A WOMAN is heading for a legal showdown with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmith-Kline UK in a bid for compensation. Nicola Gregory says, in a writ issued at London s High Court and just made publicly available, she has suffered undisclosed personal injuries

A WOMAN is heading for a legal showdown with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmith-Kline UK in a bid for compensation.

Nicola Gregory says, in a writ issued at London's High Court and just made publicly available, she has suffered undisclosed personal injuries after taking the widely prescribed anti-depressant drug Seroxat, also known as Paroxetine.

Now Mrs Gregory, of Cromwell Green, Letchworth GC, is claiming damages of up to £50,000 from the manufacturers in a David and Goliath legal battle.

She is the latest in a group of several hundred people who want to sue the drug manufacturer, claiming that their lives have been blighted by addiction to the anti-depressant drug.

The drug is designed to restore the taker's happiness and confidence but some users have complained that they have become addicted to it while others say it has made them feel suicidal.

GlaxoSmithKline is contesting the legal action and a spokesman said: "We believe there is no merit in this litigation. Seroxat has benefited millions of people worldwide who have suffered from depression."

However, claimants' solicitor Mark Harvey said: "All the claimants allege that they tried to withdraw from Seroxat and have suffered discontinuation syndrome."

The legal battle has been assigned to procedural judge Master Eyre, who will decide initial stages of the case and how the action will go ahead. A date for a case management conference is expected to be set soon.

l The Government has announced an inquiry into selective serotonin reuptake inhibited drugs, known as SSRI, such as Seroxat and Prozac.