Wyeth wins drug diet trial

A jury has voted in favour of Wyeth in all four cases brought against the pharmaceutical company in the drug diet trial involving the products Redux and Pondimin.

The drugs combine to make what is known as fen-phen, which was withdrawn by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997 after causing health problems.

Of a total of eight plaintiffs, two had their cases dismissed before trial while another two had their claims delayed until a later date.

The cases of 30 diet drug plaintiffs have now been resolved in favour of Wyeth in 2006.

Lawrence V Stein, Wyeth’s senior vice president and general counsel, said: “Each of these plaintiffs rejected the benefits of our nationwide diet drug settlement, choosing instead to exercise a downstream opt out.

“And, unlike the more than 30,000 downstream opt outs who have agreed to settle their opt out claims in a new settlement initiative we began last year, these claimants have refused to do so.

“We remain committed to defending at trial the cases of claimants who have now rejected these two reasonable settlement opportunities.”

© Adfero Ltd