Wyeth Asks Court to Vacate $100 Million Verdicts in 2 Diet Drug Cases

PHILADELPHIA - Saying jurors engaged in 'speculation, anti-corporate animus, or punishment,' Wyeth Inc. has asked a Philadelphia judge to vacate the $100 million verdicts awarded to each of two plaintiffs last week in diet drug cases. Paul v. Wyeth, Nov. Term 2002, No. 003723 and Karician v. Wyeth, Dec. Term 2002, No. 001224 (Pa. Comm. Pls., Philadelphia Cty.).

Jurors awarded $100 million each in compensatory damages to Margie Paul and Elaine Karician, who, Wyeth says, are each 'asymtomatic and not disabled' from using the diet drugs manufactured by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Pondimin (fenfluramine) and Redux (dexfenfluramine), in combination with phentermine, an …