Lawsuit Blames Zoloft for Teenager's Suicide

[Guest guest]

SSRI-Research@

Sat, 30 Oct 2004 15:31:53 -0400

Subject:[sSRI-Research] Lawsuit Blames Zoloft for Teenager's Suicide

 

 

Lawsuit Blames Zoloft for Teenager's Suicide

 

http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=˜498

A South Jordan couple on Tuesday accused pharmaceutical giant Pfizer

Inc. of negligence in their daughter's " tragic, maddening, wrongful

death " for allegedly failing to warn doctors of a link between its

antidepressant Zoloft and teenage suicide.

 

In a suit filed in U.S. District Court, the parents of Shyra Marie

Kallas say the 15-year-old shot herself in November 2002, less than a

month after her family physician prescribed the antidepressant.

 

The girl originally went to see the doctor for warts but said, as part

of her patient history, that she felt overwhelmed with school work,

according to Ken and Angela Kallas' suit.

 

" Her doctor then did precisely what Pfizer's salesmen regularly

encourage doctors to do, i.e., he (a) diagnosed 'depression' and (b)

prescribed Zoloft, " claims the suit, which seeks unspecified damages.

 

The legal action alleges Pfizer knew of an association between Zoloft

and side effects that increase the risk for suicide. However, it

claims, the company continued to overpromote the medication and misled

the public about the risk, touting Zoloft as the " number one

doctor-trusted antidepressant. "

 

Pfizer representatives could not be reached for comment Tuesday. In

its 2004 third-quarter performance report released last week, the New

York City-based company said, " Zoloft is not approved for pediatric

depression. In fact, there have been no suicides in the Zoloft

pediatric clinical program.

 

" Pfizer remains confident in the proven safety and efficacy of Zoloft

to treat millions of patients with mood and anxiety disorders. "

 

In an Oct. 15 advisory, the Food and Drug Administration said all

antidepressants will now carry labels that include a boxed warning

about the increased risk of suicide they pose to children and adolescents.

 

Shyra was described in her obituary as a star athlete who loved art,

nature and camping with her family.

 

pmanson

 

Story from REDNOVA NEWS:

http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=˜498

 

Published: 2004/10/28 21:00:10 CDT

 

© Rednova 2004