Another Seroquel lawsuit victory for AstraZeneca: A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's dismissal of one case on summary judgment. In that suit, plaintiff Linda Guinn had blamed Seroquel for causing her diabetes, but AstraZeneca argued--and the court agreed--that testimony from an expert witness should be excluded, and Guinn hadn't offered adequate evidence that the drug actually caused her illness.
This is just the latest ruling to go in the company's favor, according to a list provided by the company. Judges have tossed out at least six cases, and in the first suit to actually reach trial, the jury ruled against the plaintiff, rejecting claims that Seroquel had caused his diabetes.
"The appeals court decision echoes earlier federal and state court opinions that found Seroquel could not be proven to be responsible for plaintiffs' alleged injuries," AZ spokesman Tony Jewell says in a statement. "We intend to continue to defend ourselves against these claims that plaintiffs' lawyers have been repeatedly unable to prove in multiple courts across the country."
AstraZeneca has been fighting claims that the atypical antipsychotic triggered diabetes in thousands of patients. The drug has been linked to weight gain in some people, but no plaintiff has been able to show so far that Seroquel was to blame for causing their diabetes.
- check out AstraZeneca's statement on the decision
- read the appeals court's decision
- see Pharmalot's coverage