Settlements Reported in Celexa and Lexapro Lawsuits Over Suicides

Forest Laboratories is reportedly beginning to settle lawsuits that allege that its antidepressants Celexa and Lexapro caused teenagers to attempt suicide or take their own lives. 

The Celexa and Lexapro settlements come about a month after the company pled guilty to illegally marketing of the drugs to children.

There are 54 lawsuits pending against the company, which were consolidated and centralized in federal court in St. Louis. According to a report in the St. Louis Dispatch, Forest agreed to settle four of the cases last week, two others in the weeks before that and more settlements are expected in the coming months.

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The suicide lawsuits over Lexapro and Celexa allege that children taking the two drugs were prone to violence and suicide. The plaintiffs claim that Forest knew from studies that there was a higher risk of suicide associated with the drugs when used by children, but failed to warn patients or doctors. The lawsuits charge the company with failure to warn, negligence and fraud.

In 2005, the FDA required that a black box warning be placed on a wide variety of antidepressants, warning that they could cause increased thoughts of suicide in children and adolescents. Both Celexa and Lexapro were required to carry those warning. The suicides that sparked the lawsuits predate the FDA-required label change.

Details of the settlements have not been made public.

On September 15, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Forest Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of Forest Laboratories, had agreed to pay more than $313 million as part of a whistleblower lawsuit which accused the company of violating the False Claims Act. The company plea guilty to a felony count of obstructing justice, and misdemeanor charges of misbranding a drug and distributing an unapproved drug.

The charges stemmed from off-label promotions Forest Pharmaceuticals now admits that it conducted following a study involving Celexa. The company trumpeted the positive results of the study while failing to mention negative results during a similar study conducted in Europe. The company also gave kickbacks to doctors and others to prescribe both Celexa and Lexapro and had its sales representatives and outside speakers talk to pediatric specialists about prescribing both drugs to adolescents and children.

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10 Comments

  • LucyndaAugust 4, 2016 at 12:21 am

    My daughter attempted suicide 3 months after starting Lexapro. When she went to her doctor complaining of depression she hadn't experienced before starting the drug (she was taking it for mild anxiety that was affecting her ability to complete college assignments) his answer was to increase her dosage rather than take her off of it. She came home after having a bad night at work at Taco Bell and [Show More]My daughter attempted suicide 3 months after starting Lexapro. When she went to her doctor complaining of depression she hadn't experienced before starting the drug (she was taking it for mild anxiety that was affecting her ability to complete college assignments) his answer was to increase her dosage rather than take her off of it. She came home after having a bad night at work at Taco Bell and attempted suicide. We were lucky to find her and she stopped breathing twice in the ambulance and again in the hospital. She spent 3 days in ICU and another week in a psychiatric facility. We were not warned about suicidal thoughts or attempts of suicide while she took this drug. This was a happy, healthy, young lady before this. Her suicide attempt has left her unable to walk up a staircase due to damage to her heart when she could formally run several miles and it looks like she may no longer be able to pursue her plans for a career in law enforcement because she won't be able to pass the physical test. I want to sue on her behalf but I don't know who to contact.

  • TracieJuly 5, 2016 at 5:53 pm

    I took Lexapro and had a nervous breakdown and tried to commit suicide at least 10 times by cutting my wrist or taking excessive amount of Medicine I was committed twice where they just up the medicine a friend help me get off the medicine I wish I would have known about the problems the medicine was having

  • NickJanuary 27, 2015 at 9:00 am

    My best friend took his life 2 months and 5 days after taking lexapro. He was never suicidal before the most charismatic charming go get er positive A glass half-full type of guy always therefore friend in need I didn't really notice it because I didn't know he was on it-Pride..... Until after-the-fact when his parents told me they took him to go see a doctor and they prescribed Lexapro that's whe[Show More]My best friend took his life 2 months and 5 days after taking lexapro. He was never suicidal before the most charismatic charming go get er positive A glass half-full type of guy always therefore friend in need I didn't really notice it because I didn't know he was on it-Pride..... Until after-the-fact when his parents told me they took him to go see a doctor and they prescribed Lexapro that's when I started putting the pieces to the puzzle together and noticedthere is a significant difference two weeks before we graduatedhe canceled our plans to move to Charleston South Carolina shortly a month later he took his life this was 11 years ago and I still havetrouble to this day dealing with the fact that he took his own life if you ever met the guy prior to him taking this drug you yourself would say no not matt I believe that he may been a little bummed out due to a failed senior basketball season but he wasn't suicidal, he was always a guy to find the positive in every negative that's what drew everybody to him his Ora everybody felt comfortable around him but shortly after he took that drug Lexapro he cut everybody off mean the other buddies noticed a differenceand we tried we tried to reach out to him but he just kept avoiding us and then it was too late the fucked up part is he drove down to Charleston South Carolina and jumped off a goddamn bridge see my friend took this drug before Lexapro played guilty to false advertisement and pay kickbacks to the doctors for pushing this drug on teens this company will pay for the lies they have destroyedbut no matter how much money anybody gets out of the lawsuits it will never bring our love ones back all because this company irresponsibly marketed their product just to make a few extra it's a cold day in hell

