 Forest Pharmaceuticals is under fire for causing fatal birth defects with its antidepressant drugs Lexapro [S-(+)-1-[3-(dimethyl-amino) propyl]-1-(p-fluorophenyl)-5-phthalancarbonitrile oxalate] and Celexa [-1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran-5-carbonitrile] . As the gavel falls and the lawsuit nears, the company is currently being bought off by another pharmaceutical giant called Avartis. Will they be held liable? The effect of SSRIs on the human brain Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Lexapro and Celexa are drugs that manipulate serotonin levels in the brain, affecting neurotransmitter levels. This changes the way the nerves in the brain send messages to each other, effectively detaching a user's nervous system from reality. These drugs stop the natural process of serotonin reuptake, which occurs when neurotransmitters are taken up by the same nerves that released them. SSRIs work by stopping this natural process in the brain, allowing more serotonin to be available for taken up by other nerves. This brain chemical manipulation process is entirely new to humankind, and the normal function of the brain. With multiple SSRIs now on the market providing an economic boom, psychiatry has become a giant, profit-driven mind experiment gone berserk. If SSRIs were a sustainable, healing strategy, then there wouldn't be such an influx of this kind of drug, they wouldn't be such a big money maker year after year, and they wouldn't have such heinous side effects. Some of the known side effects of these drugs, Lexapro and Celexa, include suicidal behavior. This has been trial-tested in comparison to controls, over and over again. The increased risk of suicide should make any moral doctor object to prescribing these drugs. Sadly though, SSRIs like Lexapro and Celexa are prescribed en masse each year, creating a grand illusion of happiness. Artificially manipulating neurotransmitter levels causes unintended consequences like violent urges or suppressed thoughts. According to a new lawsuit , the drugs can affect newborns in deadly and deforming ways. Forest Pharmaceuticals faces lawsuit for antidepressants that allegedly caused fatal birth defects. The maker of Lexapro and Celexa, Forest Pharmaceuticals, is facing a new lawsuit, alleging that their popular SSRI prescription caused a baby to be born with fatal cardiac birth defects. The plaintiff, Erica Atkinson, was prescribed the two drugs during her pregnancy in 2010 through 2011. When her daughter was born in Indiana on July 14, 2011, there were immediate medical concerns. Her daughter, Sophia Cowan, was born with atrioventricular canal defects. Just three weeks later, on August 7, Sophia passed away due to the complications. The disheartened mother filed suit last year against the New Jersey-based manufacturer of the drugs, Forest Research Institute Inc., claiming negligence, fraud and wrongful death. U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler rejected the claim that New Jersey law applies, saying, 'Here, not only did plaintiffs' injuries occur in Indiana, but 'the conduct causing injury in a prescription drug products liability case, including failure to warn and warranty cases, occurs primarily where the injured party was prescribed and ingested the drug.' Kugler also wrote that Atkinson only summoned Forest Research Institute Inc. and 'did not include summonses for Forest Laboratories Inc. or Forest Pharmaceuticals Inc.' The timeliness of the lawsuit was also questioned. The lawsuit was filed nearly two years after Sophia's death. However, Kugler did say, 'Plaintiffs allege that defendants fraudulently concealed the true risks associated with Lexapro and Celexa and that plaintiffs were prevented from discovering information about the safety of these drugs sooner due to defendants' fraudulent concealment of the facts and information that would have allowed plaintiffs to timely discover potential causes of action.' In the wake of the suit, Forest Laboratories is being bought out Interestingly, Forest Laboratories is currently being bought up by Actavis for about $28 billion. The acquisition will help the pharmaceutical giant convert from generic to brand name and boost its anticipated yearly revenue by billions. As the company dissolves and switches hands, who will be held liable for the fatal birth defects? Why do pharmaceutical companies continue to get away with hurting and killing people all in the name of medicine? 