Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sealed Verdict in Prempro Punitives Trial
Yesterday, a Philadelphia jury found for the plaintiff in the punitive damages phase of a trial involving Prempro, the hormone replacement therapy. How much Wyeth (now a unit of Pfizer) must pay Connie Barton, however, remains secret. Judge Sandra Moss, who oversees the Prempro state court litigation in Philadelphia, ordered the verdict sealed because another Prempro trial had begun and the defendant requested the order to prevent biasing the other jury. Until the verdict is unsealed, only Barton, her lawyers, and Wyeth's lawyers may see the verdict. In the compensatory damages phase, which concluded last month, the jury awarded Barton $3.7 million. Here's the report from Bloomberg about yesterday's verdict.
HME
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/mass_tort_litigation/2009/10/sealed-verdict-in-prempro-punitives-trial.html
Comments
Apologies - last post should have read "pumped with Prempro for some time before that". Not after.
Joel Russo, CQA
Posted by: Joel | Nov 7, 2009 6:01:18 AM
A 112 million dollar punitive award indicates outrage by the "wanton and reckless” conduct by Wyeth. This is the tip of the iceberg, as another ten thousand cases are waiting for their day in court.
Women's Health Initiative Bombshell
Seven years ago, a bombshell appeared in the medical literature, and massive numbers of women switched from Prempro to safer bio-identical hormones. This was the 2002 WHI study which showed that PremPro causes breast cancer. This massive shift away from synthetic Prempro reduced breast cancer rates to 10,000 fewer cases per year. (NEJM Volume 356:1670-1674 April 19, 2007 Number 16)
Jeffrey Dach MD
Posted by: jeffrey dach md | Nov 27, 2009 8:06:27 AM
These big drug companies should just settle these claims out of court and save the cost of litigation.
Posted by: Settlement California CA | Jan 6, 2010 8:17:45 AM
Early in 1998, my mother passed of pancreatic cancer, diagnosed in April, 1997. She was 50 years old. She had an abnormally early menopause, and she had been pumped with Prempro for some time after that. After my very unceremonious graduation in June of 1997, having taught Anatomy and Physiology Lab, and knowing that the pancreas is a hormone controlling organ, the link between her high doses of Prempro and her cancer was linked in my mind. I discussed it with a number of people, and was more or less blown off.
Now I hear these sons of bitches were withholding data.
I would like to do anything in my power, legally or otherwise, to bring justice to this tragedy. If anyone is listening, please contact me at [email protected].
Joel Russo, CQA
Posted by: Joel | Nov 7, 2009 5:58:41 AM