An appeals court on Friday brought a quick end to claims that dozens of drug companies ignored the risks of a painkiller pulled from the market in 2010.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of 99 percent of the product liability cases brought by patients who took generic versions of propoxyphene, commonly known under the brand names Darvon and Darvocet. The court held that Teva Pharmaceuticals Inc. and other companies that sold generic propoxyphene can’t be held liable because the claims against them are preempted by federal law. The panel also dismissed Eli Lilly and Co. and other branded drug companies from the case, reasoning that they can’t be targeted over generic drugs that they didn’t produce.
