Suboxone is a medication used to treat opioid addiction, containing buprenorphine and naloxone. While Suboxone is highly effective in helping individuals overcome opioid dependence, there have been concerns about its...more
Massachusetts federal and state courts issued several important product liability decisions in 2023. Nutter’s Product Liability practice group reviewed these cases and report on their significant holdings as follows ...more
MASSACHUSETTS - First Circuit Holds Failure-To-Warn Claims Against Drug Manufacturer Preempted By Federal Food, Drug, And Cosmetic Act Because Animal Studies Cited By Plaintiffs Did Not Demonstrate Risks Beyond Those In...more
Zofran (ondansetron) has often been used to combat nausea during pregnancy. It has never been approved by the FDA for that indication, but clinical experience has not supported an association with pregnancy-related risks –...more
As we ring in the new year, it is time once again to reflect on some of the most significant legal developments for drug and device companies this year. The list below is by no means exhaustive (who could forget the Rule 702...more
Earnest v. Sanofi U.S. Services et al, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, No. 20-30184 (Feb. 10, 2022) - The plaintiff sued Sanofi U.S. Services, Inc. and Sanofi-Aventis U.S., LLC in the Eastern District...more
Does the learned intermediary doctrine apply in the context of a clinical trial? According to the Southern District of Texas, it does. The case in question is Butler et al. v. Juno Therapeutics, Inc., a tragic case...more
Some product liability suits are dead on arrival. At least, that is the position the Fifth Circuit took late last week in affirming the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff’s suit against a collection of generic and brand-name...more
Drug warning labels must comply with federal regulations and receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) before going to market. Therefore, manufacturers may argue that state law actions related to the...more
Litigation Update - On January 30, 2020, class action, consumer protection and pharmaceutical lawyers from around the country will be in federal court in Tampa, Florida to argue before a panel of federal judges whether...more
By now, you’ve probably read reports of the $8 billion punitive verdict against Johnson & Johnson in an individual case alleging failure to warn that young men using its antipsychotic drug Risperdal could develop breasts. ...more
In a trio of recent decisions arising out of cases alleging that an antipsychotic medication, Risperdal, and its generic, risperidone, had caused gynecomastia (breast tissue growth) in men, the United States District Court...more
Welcome to 2019! We hope that your New Year’s resolutions included time to sit down and enjoy our latest edition of Pro Te: Solutio. We have three intriguing articles in this edition, which are sure to provide useful...more
On March 16, 2018, Massachusetts joined a growing minority of states — California, Vermont and Illinois — recognizing innovator liability of name-brand drug manufacturers. Rafferty v. Merck & Co., Inc., SJC-12347, 2018 WL...more
Today, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court made an important ruling concerning innovator liability with respect to pharmaceuticals. Though precluding negligence and traditional product liability claims against brand-name...more
To prepare the best product liability defense for pharmaceuticals and medical devices as well as anticipate and strategically plan for future challenges in the medical and life sciences legal world, it is often helpful to...more
The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals recently upheld the Mass Litigation Panel’s grant of summary judgment against a class of Plaintiffs alleging birth defects resulting from the use of prescription medicine in...more
A U.S. Court of Appeals has held that a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) denial of a citizen petition can be “clear evidence” of conflict preemption under the test set forth by the Supreme Court in Wyeth v. Levine, 555 U.S....more
Medicaid - Florida's Medicaid Third-Party Liability Act Pre-empted by Federal Law - By Eddie Williams - In Gallardo v. Dudek, Sec. of Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, No. 4:16cv116-MW/CAS, 2017 WL...more
Massachusetts Federal Court In Prescription Drug Case Holds “Learned Intermediary” Rule Requiring Warnings Only To Prescribing Physician Applied Even Though Patient and Caregiver Were Physicians, But Experts’ Affidavits of...more
The FDA recently announced that it would once again delay promulgation of its proposed rule for generic drug labeling obligations. This action followed introduction of a spending bill that would have blocked funding for the...more
FDA’s delay on the final version of generic labelling rules until April 2017 means both branded and generic drug manufacturers face continued uncertainty. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced it...more
Last week, a federal court in Utah granted Aventis Inc.’s motion for summary judgment based on federal preemption of failure-to-warn claims. Cerveny v. Aventis, Inc., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34182 (D. Utah Mar. 16, 2016). The...more
Earlier this month, a federal district court in Illinois denied GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) renewed summary judgment motion based on federal preemption of failure-to-warn claims in an opinion setting tough standards for brand...more
On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has reopened the comment period for its proposed rule on generic drug labeling. It has also scheduled a day-long public meeting to hear comments and...more