Legal Rulings

Below is a summary of the main points of the legal decision in the United States District Court, W.D. Washington, At Seattle, In re: PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE (PPA) PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION, No. MDL 1407:

    1. In this lawsuit the judge ruled that evidence and expert testimony could reasonably be extended to link PPA use to both hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke.

    2. Based on criteria defined by the Supreme Court decision of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 113 S.CT. 2786 ('93), the Court said a study that linked PPA usage to increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke in women aged 18 - 49 could reasonably be extended to say that people over 49 also experienced a greater risk of stroke, even though increased age is commonly associated with such risk.

    3. The decision stated that it also made sense to say that phenylpropanolamine (PPA) causes increased risk of stroke in children and men as well as in women.

    4. Testimony based on case reports, adverse drug reports, reliable medical sources, and scientific literature on chemical composition indicated that PPA could cause both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Scientific testimony regarding PPA's effect on blood pressure and ischemic stroke was supported by clinical trials, animal studies, and scientific literature.

    For the full text of the court decision, see PPADaubert.doc.

  

Back to Top