Pfizer settles hormone-drug suit after $72.6M jury award

Pfizer ($PFE) has settled a legal dispute with three hormone-drug patients who won $72.6 million in compensatory damages this week. The lawsuit, which claimed that menopause drugs caused the women's breast cancer, had been scheduled for a punitive-damages hearing beginning today.

Pfizer agreed to wrap up the dispute with Susan Elfont, Bernadette Kalenkoski and Judy Mulderig, after a jury awarded each of them more than $20 million in compensation, Bloomberg reports. "The parties have entered into a mutual agreement to resolve this case under confidential terms," spokesman Chris Loder told the news service.

The terms of the settlement weren't disclosed. Ted Meadows, a lawyer representing the three women, said, "They're just glad to be able to go on with their lives."

Separately, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to review Pfizer's argument against $8.6 million in damages awarded in another hormone-drug case. The company has set aside $772 million to cover claims involving its Wyeth unit's estrogen drug Premarin, its Upjohn unit's progestin med Provera, and the combination pill Prempro.

- read the Bloomberg coverage