Calif. Appeals Court Upholds Award of Summary Judgment to AstraZeneca in Nexium Case

LOS ANGELES — A California appellate court has upheld an award of summary judgment to AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP and a drug distributor in a Nexium bone fracture action, finding the trial court properly excluded the expert testimony of plaintiffs’ sole causation expert, Dr. Sonny Bal.

On Jan. 26, the California Court of Appeal, 2nd District, agreed with the lower court that Bal’s education, training, and experience in orthopedic surgery and in general as a physician were insufficient to qualify him as the causation expert.

Plaintiffs, 204 individuals in total, filed three lawsuits against AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP and McKesson Corp. in …