According to court documents, ghostwriters for Wyeth wrote 26 articles that appeared in 18 different medical journals between 1998 and 2005 emphasizing that hormones protect against osteoporosis, heart disease and dementia and down-playing the risks. In 2001, Wyeth benefited by reaping nearly $2 billion in sales of its HRT drugs Premarin and Prempro, making them among of the most prescribed drugs in the U.S.

But at what cost did Wyeth benefit?

In 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a research initiative initiated by the National Institutes of Health to look into some of the major health problems of older women, was abruptly halted after researchers found that menopausal women who took certain hormones had an increased risk of invasive breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. One of the thousands of victims is Geraldyne Frambs of Sacramento, Calif.

In the mid-1980s, Frambs was prescribed and began taking HRT. In 2003, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now she wants justice. This week, attorney Ted G. Meadows with Beasley Allen Law Firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of Frambs against Wyeth Inc., Weyth Pharmaceuticals Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, Pharmacia Corporation, Pharmacia & UpJohn LLC, Greenstone Ltd, Barr Laboratories Inc., Barr Pharmaceuticals and ESO Lederle Inc.

The lawsuit alleges that the cancer, subsequent surgery, treatment, injury and damage to Frambs were caused by her use of HRT. The complaint alleges that the defendants were negligent by not assuring that their products did not cause users to suffer from foreseeable unreasonably dangerous side effects and serious health problems, and that they should have known the serious risks women were put under by using drugs that were defective at the time of production. Furthermore, the complaint alleges that the defendants willfully deceived the plaintiff by concealing the true facts concerning the hormone therapy drugs, which the defendants, as manufacturers, marketers and distributors of the products, had a duty to disclose to the plaintiff.

The lawsuit seeks recovery of all monies the plaintiff paid for the products; to be compensated for the cost of medical care as a result of the use of the products including past medical expenses, wage loss, pain, suffering, disability and emotional distress.

Read Frambs’ complaint: Frambs v Wyeth (HRT Lawsuit)

Sources:
New York Times
Beasley Allen

SOURCE: Hormone Replacement Therapy › Wyeth paid ghostwriters to sway doctors to prescribe HRT

Earlier this month a jury in Nevada awarded $134 million in a similar case against Wyeth, which is appealing the verdict. Wyeth spokesman Doug Petkus would not comment specifically about the Hesch case, but said it”s the first lawsuit he”s heard about since the Nevada judgment.

Sharon Hesch was first prescribed the hormone therapy medication Provera and Premarin in May 1998, her lawsuit says. She switched to only Premarin in January 2001. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2002.

Sharon Hesch alleges the drug companies acted recklessly and without regard to public safety.

“The defendants misled both the medical community and the public at large, including the plaintiff Sharon Hesch, by falsely representing the safety of their products,” her lawsuit says.

In the Nevada case, a jury awarded three women $35 million for expenses, pain and suffering, and added $99 million in punitive damages. Wyeth spokesman Lawrence Stein said it was a flawed verdict in a trial “riddled with errors.”

Petkus said 20 other hormone therapy cases have gone to trial or were otherwise resolved. He said three went in Wyeth”s favor, two were plaintiff awards that were thrown out by courts, three were dismissed, and 12 were withdrawn by plaintiffs.

October 25th, 2007

SOURCE: Hormone Replacement Therapy › Hormone therapy led to cancer