Drugmaker Wins in First Prempro Lawsuit

By Elizabeth Rhein

Published on September 25, 2006

Linda Reeves, 67, took different combinations of Wyeth-manufactured Prempro and Premarin for eight years before contracting breast cancer in 2000. Believing the hormones to be responsible for causing her cancer, she filed a lawsuit against Wyeth claiming that the company did not adequately warn her and her doctor of the link between hormone replacement and breast cancer.

The federal jury rejected her claim, likely being swayed by Wyeth lawyers who said the company informed both Reeves and her doctor of the risk of cancer. Moreover, Reeves stated at one point during the trial that she did not read the patient information labeling that came with the drug.

Prempro labeling contains a boxed warning that cautions doctors and patients that the drug can cause an increase in the risk of heart problems, stroke, and breast cancer.

Many experts in the medical and legal fields were watching the outcome of this case with interest, as there are more than 4,000 similar lawsuits pending against Wyeth. The win for Wyeth indicates that settlements in Prempro and Premarin cases might not be as severe as previously thought possible.

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