July 9, 2007
While the maker of Paxil and Paxil CR -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) -- was required by law to announce the settlement terms of a parent-driven class action lawsuit in October 2006, it was not required to publicize the fact that those terms were greatly improved and simplified in April 2007. Because of legal actions taken by Public Citizen, many more parents whose children took Paxil before the age of 18 could benefit from the settlement if they only knew about it.
Public Citizen posted a YouTube video to tell these parents that there is a $48 million dollar fund created by GSK to pay them back. Even without receipts, parents can recover up to $100. Any money that is not claimed prior to the August 31, 2007 deadline will revert back to the drug company.
GSK and the FDA warned doctors only last year that Paxil increased suicidal thoughts in this age group, and yet this popular anti-depressant has been prescribed to children and teenagers since 1992. Parents believed this information was known and withheld by the company, which opted to settle the case rather than go to trial and be forced to answer some very difficult questions.
If you are a parents or guardian who purchased the antidepressant Paxil or Paxil CR for your child or ward, then you are entitled to recover the money you spent on the drug.
You are entitled to this money if:
• you live in the U.S. and
• you purchased Paxil or Paxil CR for someone under the age of 18.
If you qualify, you must fill out a claim form and mail it to the Paxil Pediatric Settlement Administrator in order to receive compensation. The claims must be received by August 31, 2007. The claim form may be downloaded at www.citizen.org/documents/paxilclaimform.pdf (pdf).
If you do not have receipts from the Paxil or Paxil CR purchases, you may receive up to $100.
If you do have receipts from the Paxil or Paxil CR purchases, you may receive up to the entire amount of money you spent purchasing Paxil or Paxil CR for someone under the age of 18. Be sure to follow the claim form's instructions: attach copies of your receipts or records to document how much you spent on Paxil or Paxil CR.
