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Article: First Neurontin suicide trial begins: Plaintiffs' lawyer attacks off- label marketing
- Article from:
- Lawyers USA
- Article date:
- July 29, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 Lawyers USA. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Addressing jurors in the first Neurontin suicide trial,
plaintiffs' lawyer Mark Lanier asserted that drug maker Pfizer knew
the anti-epilepsy medication increased the risk of suicide, but
intentionally marketed off-label uses to boost the drug's sales.
Lanier, a well-known Houston attorney, is representing the family
of Susan Bulger, a 39-year-old Peabody, Mass. woman who killed
herself in September 2004.
She had been taking Neurontin for two years to alleviate
rheumatoid arthritis pain.
Bulger had a history of drug abuse and depression, and had
attempted suicide four or five times.
But in his opening argument yesterday morning, Lanier told the
nine-person jury (one juror was excused before ...