Abilify Gambling Lawsuits: Summary Judgment Request Rejected

Abilify Gambling Lawsuits: Summary Judgment Request Rejected

Introduction

A motion for summary judgment filed by the makers of Abilify, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, was rejected by Judge M. Casey Rodgers presiding over all the federal Abilify lawsuits.

The Abilify lawsuits were centralized in October 2016 as MDL No. 2734 (In Re: Abilify Compulsive Behavior Products Liability Litigation) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Hundreds of product liability lawsuits are a part of this MDL where the drug makers are facing allegations of failure to warn the patients and the medical community to look out for symptoms of uncontrollable urges to gamble, binge eat, shop and engage in a risky sexual activity. Plaintiffs state that they could have escaped from the effects of gambling losses had earlier warnings been provided to them. The path is now clear for a series of bellwether cases to head trial way. The plaintiffs are further seeking sanctions against the manufacturers of the antipsychotic drug.