Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Pharmaceutical giant Wyeth, ordered by a Washoe County jury to pay millions to three Northern Nevada women who claimed the company’s hormone replacement drugs caused their breast cancer, also is fighting more than 5,000 legal battles, a spokesman said Thursday.

The company won 15 of the 18 lawsuits that have been tried, according to company information. Two others were settled, and one was in the plaintiff’s favor.

Lawyers for the three women who were awarded more than $120 million in jury awards in Reno have disputed Wyeth’s claims.

Nevada residents Jeraldine Scofield, Arlene Rowatt and Pamela Forrester testified that they developed breast cancer after taking Premarin, an estrogen replacement, and Prempro, a combination estrogen, and progestin to offset the symptoms of menopause.

They claimed in their lawsuit that Wyeth produced a dangerous product, failed to adequately test the drugs and failed to provide warnings about the drugs’ risks.

After two days of deliberations, the jury agreed with the women’s claims and ordered Wyeth to pay $43.5 million each to Scofield and Rowatt, and $47.5 million to Forrester.

The jury will deliberate at 10 a.m. today about punitive damages.

October 12th, 2007

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