Calif. Federal Judge Cuts Short Cymbalta Withdrawal Trial, Issues Directed Verdict for Eli Lilly

LOS ANGELES — A California federal jury has found in favor of Eli Lilly & Co. in a second bellwether case concerning its antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine), determining that the drug maker did not conceal the risks associated with discontinuation of the drug.

In an Aug. 13 directed verdict, Judge Stephen V. Wilson of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California found for Lilly on claims of negligence, failure to warn, negligent misrepresentation, and fraud. The trial began on Aug. 11.

Last week, a jury sitting in the same court found for Lilly in the first bellwether …