1/5/2022- 5:14 p.m.
Class-action lawsuit against major French pharmaceutical company allowed to proceed
A French court will allow a class-action suit to go ahead against pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, from families of victims of Depakine, an epilepsy drug which allegedly damages fetal development.
The suit, initiated in 2017, alleges Sanofi didn’t inform patients about risks of birth defects and slowed development in children whose mothers were prescribed the drug during pregnancy.
In Wednesday’s verdict the court ruled the lawsuit “valid,” saying Sanofi “was at fault because it failed to meet the obligation for vigilance and the obligation to inform” concerning risks of Depakine for the fetus.
