Fraud Claims to Proceed Against Abbvie, Abbott in Ill. Biaxin Psychosis Action

CHICAGO — An Illinois federal judge has allowed fraud claims to proceed against Abbvie Inc. and Abbott Laboratories in a case accusing them of downplaying the psychotic side effects of the antibiotic Biaxin, ruling that they were sufficiently pled under Virginia law.

In the June 13 order, Judge Ronald A. Guzman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois found the plaintiff’s negligence claims fail, however, because the drug makers did not manufacture the generic version of Biaxin he ingested.

Virginia resident Bradley Colas was diagnosed with bronchitis in February 2012 and his doctor prescribed Biaxin. In …