Montgomery, ALA – A lawsuit was filed today on behalf of an Alabama resident against New Jersey-based Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Alabama-based Qualitist for allegedly causing physical injury, including breast cancer. The lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of Bullock County, Alabama.

According to Jere Beasley of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles in Montgomery, Alabama, the lawyer who represents Barbara D. Graham, his client was prescribed and used 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.

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 women 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 says further: “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 thromboembolisms, pulmonary embolisms, gallbladder cancer and non-Hodgkins 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 says: “We look forward to trying this case in Alabama.”