Verdict in Philadelphia Diet Drug Case Set Aside by Trial Judge

MADISON, N.J., Feb. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wyeth announced today that the judge in the case of Geri McMurdie v. Wyeth has set aside the jury's November 3, 2004 verdict in that case and entered judgment in favor of Wyeth. The jury had originally found in favor of the plaintiff, awarding her $780,000 in compensatory damages.

Ms. McMurdie was one of four Utah plaintiffs whose trials were combined and heard together beginning in September 2004. The Honorable Mark. I. Bernstein of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, who presided over the case and who rendered the decision in favor of Wyeth today, has not yet ruled on Wyeth's challenges to the jury verdicts in the other cases tried with Ms. McMurdie's case -- Lucy Hansen v. Wyeth, Joyce Jensen v. Wyeth and Mildred Hill v. Wyeth.

The plaintiffs alleged heart valve injury from the use of the diet drug Pondimin, a drug once marketed by Wyeth. Evidence showed that Ms. McMurdie signed a consent form acknowledging the potential risks of diet drugs at the time she was prescribed Pondimin. Judge Bernstein found that Ms. McMurdie "knowingly and voluntarily assumed the risks" of heart damage when she took Pondimin.

Wyeth is one of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and nonprescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company's major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.