Personal Injury Law

After Adverse Effects, Roche Ends Trials of Diabetes Drug

By Hurley, McKenna & Mertz

The drug maker, Roche, ?has stopped giving patients its experimental diabetes treatment taspoglutide in late-stage clinical trials because of a high rate of adverse reactions, a major blow to a drug once expected to have $2 billion-a-year potential.? (Reuters on NYTimes.com, 9/12).

Roche stated that the decision to discontinue experimental treatment ?was based on a higher-than-expected rate of discontinuations because of gastrointestinal intolerability and as a result of serious hypersensitivity reactions experienced by some patients.? For now, the drug maker is not abandoning the drug entirely, but is consideration reformulations.

As a medical malpractice and products liability attorney, I am pleased with Roche?s decision to discontinue experimental treatment. Although business motives would suggest alternative actions, the decision is wise for both liability and social responsibility reasons.

Full post as published by Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog on September 13, 2010 (boomark / email).