Pa. Federal Judge Dismisses One Plaintiff’s Zometa Case Against Novartis; Allows Two Others to Proceed

PITTSBURGH — A Pennsylvania federal judge has dismissed a Zometa injury case against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., finding the plaintiff failed to show how the allegedly inadequate drug warnings caused him to contract osteonecrosis of the jaw.

In a July 28 opinion addressing three separate Zometa cases, Judge Mark R. Hornak of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania also dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims for strict liability and breach of warranty, finding they are barred under Pennsylvania law. However, the judge allowed two of the plaintiffs’ failure-to-warn claims to proceed, finding issues of fact as to whether Novartis …