be born with life-threatening persistent pulmonary hypertension. This issue is the focus of Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman’s work concerning the link between Celexa prescriptions and birth defects.

Links between Diabetic Drug and Bladder Cancer Investigated

Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman
Image: baumhedlundlaw.com

A lawyer with Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman in Los Angeles, Michael Lin Baum has prosecuted thousands of cases of wrongful death or personal injury. Michael Lin Baum’s leadership of the firm has led to many successful outcomes.

Baum Hedlund has pushed for the banning of the diabetic medication Actos, made by Takeda Pharmaceutical. Known generically as pioglitazone, this popular drug has been associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. In patients taking Actos for more than a year, the risk of bladder cancer is 40 percent greater than in those not taking Actos.

Bladder cancer is a potentially fatal condition, arising from the presence of malignant cells within the organ that holds urine. It can spread to the liver and lungs. According to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures 2017 publication, more than 79,000 people in the United States will receive a bladder cancer diagnosis, and more than 16,800 people will succumb to the disease this year.

France and Germany have banned Actos, but the U. S. Food and Drug Administration has not removed it from the market, although it has warned of the cancer risk. On December 12, 2016, the FDA updated its review of type 2 diabetes medications containing pioglitazone, like Actos, and concluded the drug may be linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer and approved drug manufacturer labels to warn of the risk.

Actos continues to be prescribed for persons with diabetes in many countries.