Topamax Lawsuit

In March 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Johnson & Johnson updated warning labels on the anticonvulsant medication Topamax to include new information about the risk of serious birth defects if the drug is taken by women who are pregnant.

Topamax, also available as the generic topiramate, is now listed by the FDA as a Pregnancy Category D medication, or a drug that shows positive evidence of human fetal risk.

According to FDA data, more than 32 million Topamax prescriptions have been filled since 2007. Unfortunately, millions of women may have taken Topamax during pregnancy in the 15 years that Topamax was listed as a Pregnancy Category C medication, without knowing the associated risks.

Topamax Linked to Oral Birth Defects

If taken during pregnancy, Topamax has been found to increase the risk of birth defects and oral deformities in the developing fetus, including:

• Cleft palate
• Cleft lip

The risk of these birth defects is especially high if the medication is taken during the first trimester of pregnancy, when a woman may not yet realize that she is pregnant.

Filing a Topamax Lawsuit

Patients who have taken Topamax during pregnancy may be eligible to receive compensation to cover medical expenses, pain and suffering resulting from medication-related birth defects.

Other Dangerous Drug Recalls

In 2011 the FDA issued a warning about the link between the diabetes drug, Actos, and bladder cancer. Get the latest status updates on a potential Actos Recall as well as information on other Actos side effects and legal options.