Wellbutrin Birth Defects
The antidepressants Wellbutrin and Zyban, which is used for help in quitting smoking, were linked to birth defects, specifically heart birth defects. Wellbutrin birth defects primarily involved left outflow heart defects. This was reported by the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. The National Birth Defects Prevention Study, which is funded by the CDC, found a link between the drug bupropion, which is sold by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name of Wellbutrin as an anti-depressant and Zyban as an anti-smoking drug, and several major categories of birth defects. Mothers who took Wellbutrin, Zyban or generic bupropion during the first trimester were at a much greater risk of having children with birth defects, primarily heart birth defects. Avandia is a popular drug used to regulate blood sugar levels in type-two diabetic patients, also made by GlaxoSmithKline. Now the subject of over 13,000 Avandia lawsuits, the drug has been found to increase the risk of heart disease and heart attack 30-40% and may even cause liver failure. Despite issuing warnings outlining the drug’s risks to doctors during 2007, as well as several other moves to increase the warnings on product labeling to consumers, the FDA has stopped short of recalling the drug. FDA officials cite the danger faced by patients when switching from Avandia to another drug as the reason for not issuing a recall.
