First Hormone-Replacement Suit Moves to Trial

September 4, 2006

By Andrew DeMillo

Associated Press Writer

August 21, 2006

CBNNews.com – LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - As lawyers argued over which

evidence should be allowed, a judge Monday delayed jury selection in

the first trial of 4,500 lawsuits filed nationwide that challenge

Prempro, a hormone-replacement therapy that some women say causes

breast cancer.

Linda Reeves of Benton sued drug maker Wyeth, claiming she developed

breast cancer after taking Prempro for eight years. Helene Rush of

Little Rock has argued similar claims in a federal suit against the

drug maker. Rush has an Oct. 10 court date.

Prempro is a widely prescribed estrogen-progestin combination used

to treat premenopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes.

While plaintiffs say Wyeth was more worried about money than patient

safety while developing the drug, the drug company wants jurors to

see its request - made to the Food and Drug Administration in 1983 -

for a study about the effects of combining estrogen and progestin.

Reeves' lawyers want the evidence limited, saying jurors could be

overwhelmed by such a huge file and miss its key portions.

Lawyers for both sides argued about the evidence before U.S.

Magistrate Judge Henry L. Jones Jr. on Monday as Jones filled in

temporarily for U.S. District Judge William R. Wilson, who will

preside over the trial. Jones pushed back jury selection to Tuesday.

A Women's Health Initiative study found that women who took Prempro

had a higher risk of breast cancer, stroke and coronary heart

disease.

Wyeth recently reached more than $21 billion in settlements for

lawsuits over another drug combination, fen-phen, which was

prescribed as a diet drug. Analysts have said they don't think

Wyeth's hormone-replacement therapy settlements will be nearly as

high as the fen-phen cases.

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