Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-4_05-cv-00546/USCOURTS-ared-4_05-cv-00546-4/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 365
Nature of Suit: Personal Injury - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Personal Injury-Product Liability

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Doc. No. 321.

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

WESTERN DIVISION

In re: 

PREMPRO PRODUCTS LIABILITY 

LITIGATION

HELEN HILL

v.

WYETH, et. al.

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MDL Docket No. 4:03CV1507-WRW

 4:05CV00546

 

 PLAINTIFF

 

 DEFENDANTS

ORDER

Defendant’s Motion for Partial Reconsideration of November 2, 2007 Order Re:

Excess Breast Cancers (Doc. No. 320) is GRANTED. I don’t see any relevance of testimony

about “excess breast cancers” during the liability stage of trial, if we’re talking about numbers. 

It may be relevant during a punitive damages stage, and I’ll address the issue again if a punitive

damages stage becomes necessary. 

I need to clarify my November 2, 2007 ruling: Defendants’ Motion to Exclude Testimony

Re: Total Excess of Breast Cancer is GRANTED. Defendant contends, and it appears to me, that

Plaintiff’s theory of causation is that “women with menopausal symptoms are necessarily

‘estrogen-deficient’ and cannot develop receptor-positive breast cancer unless they take hormone

therapy.”1

 If Plaintiff advances this theory, then Defendant can rebut with its statement that

“most women who ingest hormone therapy do not develop breast cancer, and most women who

Case 4:05-cv-00546-BRW Document 330 Filed 11/20/07 Page 1 of 2
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develop breast cancer did not ingest E+P.” (Incidentally, this ruling assumes that both parties lay

a proper foundation and have experts or evidence to support their conclusions). 

Both parties may discuss absolute risk and relevant risk, and compare HRT with other

risk factors without getting into the general breast cancer numbers. More specifically, the

numbers in Dr. Colditz’s calculations will not be permitted during the liability phase of the trial. 

IT IS SO ORDERED this 20th day of November, 2007.

/s/ Wm. R. Wilson, Jr.___________

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 4:05-cv-00546-BRW Document 330 Filed 11/20/07 Page 2 of 2