Supreme Court Rules Against Suing Over Generic Rx Effects
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that U.S. residents who are injured by generic drugs cannot sue generic drugmakers for adverse reactions to their products. In the case, plaintiffs argued that the generic anti-inflammatory drug sulindac is unreasonably dangerous and contains design defects. In the majority opinion, the justices said federal law requires that generic drugs have the same labeling as their brand-name counterparts, making it impossible for generic drugmakers to strengthen warnings about possible side effects.
- "Justices Block Generic Drug Liability Lawsuits" (Hurley/Berkrot, Reuters, 6/24).