  • TammyJune 4, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    Hi my name is tammy, my son Kristopher committed suicide on April 13 2004. At the time he was in his 3rd year at The Baylor School where he won a scholarship to go away to High School,,thru the scholarship program "A Better Chance". In his 3rd yr he had a doctor's appointment, it was discovered he had ADD,,he was given stratera the ADD medication for kids. He was also given Lexapro. Because I rais[Show More]Hi my name is tammy, my son Kristopher committed suicide on April 13 2004. At the time he was in his 3rd year at The Baylor School where he won a scholarship to go away to High School,,thru the scholarship program "A Better Chance". In his 3rd yr he had a doctor's appointment, it was discovered he had ADD,,he was given stratera the ADD medication for kids. He was also given Lexapro. Because I raised my older from 2years old with very bad allergies and asthma, it was up to me to read all side effects for all his medications. So when Kristopher was given these medications I read the side effects, I also had him sit beside me and had him to read this side effects to. At that time it was it was Christmas time(his birthday is Christmas) I told him to put this paper in his desktop at school and if you anything strange start happening to re-read the side effects to see and let me know. At that time, at school, he had 2 host families, one is a doctor of internal medicine. Well everything was going ok,4 months after starting the medication he came home for spring break (march '04),, unbeknownst to me, when he visited friends, he kept saying/telling his friends he wanted to commit suicide. But I never heard a word of this until the day I buried him. He went back to school a week later when break was over. I spoke to my son every day, , sometimes more. 2 weeks later at 12:14 am I get a phone call from the Headmaster of the Baylor School telling they found my son at bed check hanging in his closet. 6 months later I started seeing TV news reports of the suicide rates of children/teens due taking this med. All anti- depressants were black boxed,,, can you imagine my horror!!! I started seeing and applying for class action lawsuits (3 total). I didn't understand why they all kept saying I needed to call a local lawyer. I was in such heavy GRIEF. I just knew that I needed money to contact a local lawyer. Not one of them actually said "You have a Case"). At the time there was 3 investigations by his other host dad ( Charles Cooke,, chief if police of Chattanooga Tn.) A $1000.00 blood test paid by his other host mom (Essie Bruell doctor of internal medicine in Chattanooga) she also hired a lawyer to investigate the school. I'm telling my story to you now because I'm still grieving, it's hard to have not been able to save my son. Last year 2013 I looked up Lexapro just in general. The most horrific articles came up that not only did the makers of lexapro KNEW THE SUICIDE EFFECTS OF THIS MEDICATION,,, BUT OH MY GOD!!! THEY PUSHED IT TO MARKED THRU CHILDREN/TEEN BEHAVIOR OF ADD/ADHD!!!! THEY KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPENED!!! THEY MURDERED MY SON!!!! CAN YOU IMAGINE MY PAIN OF NOT BEING ABLE TO PROTECT MY SON!! And now 10 years later I'm stuck,,, my son was murdered and there's nothing I can do about it. Because of time limits. BUT BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY,,"I TAMMY MILLER WOULD HAVE NEVER SENT MY SON BACK TO SCHOOL WITH A MEDICINE THAT WOULD GIVE HIM SUICIDAL THOUGHTS",,,,,, CAN YOU HELP ME??? I NEVER SAW HIM GRADUATE H.S.,, HE WAS HEADED TO COLLEGE,,, I'LL NEVER SEE WHO HE WOULD HAVE MARRIED AND HAD CHILDREN,,,, MY GRAND CHILDREN!! HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH THAT!!! THEY TOOK HIS LIFE,,,, SOMEONE PLEASE HELP. if he was experienced anything strange.

