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Zoloft No Better Than Dummy Pill, Says Lawsuit

• Most of the Zoloft clinical trials that focused on its efficacy proved to be either negative or neutral. In most of the efficacy studies, Zoloft was not significantly better than a placebo in relieving the symptoms of depression. In some cases, the placebo produced better results than Zoloft.


• Pfizer knew about how effective or ineffective Zoloft was, "as documented in internal company documents discussed in the complaint."


• Even though Pfizer knew full well that Zoloft's effectiveness was "less than stellar", it continued falsely marketing the drug as if it were very beneficial for patients with depression.


• Zoloft's drug label was deliberately crafted by Pfizer to mislead consumers and doctors into believing that the medication is better at treating depression than it really is.


• By convincing consumers and doctors that Zoloft was highly effective in treating depression, Pfizer knew it could turn a profit. This was not achieved via its inaccurate and misleading drug label, but rather through a "a comprehensive scheme of selective publication of clinical trial data, ghostwriting positive manuscripts about the efficacy of Zoloft, paying prominent physicians (known as Key Opinion Leader or "KOLS") to tout the efficacy and safety of Zoloft, and misleading advertising on television and in magazines."


• Tens of billions of dollars were reaped in Zoloft sales profits, as a result of the company's extensive and deceptive marketing efforts.


• Zoloft was launched in 1991. Since then, sales have brought in over $30 billion in revenue for the company. Before Zoloft's patent expired in 2007, which was followed by a range of less expensive generic alternative to the brand named drug, Zoloft's annual sales exceeded $3 billion each year. Even today, after the patent expired, Zoloft still brings in more than $500 in sales annually. There are over 20 million prescriptions of Zoloft and generic sertraline filled annually.

"I was led to believe this medication was very effective at treating depression. What I got was three years of false hopes with side effects. I kept telling my doctor that I didn't think Zoloft was helping me, but he kept telling me I was wrong. I feel duped and betrayed by Pfizer. Through my lawsuit, I hope to make Pfizer pay back the money it took from me and others who bought Zoloft. I think that ought to give Pfizer and other drug companies some incentive to stop deceiving the public. Pfizer should not be allowed to keep money it made by dishonest means."

"People think that, if a drug has been approved by the FDA, it must be okay. But, as the recent spate of FDA whistleblower cases have shown, that's not necessarily the case." For example, Dr. David B. Ross, a former FDA medical reviewer who blew the whistle on the antibiotic Ketek, explained in an interview that the drug industry "has become FDA's client. People at FDA know that they have to be careful about upsetting industry... even if a product doesn't work.. there is pressure on managers that gets transmitted down to reviewers to find some way of approving it.

Manufacturers like Pfizer know this and have taken advantage of it, despite the fact that their primary responsibility is to properly inform doctors and patients about the benefits and risks of the drugs they market. Millions of consumers in the United States spent billions of dollars for a drug whose benefits were likely clinically insignificant while exposing them to some very serious risks."

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