Pharmaceutical Product Liability

One of the most scientifically complex pieces of pharmaceutical product liability litigation concerned allegations against 3 companies that they had supplied so-called “third generation” combined oral contraceptives (“COC3”) which gave rise to a doubling of the risk of venous thromboembolism as indicated in a letter published by the Committee on Safety of Medicines (“CSM”) in October 1995. I was instructed on behalf of John Wyeth & Brother Ltd. A large legal team for the Defendants successfully demonstrated that the studies relied upon by the CSM and the Claimants did not support the allegations and the Court found as a matter of probability, there was no increased risk of VTE from COC3s. XYZ & ORs v (1) Schering Health Care Ltd (2) Organon Laboratories Ltd (3) John Wyeth & Brother Ltd [2002] EWHC 1420 (QB)