Roche Denied Summary Judgment in N.C. Lariam Suicide Case

GREENVILLE, N.C. — A North Carolina federal judge has denied Hoffman-LaRoche Inc. summary judgment on claims that its anti-malarial drug Lariam caused a Marine to commit suicide, finding the plaintiffs’ testimony as to the identity of the maker of the drug is admissible.

On March 22, Chief Judge James C. Dever III of the Eastern District of North Carolina found the statement concerning identification is admissible under the hearsay exception in Federal Rule of Evidence 803(1).

In October 2008, before deploying to Afghanistan, members of Daniel Bennett's Marine unit were issued an anti-malarial drug containing mefloquine. At that time, there …