British Columbia certifies HRT class action lawsuit
August 12th, 2011 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
A class-action lawsuit on behalf of women who say they developed breast cancer after taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), was certified by the British Columbia Supreme Court this week. The lawsuit alleges the makers of the HRTs Premarin and Premplus failed to warn patients about studies that showed a link between HRT and breast cancer. The lawsuit also claims that the company went to extraordinary measures to sway doctors and downplay any publicized risks associated with the drugs.
Premarin and Premplus are made by Wyeth, which was later bought out by Pfizer. In a statement issued by Pfizer, the drug company said it would fight the charges and argued there was no way to prove HRT causes breast cancer: “It is widely accepted that science cannot determine what caused or contributed to any individual woman’s breast cancer except in rare circumstances where genetics play a role. Wyeth acted responsibly by conducting or supporting more than 180 studies on hormone therapy’s benefits and risks, and including science-based information in Premarin and Premplus’ labels that accurately communicate these benefits and risks to doctors and patients alike.”
Wyeth strongly promoted HRT as a cure-all for symptoms of menopause that not only treated hot flashes and vaginal dryness, but also offered added benefits such as protection from osteoporosis and heart disease. Any negative press about the drugs was quickly overshadowed by articles promoting the benefits of HRT in medical journals written by ghostwriters paid by Wyeth.
Despite the cover up, the public became aware of the dangers of HRT in 2002, when the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) published a five-year study of menopausal and postmenopausal women that demonstrated that HRT increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and breast cancer.
“I never would have taken Premarin if I had been told of the risks,” said the main plaintiff in the class-action lawsuit, Dianna Stanway of Sechelt, B.C., in a statement issued by her law firm. “I want my lawsuit to help all Canadian women, and their families, who have been harmed by this drug.”
Source: Toronto Sun