Jury Verdict Stands in Pfizer Menopause Drug Suit
An Arkansas woman who blamed her breast cancer on the Prempro menopause drug will receive more than $10 million in damages. Pfizer, Inc. also agreed to settle more than 2,200 lawsuits alleging that the company hid Prempo’s cancer risks.
Mary Daniel was one of more than six million women who took Prempro and related menopause drugs to treat symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings. About 16 months into her treatment, Daniel was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a jury ruled in favor of Daniel, Pfizer tried to argue for a new trial based on allegedly fraudulent testimony from an expert witness. But a Pennsylvania Appeals Court upheld the jury verdict and refused to allow a new trial.
In the last five months, Pfizer also agreed to settle thousands of Prempro cases. All of the lawsuits claim that the drug caused patients to develop breast cancer and that the company’s Wyeth unit failed to warn doctors and patients of the potential side effects of hormone replacement therapy.
A 2002 study by the Women’s Heath Initiative highlighted the safety risks associated with Prempro. Researchers found that women who took Prempro for more than five years faced an increased risk of breast cancer, heart attack and stroke.