Wyeth announces completion of diet drug trial

Wyeth has announced that the jury in the case of Gloria Ann Stribling vs Wyeth found in favour of the plaintiff and assessed total damaged of $3 million (1.89 million pounds).

The company states it is reviewing its post-trial options.

Steve Reade, an attorney from Arnold & Porter, the law firm representing Wyeth states: “We respectfully disagree with the jury’s finding and believe it is unsupported by the evidence, which demonstrated that Mrs. Stribling’s health problems were caused by her severe, longstanding obstructive sleep apnea and not the diet drugs she took more than ten years ago.”

He states the evidence also demonstrated that drug labels in question were adequate and changes to the labels would have made no difference to Ms Stribling or her physicians.

The company notes the trail began on September 22nd in New Jersey State Court in Hackensack (Bergen County) and the plaintiff alleged primary pulmonary hypertension caused by use of the diet drug Pondimin – a drug once marketed by Wyeth.

It concludes by noting the court ruled in an earlier stage of the proceedings that the petitioner could not pursue punitive damages in this case.

Earlier this month, Wyeth announced its earnings results for the first nine months of 2008.