Prempro Litigation & Premarin Side Effects
By Aaron Larson
Law Offices of Aaron Larson
November, 2004
A Product Liability Case Study
Prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are very common for post-menopausal women. As a result, tens of millions of women receive prescriptions for medications such as Prempro and Premarin, and hormone replacement therapy generates revenues in the billions of dollars for drug companies. The purpose of HRT is to moderate the symptoms of menopause, and ideally to avoid some of the health consequences associated with reduced hormone levels, such as osteoporosis.
The Women's Health Initiative (WHI), sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and units of the National Institutes of Health, commenced in 1991, with a focus on finding ways to prevent heart disease, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and osteoporosis. The study included 161,000 healthy post-menopausal women. One of the WHI's clinical studies involved 16,608 post-menopausal women with a uterus who took either estrogen plus progestin, in the form of the medication Prempro, manufactured by Wyeth, or a placebo. In July, 2002, after only 5.2 years, this clinical study was terminated when the NHLBI concluded that the risks of the therapy outweighed its benefits. The study suggested a significant increase in the incidence of abnormal mammograms, and incidence and severity of breast cancer, in the group of women who were taking Prempro, as compared to the placebo group. There is also concern of increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs).
Although Premarin contains only estrogens, as compared to the combination of estrogen and progestin in Prempro, some law firms assert that its use in hormone replacement therapy has similar side effects to those found in Prempro users, and thus that it carries similar risks to patients. Wyeth's press releases suggest that its warning labels are adequate and that, if properly used in appropriate cases, hormone replacement therapy with Prempro is both safe and effective.
A number of law firms are actively recruiting potential clients to litigate over injuries allegedly caused by Prempro, and at least one class action lawsuit has been filed. These lawyers believe that even though Prempro can offer some legitimate medical benefits, the risks associated with its use render it inherently unsafe. However, there is significant difference of opinion as to whether there is sufficient evidence of causation - that is, whether Prempro is the actual cause of the medical conditions found in the study, or similar medical conditions in any given patient - that many lawyers question whether litigation over hormone replacement therapy is viable. It is expected that any litigation will be complex, fiercely defended, and with significant issues of proof for the plaintiffs.
Due to the significant variation in the law governing liability over defective products, when selecting a lawyer, it is usually a good idea to seek representation from a lawyer with experience handling this type of case.
Copyright © 2004 - 2007 Aaron Larson. All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced without the express written permission of the copyright holder, except as follows: You may link this article to your website, either directly or through an ExpertLaw Library index page, provided your link does not depict this article, its author, or expertlaw.com in a negative manner.