MSD sees court reject class action case status

MSD has welcomed a decision by the New Jersey high court to reverse a former ruling by a lower court granting class-action status across the US to insurance companies and health maintenance organisations (HMO) seeking recompense for Vioxx expenditures.

The company explains that the court concurred with its argument that the case was not suitable for treatment as a class action, as claims brought by insurance companies and HMOs involved differing information.

Ted Mayer, spokesperson for MSD counsel Hughes Hubbard & Reed, remarks: “The supreme court recognised that a class action was improper because each insurance company and HMO considered different types of information in deciding whether to reimburse patients for Vioxx.”

He added that it was also agreed such organisations conducted different processes and referred to different experts when making their decisions.

On Wednesday the US Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously to recommend increasing the pace of approval for ISENTRESS (raltegravir) combined with other antiretroviral therapy as a treatment of HIV infection in treatment-experienced cases.