6th Circuit Reverses Award of Summary Judgment to Novartis in Aredia/Zometa Case

CINCINNATI — A federal appeals court has reversed an award of summary judgment to Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. in an Aredia/Zometa action, ruling that a jury should resolve the question of whether the drug maker’s failure to warn of certain risks caused the plaintiffs’ injuries.

On Aug. 18, the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals found the patient’s testimony, combined with that of her doctor, could establish a causal link between Novartis’ failure to warn and the patient’s osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Charlotte Payne was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998; the following year, Dr. Darrell Johnson prescribed her Aredia to …