Wyeth Not Liable For Injuries Allegedly Caused by Generic Drug

NEW ORLEANS - In deciding an issue of first impression, a Louisiana appellate court has ruled that a name brand drug manufacturer owes no legal duty to the consumer of a generic equivalent of its drug. Howard Stanley, et al. v. Wyeth Inc., No. 2007 CA 2080 (La. App.).

The 1st Circuit Court of Appeal panel, led by Judge Bob Downing, affirmed that Wyeth Inc. is not liable for the death of a woman who ingested the generic equivalent of its heart drug, Cordarone.

In March 2005, Stephanie Arculeer Stanley's cardiologist prescribed Cordarone for her non-life-threatening heart condition. The pharmacist, …