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Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Sanofi SA were ordered by a U.S. judge on Monday to pay more than $ 834 million to the state of Hawaii for failing to properly warn non-white patients of Plavix blood thinner health risks.
U.S. District Judge Dean Ochiai in Honolulu writes that the companies do not change the drug label to warn doctors and patients, even though they have known about the risks for more than a decade.
BRISTOL-MYERS CUTS 3% OF THE GENERAL LABOR
Bristol-Myers and Sanofi, which manufacture Plavix in a partnership, said in a joint statement that the decision was not supported by the overwhelming amount of scientific evidence and promised to appeal.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | Alter | Alter% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMY | BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB | 59.99 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
| CUT | SANOFI SA | 47.57 | -0.13 | -0.27% |
“The fines granted by the court are not supported, especially since the state of Hawaii has provided no evidence that Plavix harmed even a single person,” the companies said.
Ochiai, who issued the ruling after a four-week trial conducted without a jury on Zoom, awarded $ 1,000 in damages for each Plavix prescription filed between 1998 and 2010 in Hawaii.
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Hawaii claims that the companies violate consumer protection laws by marketing Plavix without declaring that the drug could have a diminished or no effect for some people, especially of East Asian and Pacific descent.
Plavix is prescribed to prevent strokes and heart attacks. The blood thinner must be activated by the body’s own enzymes, which can vary genetically. Studies have shown that about 14% of Chinese patients are unable to properly metabolize the drug, compared to 4% of black and 2% of white patients.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a new Plavix warning label in 2010 to disclose the information.
Bristol-Myers and Sanofi are still facing a similar lawsuit over Plavix by the state of New Mexico.