On June 7, 2017, a Central District Court of California declined to certify a class of consumers who alleged that 5-Hour Energy’s marketing of an energy drink was misleading, finding that individual factual questions...more
On April 13, 2017, in Azoulai v. BMW of N. Am. LLC (Case No. 16-cv-00589), the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed a proposed consumer fraud class action against BMW of North America LLC...more
Establishing federal jurisdiction over state-law claims through the Grable doctrine is rare, but a Missouri federal court recently reminded us that it is not impossible.
In Bader Farms Inc. v. Monsanto Co., No....more
On April 13, 2017, in Azoulai v. BMW of N. Am. LLC (Case No. 16-cv-00589), the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed a proposed consumer fraud class action against BMW of North America LLC...more
Last month, the Sixth Circuit affirmed a complete defense verdict for Abbott Laboratories Inc. which was based in part on branded drug preemption. Rheinfrank v. Abbott Laboratories Inc., Case No. 16-3347, 2017 WL 680349 (6th...more
President Trump recently announced his intent to nominate a new commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), likely sealing the fate of FDA’s proposed generic drug labeling rule. The proposed rule would give...more
We have entered the next chapter in the ongoing saga of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (“CPSC”) regulation of high-powered, small, rare earth magnet sets (“SREMS”). On March 1, 2017, CPSC met and unanimously...more
Republican Ann Marie Buerkle was named Acting Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on February 9, 2017, replacing former Chairman and Democrat Elliott Kaye. This transition has many wondering whether the...more
Last month, in Taylor v. Intuitive Surgical Inc., the Washington Supreme Court saddled medical device manufacturers with a new duty to warn under Washington law — the duty to warn hospitals about potential risks their...more
Earlier this month, the Washington Supreme Court saddled medical device manufacturers with a new duty to warn under Washington law—the duty to warn hospitals about potential risks their products may pose—and eroded exemptions...more
Defendants successfully argued “fraudulent joinder” in Bahalim v. Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc., winning dismissal of the case in its entirety. The case was decided on Plaintiffs’ motion to remand and Defendants’ motions to...more
In early January, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) adopted a new federal safety standard for infant sling carriers. 82 Fed. Reg. 2326-1 (Jan. 9, 2017). CPSC’s new rule follows its 2010 warning that baby...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit recently vacated the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) 2014 rulemaking that prohibits the importation and distribution of high-powered, small, rare earth...more
A federal district court in Wisconsin recently ruled against a product manufacturer, finding it liable for failing to report timely in a rare U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)-backed lawsuit. United States v....more
In a recent opinion, the Supreme Court of California formally adopted the Sophisticated Intermediary Doctrine, clarifying what circumstances may permit a raw materials supplier to discharge its duty to warn consumers. Webb...more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a draft guidance document with the goal of facilitating certain updates to abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) labels. In particular, the draft guidance...more
The FDA recently announced that it would once again delay promulgation of its proposed rule for generic drug labeling obligations. This action followed introduction of a spending bill that would have blocked funding for the...more
The Supreme Court case Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins reaffirmed and clarified the requirements necessary for plaintiffs to establish standing. As evidenced by the recent First Circuit case Hochendoner v. Genzyme Corp., the analysis...more
It is no secret that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is ramping up its efforts to enforce various aspects of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), especially the provisions about a company’s failure to...more
In an unusual turn of events, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe recently granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment as to over 300 cases in the Zoloft MDL. These cases were consolidated in 2012 and involved allegations...more
5/5/2016
/ Birth Defects ,
Causation ,
Daubert Hearing ,
Drug Safety ,
Evidence ,
Expert Testimony ,
Multidistrict Litigation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pregnancy ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Summary Judgment ,
Zoloft
The last weeks of March brought us two interesting and seemingly contradictory opinions that show the many tools the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has at its disposal to enforce its own regulations. These orders...more
The last weeks of March brought us two interesting and seemingly contradictory opinions that show the many tools that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has at its disposal to enforce its own regulations. These...more
Last week, a federal court in Utah granted Aventis Inc.’s motion for summary judgment based on federal preemption of failure-to-warn claims. Cerveny v. Aventis, Inc., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34182 (D. Utah Mar. 16, 2016). The...more
Earlier this month, CPSC Chair Elliot Kaye told regulators, industry, and lawyers about the CPSC’s priorities for the coming year. At the top of the list were increased civil penalties for failure to report potentially...more
The FDA’s recently issued draft guidance on “Postmarket Management of Cybersecurity in Medical Devices” seeks to address some of the increasing concerns that medical device providers, regulators, and consumers have about...more