Bullock County Circuit court in Union Springs will be the venue for the state’s first lawsuit against pharmaceutical manufacturers of three hormone therapy drugs.

Jere Beasley of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles in Montgomery, filed the lawsuit Friday against New Jersey-based Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Alabama-based Qualitest on behalf of Barbara D. Graham, a resident of Union Springs.

The suit alleges the drugs caused physical injury, including breach cancer. Beasley said his client was prescribed and used the hormone therapy drugs Premarin, Prempro and Medroxyprogesterone (MPA).

“Wyeth and Qualitest, their managers and sales representatives encouraged the use of these drugs to improper customers and misrepresented their products as to their safety, efficacy, and harmful side effects to increase sales,” he said.

Beasley says: “There was a motive for improper long-term usage and dangerous high dosage. This is yet another case of profits over public safety and duping doctors as well as consumers. Consequently, there are a tremendous number of woman who have had breast cancer.”

The lawsuit details that Wyeth has promoted and marketed its menopausal hormone therapy products since 1942, emphasizing long-term use of these medications. Through an expensive and expansive decades-long marketing and advertising campaign, Wyeth convinced doctors and the public that menopause is a disease requiring drug treatment rather than the natural process of aging.

Beasley added, “Wyeth and Qualitest knew of the significant risks associated with menopausal hormone therapy, but failed to warn consumers of such risks. These risks include breast cancer, ovarian cancer, heart attacks, strokes, deep vein thromoboembolisms, pulmonary embolisms, gallbladder cancer and non Hodgkin lymphoma, among other side effects.”

This is the first case of this sort filed in Alabama. Most of the cases thus far have been in the home place of the drug company. Beasley said: “We look forward to trying this case in Alabama.”