Mass Torts Update - Monday, May 3, 2010 16:42 - 0 Comments

Wyeth Scientist Guilty Of Research Misconduct

The U.S. Government’s Federal Register reports that a senior scientist with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals was found guilty of falsifying data related to Hormone Therapy – in particular Wyeth’s research on estrogen receptors, which was a critical area of study for Wyeth’s womens’ health initiative. This revelation will have a bearing on lawsuits filed on behalf of women who took Wyeth’s Prempro and ended up with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer.

Our firm is looking forward to trying one such case this summer in Philadelphia.  Our client, Pauline Lescinski, is glad to know her day in court is close at hand. While hers is only one of approximately 1500 cases filed in Pennsylvania State Court, over 10,000 additional cases are pending in federal courts around the country. Recently, the federal judge overseeing those cases issued an order identifying hundreds of cases that are ripe for discovery and trial settings.  This recent development is very good news for those women who now head toward their day in court as well.

So far, juries have found in favor of Plaintiffs in 11 of 14 hormone therapy trials, with Plaintiff’s compensatory verdict averaging around $5 million.  This is not surprising given the seriousness of these injuries.  Moreover, each time a jury has been allowed to award punitive damages, they have done so and averaged approximately $30 million per case.  This too is not surprising given evidence showing Wyeth’s callous indifference to the safety and welfare of women.  I certainly hope the announcement of such numbers suck the air out of the corporate board room and put them to thinking about people and their safety. If you need additional information on this subject, contact Ted Meadows at 800-898-2034 or by email at Ted.Meadows@beasleyallen.com.