Judge to decide on whether to reduce award in Wyeth case

RENO, Nev. Washoe County District Court Judge Robert Perry will decide this week whether or not he will reduce a $134 million judgment that jurors awarded to three Nevada women in October after deciding that Wyeth’s hormone drugs Premarin and Prempro caused the women’s breast cancer, according to Associated Press.

The judgment remains the largest award to date against Wyeth, which faces about 5,300 similar lawsuits across the country in state and federal courts.

The jurors in Reno awarded Jeraldine Scofield, Arlene Rowatt, 67, and Pamela Forrester a combined $35 million for medical expenses and physical and emotional pain and suffering. The same panel then awarded the women $99 million in punitive damages.

Zoe Littlepage, a lawyer for the women, said the jurors’ award was “very reasonable” given they “found this company caused these three women to get breast cancer.” Wyeth’s lawyers are arguing that each women should only receive about $1 to $2 million in compensatory damages.

Concern over the drugs surfaced in July 2002, when the federal Women’s Health Initiative halted a study after women taking estrogen-progestin pills showed higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer and other problems.

The study led to new warning labels on the drugs, and doctor groups began urging women to use the lowest dose for the shortest time possible to treat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.