A Hawaii court has ruled that the manufacturers and distributors of the blood thinner Plavix must pay the state a total of $916 million for failing to disclose the medication’s efficacy and safety, according to the state attorney general. Bristol Myers Squibb Company and three U.S. subsidiaries of French pharmaceutical company Sanofi were named in the judgment.
Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi have stated that they disagree with the penalty and intend to appeal the decision. The court found that there was a risk of a diminished response to Plavix in about 30% of patients, particularly non-Caucasians, but the companies did not update their label, Attorney General Anne Lopez explained.
The lawsuit was filed by Hawaii in 2014, citing over 1 million Plavix prescriptions issued in the state since 1998 when the drug was first introduced. This legal action was the fifth of its kind, following similar cases in Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia, and California.
In response to the ruling, the companies defended Plavix’s safety and effectiveness, regardless of a patient’s race or genetics. They argued that the penalties imposed were excessive and unjustified, considering their successful defense in other states’ litigation related to Plavix.
According to the companies, Plavix has been a crucial treatment for millions of patients with cardiovascular disease worldwide for more than two decades and is recommended as a primary therapy by leading medical guidelines globally.
By Audrey Mcavoy
