Judge Says Criteria Not Met for Interlocutory Appeal in Zoloft Lawsuit

CHICAGO - A federal judge denied Pfizer Inc.'s motion for interlocutory appeal in a Zoloft wrongful death case on Aug. 8, saying that all required criteria were not met by the manufacturer. Zikis v. Pfizer Inc., No. 04-cv-8104 (N.D. Ill.).

Plaintiff Gail C. Zikis sued Pfizer in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in December, alleging that Zoloft (sertraline), an antidepressant, was responsible for the December 2002 suicide death of her husband, Donald.

Zikis contends that Pfizer has known about Zoloft's serious side effects for a long time, but only recently began informing physicians and …