Wyeth is once again trying to defend itself in a civil case over its menopause treatments. A lawsuit was filed in the Washoe District Court In Reno Nevada byt the firm of Littlepage Booth on behalf of three Nevada women. Each of the women developed breast cancer after taking the Wyeth hormone replacement drugs of Prempro and Premarin. Opening arguments commenced last week.
The drugs were developed to treat the common menopause symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. However, longterm use of estrogen supplements has been linked to increased breast density in women which greatly increases the chance of breast cancer. The plaintiffs claim that the company knew there were potential problems with the drugs for almost 30 years and took no action to alert consumers. An article on the Reno Gazette Journal website quotes Zoe Littlepage, an attorney for the plaintiffs as saying:
The evidence will show that from 1975 on, there were a number of red flags when Wyeth was put on notice that there were some real questions that needed to be answered…Wyeth made no effort to answer those questions, to find out what these drugs were doing in the breast
The New Jersey based pharmaceutical; company counters that there is no link between the claimants breast cancer and their products and further states that the three women, along with all of the patients who used Prempro and Premarin the enjoyed relief of their symptoms as well as the added protection that hormone replacement therapies offer against osteoporosis.
It will be interesting to see how this turns out, but we are leaning towards the plaintiffs on this one. The last time that Wyeth and Littlepage Booth met in court over these products, the plaintiffs walked out with a $1.5 million dollar judgment. We don’t see any reason why the rematch would end differently
15 responses so far ↓
1 Editorial Staff // Sep 24, 2007 at 4:53 pm
We made a typo in this article yesterday when we said we were leaning toward the defendants in this case. We have since corrected the mistake in the article above but we do believe the plaintiffs will prevail.
A big thanks to April for pointing out the inconsistency in the closing paragraph.
2 Seema Benson // Oct 20, 2007 at 8:38 pm
I also developed breast cancer after having taken Premarin for many years. My oncologist took me off the premarin as soon as I was diagnosed with breast cancer, but was not aware there had been any lawsuits filed against Wyeth.
3 Edna kunkle // Nov 4, 2007 at 5:34 pm
I also developed breast cancer after having taken Premarin for many years. My doctor took me off a year before when the news came out about it causing breast cancer, but was not aware there had been any lawsuits filed against Wyeth.
4 Karen Meehan // Nov 9, 2007 at 11:27 am
I was on Prempro and developed 4 areas of DCIS cancer in one breast. I had no choice but a mastectomy and no one could tell me if or when these tumors would go on to be invasive. I did have an attorney tell me I did not have a case. Can someone tell me why? Did my cancer have to more severe to be considered a a party to a lawsuit? I am lucky ans luck as the other survivors. My body is deformed as is my ego from this, why am I not considered as injured as others?
5 Rieda // Nov 27, 2007 at 11:10 pm
I too had estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. I had taken Premarin for eleven years. Does anyone have infor on other lawsuits filed because of Premarin only.
6 Sara Henry // Jan 13, 2008 at 10:39 am
I, too, developed Breast Cancer (estrogen receptive) after having taken Prempro for 10 years. I stopped the drug after the negative Study, but too late. Is there a group class action lawsuit being prepared?
7 Earlene Cornelius // Feb 25, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I, too, developed Breast cancer a taking premarin. Please contact me with more info.
8 M. Lorraine Anderson // Mar 8, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I, too, developed Breast Cancer after taking Premirin for five years. Mine was also estrogen receptive. I had two different kinds of cancer, both estrogen receptive. If anyone has any infomation on lawsuits for these, please let me know…. My email address is, land48@orofino-id.com
9 Vivian Newman // Apr 6, 2008 at 11:09 am
I took Premarin for a number of years and was finally checked for breast cancer. I had a double mastectomy with a number of problems and I have had thyroid cancer, plus numerous skin cancers. I was not aware that a class action lawsuit had been filed. Is it too late to be included in this?
10 mae // Apr 16, 2008 at 11:31 am
i too developed breast cancer and took premarin would like to know if there is a class action lawsuit going on now. if anyone has infomation on this please contact me.
11 Loletta // Apr 18, 2008 at 6:11 am
My mother developed breast cancer after taking Premarin for years. I would like to be contacted about any lawsuits concerning this.
email: dixie7883@aol.com
12 John Turnblacer // May 1, 2008 at 7:58 am
As a caregiver, my wife took Premarin for a long time and developed breast cancer(positive receptors)………then the Negative reaction to Chemo and now Dementia. It has cost us our life savings. Does anyone know of a Non Recourse Loan company who is funding these Premarin cases against Wyeth??
13 Betty Bowlin // May 9, 2008 at 8:47 am
I found out that I had breast cancer in 200l, I had been taking Premarin for over l2 yrs. My cancer had positive receptors from the use of Premarin. I was included in a class action lawsuit with “Robert Goldwater Law Firm”, I was just informed that I didn’t qualify because I didn’t take a combination of “Estrogen and Progestrone”. Please advise me if there is anything I can do about the damage done to my body as a result of taking Premarin alone for all of those years. They said to pursue another law firm that would handle this for me. Please help.!!
14 Susan Bess // May 30, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I started taking Premarin in 1995 and by 1997 I was diagnosed with an estrogen-fed tumor in my breast, stage II (eleven months after my last mammogram). I have searched for years for a class-action lawsuit, but so far have only found evidence of lawsuits involving Prempro. If anyone has current information, please contact me, as I see that doctors/drug companies are still pushing Premarin/Prempro. Recently, I was shocked when a doctor I saw tried to push estrogren cream on me…I just saw a ad in a magazine for estrogren cream and the ad warned not to use it if you had ever had breast cancer! I am deeply disturbed by by my doctor’s ignorance/lack of concern for my health.
15 Phyllis King // Jul 4, 2008 at 8:45 am
I took Premarin for 12 years. I had estrogen receptive breast cancer, was told by my cancer doctor to stop taking the medicine immediately. I would like to be contacted about any lawsuit concerning this. email kinggal57@ntelos.net
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