Fla. Judge Denies Novartis JNOV Following Verdict in Zometa Case; Reduces Medical Expenses Award

ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida federal judge has denied Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.’s (NYSE: NVS) motion for judgment as a matter of law in the wake of an adverse verdict rendered in a Zometa case, finding the evidence supported the jury’s verdict on the failure-to-warn claims.

However, in the Feb. 20 order, Judge Gregory Presnell of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida reduced the $300,000 verdict for medical expenses to $11,899.26.

Nancy Guenther was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 1999 while living in Georgia. In October 2001, her doctor found that it had metastasized to her …