New York Drug Injury Lawyers

New York Drug Injury Lawyers

Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a New York law firm nationally recognized for its consumer protection and mass tort practices, is currently investigating cases of cleft lip and cleft palate and other serious side effects associated with Topamax (topiramate) use.

New York (TransWorldNews) - Topamax is a drug used to treat epilepsy and migraines. It is manufactured and sold by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. It first received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) in 2004.

In 2008, a study published in Neurology reported that there was a link between Topamax use in pregnant women and birth defects. The study, which was conducted by researchers at the Royal Group of Hospitals in Belfast, Northern Ireland, studied 203 pregnant women who were taking Topamax. Of the 178 babies born, 16 had major birth defects. Four of the babies were born with cleft lips or palates, which is a rate 11 times higher than normal. Additionally, four of the male babies were found to have genital defects, which is a rate 14 times higher than normal.