Judge Dismisses Plaintiffs for Failure to Fulfill Discovery Obligations

SAN FRANCISCO - A California judge has dismissed from the federal Bextra/Celebrex MDL the claims of several plaintiffs who 'unreasonably' compromised the public's interest and the court's need to resolve the litigation by failing to comply with discovery obligations. In Re: Bextra and Celebrex Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1699 (N.D. Calif.).

On Jan. 12, Judge Charles R. Breyer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted a joint motion by Pfizer Inc., Pharmacia Corp. and G.D. Searle to dismiss the claims with prejudice for the plaintiffs' failure to comply with Pretrial …