Woman Awarded $4 Million In Topamax Injury Lawsuit

According to Bloomberg News, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceutical unit has been ordered to pay $4.02 million to the plaintiff in a lawsuit claiming that its seizure drug Topamax caused her baby’s birth defects

The news service reports that jurors in Philadelphia reached the verdict last month. April Czimmer, who took the drug for six months, gave birth to a boy with a cleft lip, according to Bloomberg News. Her son, Blake, was born in September 2007 and has had to undergo four surgeries on his lip.

As of last month, there were 134 cases pending over Topamax injuries. “We are extremely disappointed with the jury’s verdict,” Teresa Mueller, a representative for Janssen told Bloomberg News. “The evidence showed that the company clearly warned Ms. Czimmer’s prescriber that the product had the risk to cause birth defects and she understood and conveyed those warnings to Ms. Czimmer.”

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Topamax for use in 1996. Johnson & Johnson lost its patent protection for the drug in 2009. Czimmer reportedly took the drug from August 2006 through February 2007 to treat migraines.

In addition to birth defects, Topomax has been linked to depression, speech problems, loss of consciousness, muscle weakness and seizures.

Our attorneys represent victims of dangerous medical devices and drugs like Topomax. For more information about this or other defective medical drugs or devices, contact our experienced pharmaceutical drug and device attorneys by calling toll-free (888)841-9623 today.

Zoll, Kranz & Borgess, LLC – Defective Drug Attorneys