Although last week the New York Times highlighted recent lawsuits against Pfizer for a hormone replacement therapy, a New York State court judge recently tossed the lawsuits filed by 23 women who claimed the drugmaker’s hormone replacement therapies – Prempro, Premarin and Provera – caused their breast cancer.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Martin Shulman wrote in his Dec. 14 decision (please see here) that although “plaintiffs’ proffered evidence is extensive, a review of the material and the record as a whole contain no evidence of fraud, misrepresentation or deception,” .
In reaching his decision, Judge Shulman noted that although the “ongoing medical debate as to the risks versus benefits of taking HRT does not appear to be settled, the potential risk of contracting breast cancer from taking HRT medication was well known and at all times out there in the stream of public information.”
While the NYT article noted various claims in the various lawsuits that have been successful, these recent cases that were thrown out suggest there are more details to be heard to this story. As Judge Shulman himself noted, the ongoing medical debate regarding risks versus benefits of taking HRT—or any drug or treatment for that matter—are not always settled as medicine is constantly advancing.