  • ronAugust 27, 2013 at 1:43 am

    I lost the love of my life after she took the drug for 4 days. Not sure that was the cause, however just started looking at the comments and there is always that possibility. She had an alcohol problem and that did not help. She was not as young as the warnings read, however she did this and although I could see her maybe taking pills, it ending very tragic. I guess we will never know and will con[Show More]I lost the love of my life after she took the drug for 4 days. Not sure that was the cause, however just started looking at the comments and there is always that possibility. She had an alcohol problem and that did not help. She was not as young as the warnings read, however she did this and although I could see her maybe taking pills, it ending very tragic. I guess we will never know and will continue to look for reasons.

  • RobertMarch 30, 2013 at 12:34 am

    sexual dysfuntion,canot ejaculate,weight gain from 190-220 lbs!!!nervous,shaky,mood swings,dazed and confused.no interest in sex,very low libido!

  • joshuaAugust 15, 2012 at 11:49 am

    larry i must say just that small sentence touch me a lot. because i took this for a year and a half. even after i stopped it i still have thoughts if not more so. i forget myself and i can't work. i was doing fine when i was first on it got an interview even. then it all fell down, i would have extreme depression enough for me to cry when ever i seen an application or look for work. after that i g[Show More]larry i must say just that small sentence touch me a lot. because i took this for a year and a half. even after i stopped it i still have thoughts if not more so. i forget myself and i can't work. i was doing fine when i was first on it got an interview even. then it all fell down, i would have extreme depression enough for me to cry when ever i seen an application or look for work. after that i got bad and i mean really bad. i got in a small bickerment with my mom about replacing the toilet paper. after that i felt so bad i went to my room grabed a letter opener and just held it to my throat every now and again.....ABOUT FREAKING TOILET PAPER! why i don't know. i am now probably going to have to go on SSI (social security income) because work terrifies me now. my social life wasn't great to begin with but now its worst of all. my depression is going down now i feel violent and i don't want to be. i can feel all this happening but can't do anything about it. the only reason why im here is because of Jesus, god, my family, my girlfriend, and my friends. mainly god and Jesus if not for my faith i would be dead months ago. im prof that celexa can't kill everyone and that you can fight it. be strong you can beat it i believe in all of you, believe in hope.

  • FrancieJanuary 31, 2011 at 7:37 am

    I am submitting an extremely detailed account of my own personal holocaust due to the irresponsible drug company that masquerades as benevolently easing our collective depressions. By the time our mega horror stories are recounted on Capitol Hill and told on various news and media conglomerations as will as around the world and on the web, there will not even exist one hole on this planet wil[Show More]I am submitting an extremely detailed account of my own personal holocaust due to the irresponsible drug company that masquerades as benevolently easing our collective depressions. By the time our mega horror stories are recounted on Capitol Hill and told on various news and media conglomerations as will as around the world and on the web, there will not even exist one hole on this planet willing to give shelter to Big Brother Pharma. I declare the New War on Drugs and the collective roar of pain and indignation will be so loud that there will be virtually no outlet for these enemies of mankind to peddle their poison.

  • LarryJanuary 3, 2011 at 12:27 am

    My daughter killed herself while taking celexa

  • AnnNovember 11, 2010 at 3:32 pm

    In 2005 the FDA required that a black box warning be placed on a "wide variety" of antidepressants that they could cause increased thoughts of suicide in children or adolescents??? The warning was to be placed on ANY ANTIDEPRESSANT EVER APPROVED BY THE FDA & ANY ANTIDEPRESSANT TO EVER BE APPROVED IN THE FUTURE! (Keep in mind the are drugs that have been given for bed wetting in children for d[Show More]In 2005 the FDA required that a black box warning be placed on a "wide variety" of antidepressants that they could cause increased thoughts of suicide in children or adolescents??? The warning was to be placed on ANY ANTIDEPRESSANT EVER APPROVED BY THE FDA & ANY ANTIDEPRESSANT TO EVER BE APPROVED IN THE FUTURE! (Keep in mind the are drugs that have been given for bed wetting in children for decades.) That warning was extended after a 2006 meeting to include young adults - anyone under 25. Because the drug makers have so strongly down played thes FDA warnings to both physicians & patients it is my strong opinion that they continue to remain guilty to this day in their "failure to warn" of these & other extreme dangers associated with these drugs including the horrific withdrawal associated with them. Antidepressants are very dangerous drugs most similar in action to LSD or PCP.

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