Novartis Pharmaceuticals, makers of the osteoporosis bisphosphonate Zometa, has been ordered to pay a Florida man $250,000 for injuries he suffered after taking Zometa to help treat his multiple myeloma.
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2006.
On February 27, the jury found that the drug caused J. Hunter Chiles to develop osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), and that warnings about the link between Zometa and risk of ONJ were "inadequate," according to a story on law360.com.
The jury did not find that Novartis acted negligently in failing to provide an adequate warning for Zometa or that the company acted with willful disregard for Chiles' health, the story noted.
Novartis has lost five of the nine Zometa and Aredia suits that have gone to verdict, according to John Vecchione, an attorney for Chiles.
