Woman Claims In Utero Exposure to DES Caused Son's Premature Birth

WASHINGTON - A woman is suing Eli Lilly for $2 million in damages claiming that her mother's ingestion of DES caused her to suffer uterine and cervical malformations that led to the premature birth of her son. Jennifer Maitre v. Eli Lilly & Co. No. 03-0009531 (D.C. Super. Ct.).

The Dec. 1, 2003, complaint, which was filed in the District of Columbia Superior Court, states that DES-manufacturer Lilly failed to warn patients and physicians about the drug's ability to cause injuries to unborn babies, and that DES was misbranded because it was neither safe nor efficacious in preventing miscarriages.

Plaintiff …