Birmingham, AL – A federal judge in north Alabama has set the first two trials stemming from thousands of lawsuits filed nationwide against pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer over its stop-smoking product Chantix.
The United States Judicial Panel on Multistate Litigation consolidated the Chantix suits and assigned them to U.S. District Judge Inge Johnson.
Johnson has selected a few to be heard first. He has set a trial for Oct. 22 in a lawsuit filed by Duluth, Minn., resident July Ann Whitley over the suicide of her husband. Johnson set a Jan. 22, 2013, trial date for a suit by the estate of Sandra Corey, of Jacksonville, Ore., who died from a gunshot.
Plaintiff attorney Kristian Rasmusssen says that they intend to show a link to Chantix. Pfizer disputes the allegations.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)