What makes us different? Read our Declaration of Journalistic Independence Home | About Natural News | Contact Us | Write for Natural News
Search our 25,000 free articles and special reports
breast cancer

Jury declares Wyeth's HRT drug caused woman's breast cancer, awards $1.5 million in damages

Friday, October 06, 2006 by: Jessica Fraser | Key concepts: breast cancer, Wyeth and HRT

Want stories like this e-mailed to you? Click here for free email alerts

Email this article to a friend Printable Version
(NaturalNews) A Philadelphia jury yesterday awarded an Ohio woman $1 million and her husband $500,000 for damages suffered after Wyeth's hormone replacement drug Prempro was found to be the cause of the woman's breast cancer.

Jennie Nelson, 67, of Dayton, Ohio, took Prempro for about six years, and believed it to be the cause of her breast cancer, for which she underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

The jury for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas deliberated for 33 hours over six days to reach its verdict in favor of Nelson. The second phase of the trial -- in which the jury must decide if Wyeth failed to warn of the dangers of Prempro -- begins October 12.

Wyeth is currently facing roughly 5,000 lawsuits over its hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs. The jury in the first Prempro trial -- which concluded last month in Little Rock, Ark. -- found in favor of Wyeth, and said the company had not been negligent and had adequately warned patients and doctors of the cancer risk associated with the HRT drug.

The Philadelphia jury in Nelson's case could award additional punitive damages if it finds Wyeth was negligent in its warnings. However, if it finds that the company sufficiently warned patients, no damages will be paid by the company, including the damages awarded yesterday.

Nelson's lawsuit -- which charges that Wyeth was negligent in its testing, manufacture and marketing of its HRT drugs -- will be watched closely by the lawyers of the 5,000 other plaintiffs, according to Seton Hall Law School professor Howard Erichson.

"Lawyers all around the country are watching what happens in these cases to get a sense of whether Prempro plaintiffs have a chance of winning," Erichson said. He added that Nelson's verdict "will be read by other plaintiffs' lawyers as meaning they have a shot at a significant recovery."

Wyeth maintains its innocence, and says that the Philadelphia jury's verdict cannot be used to predict the results of future lawsuits. "We disagree that there is any scientific basis to support the jury's finding of a causal link between hormone replacement therapy and the plaintiff's breast cancer," said Wyeth spokesman Chris Garland.

###

Related Articles

Mammograms cause breast cancer (and other cancer facts you probably never knew)

Sunlight emerging as proven treatment for breast cancer, prostate cancer and other cancers

Vitamin D Recommendation Missing From Breast Cancer Task Force Report on Black Women

Breast Cancer Industry A Scam? Support Education, Not Medication

Education Not Medication -- a women's health program by Mike Adams

Additional Resources:

breast cancer
Wyeth
HRT

Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com

Email this article to a friend

Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us

Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/020652.html

Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.

Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE

Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber!
  • Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more.
  • Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.
Your Email Address:
Free Subscription Code:
Enter the numbers you see:
100% free of charge. Unsubscribe anytime.
Absolutely no spam. We respect your email privacy.

Recommended Special Report:

Seven Words that can Change the World
by Joseph R. Simonetta

Read this special report now...

"Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com

More on NaturalNews.com:

Streaming Health Ranger Videos
CounterThink Cartoons
FREE Special Reports
Podcasts

Also Posted Today

The Politics of National Health Care Reform: Why no Popular Presidential Candidate can Solve Our Health Care Crisis (transcript)

Big Pharma "Doomed" if it Doesn't Change, Says Eli Lilly Chairman

The Poisoning of America's Water Supplies

Rickets on the Rise as Vitamin D Deficiency Surges Among Expectant Mothers

The Many Benefits of Coconut Oil and Coconut Butter

Beat Disease With Juice Feasting!

NEW 6-CD audio set reveals amazing new protocol for reversing cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and more. Click to learn more.

Own Health Ranger Report Podcasts on Audio CD

Own the first 8 Health Ranger Report audio programs on 6 CDs. Covers weight loss, ADHD, vaccinations, processed meats, bone health and more. Click to learn more.

Featured Videos

Short clip on Aspartame
A short clip on aspartame from the documentary All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...

Exclusive video on Aspartame
The dangers of aspartame! Exclusive interview footage from Cori Brackett of Sweet Remedy.
Click here to view now...

Exclusive Footage from All Jacked Up!
See interview footage featuring the Health Ranger in the upcoming junk food film, All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...

Drug Ad Parody
See the Health Ranger's satire parody of Merck's cholesterol drug ad.
Click here to view now...

Free Health Reports!

Amazon Herb Company review
The pH Nutrition Guide to Acid / Alkaline Balance
Pet Food Ingredients Revealed! (shocking)
Medicine From Fish
The Water Cure
The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D

Featured CounterThink Cartoons

How the Cancer Industry Controls Women


Negotiating with Big Pharma


Cows for breakfast


Health Product Companies We Recommend

Read recommendations on supplement companies, health food manufacturers and personal care product makers that you can trust. Our 100% independent review list tells you who to trust and who to avoid in the natural health industry. Click to read.
This site is part of the Natural News Network © 2008 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. Truth Publishing sells no health or nutritional products and earns no money from health product manufacturers or promoters. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.