Mo. Federal Judge Denies Organon Summary Judgment on NuvaRing Punitive Damages Claim

ST. LOUIS — A Missouri federal judge has denied Organon USA Inc.’s motion for summary judgment on a NuvaRing plaintiff’s punitive damages claim, finding the device's label does not foreclose punitive damages because it does not explicitly warn of the difference in risk of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism.

On July 12, Judge Rodney W. Sippel of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri also rejected Organon’s assertion that New Jersey, rather than Missouri, law applies to the claim.

Marianne Prather sued Organon, alleging injuries caused by NuvaRing, a combined hormonal contraceptive. NuvaRing is a flexible ring …