Status Conference Schedule Out For Valsartan Recall Lawsuits

Status Conference Schedule Out For Valsartan Recall Lawsuits

Introduction

According to a case management order dated April 2, valsartan lawsuits can proceed in the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, where federal claims, arising because of the generic drug recall, are currently undergoing pretrial proceedings.

The order stated the litigation would assemble a two-part status conference on the fourth Wednesday of every month. The first session of each conference, beginning at 10 a.m., will look into the discovery matters linked to valsartan lawsuits. The second part beginning at 1.30 p.m. will address various case management and scheduling issues. A telephonic conference with the lead counsel will be arranged by the Plaintiffs' counsel two weeks before each status conference at 4.00 p.m. The litigation will call for its next status conference on April 24, when the court will address various issues, including the appointment of attorneys to plaintiffs’ leadership committees. By April 10, Plaintiffs’ Leadership Counsel must inform all attorneys with valsartan lawsuits regarding their desire to join a committee earliest by April 10. The attorneys are supposed to respond to the inquiry by April 18, after which the lead counsel will submit a list of nominations by close of business on April 22. Valsartan recall was initiated last year following numerous reports that the blood pressure drug contains cancer-causing nitrosamines in it. Since then, dozens of generic drug makers recalled the medication.

As of March 15, 43 valsartan lawsuits were pending in the federal multidistrict litigation, which includes individual as well as class action complaints alleging that the drugs cause cancer.