Opinion ID: 1613536
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: WHETHER SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN FAVOR OF ELI LILLY AND HOFFMANN-LaROCHE WAS APPROPRIATE.

Text: ¶ 35. Although a plaintiff in a prescription drug liability case may alternatively rely on strict liability and negligence principles, these principles merge into one inquiry; the adequacy of the defendant's warnings. Swayze v. McNeil Labs., Inc., 807 F.2d 464, 467 (5th Cir. 1987); see also Thomas v. Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc., 949 F.2d 806, 808 n. 1 (5th Cir.1992) (applying Mississippi law) (negligence and strict liability claims regarding warnings will be considered together).
¶ 36. Under Mississippi law, as in virtually every jurisdiction in a prescription drug case, a manufacturer of a prescription drug has no duty to warn the patient, consumer, or general public of adverse effects. Under the learned intermediary doctrine, manufacturers do have a duty, however, to adequately warn the treating physician. See, e.g., Wyeth Labs., Inc. v. Fortenberry, 530 So.2d 688, 691 (Miss.1988). Thus, it is undisputed that when Bennett was prescribed medication by Dr. Ali, neither Eli Lilly or Hoffmann-LaRoche were required to warn Jake of any risks associated with the medication.
¶ 37. An adequate warning is one reasonable under the circumstances and is usually resolved by the trier of fact. Id. at 692 (citing Graham v. Wyeth Labs., Inc., 666 F.Supp. 1483, 1498 (D.Kan.1987)). To assist in this determination, courts examine the package inserts which are duplicated in the Physicians Desk Reference pursuant to federal regulations. Id. Upon review of the package inserts, we concluded in Fortenberry that it was clear that the patient was in the group for whom the vaccine was not recommended. Id. at 692. The insert warned physicians that although the connection between the medication and the plaintiff's condition was not clear, persons considering the vaccine should be made aware of the benefits and possible risks. Id. ¶ 38. Eli Lilly and Hoffmann-LaRoche both submitted package insert information from 1994, when Jake took drugs prescribed by Dr. Ali. The package insert for Librium, manufactured by Hoffmann-LaRoche, included the following language: