Cases & Deals

Wyeth wins summary judgment in product liability case involving pharmaceutical product Effexor

Client(s) Wyeth Pharmaceuticals

Jones Day represented Wyeth in a unique products liability matter relating to Wyeth's $4 billion a year pharmaceutical product Effexor. Plaintiff, a six year old girl, alleged that her mother's ingestion of Effexor in 2000 while plaintiff was in-utero caused plaintiff to be born with certain birth defects, including cerebral palsy. This matter represents the first and only time that Effexor has been alleged to have caused birth defects. Jones Day successfully moved for and obtained summary judgment as the court found as a matter of law that (i) Wyeth lacked any liability for plaintiff's injuries and (ii) plaintiff lacked any evidence that the Effexor her mother ingested was defective.

Alexandra Boyer, by and through her Guardian Ad Litem, Holly Boyer v. Valley Mechanical Services, LP, et al., Case No. BC345706 (Los Angeles Superior Court) (related to LC067562)