Ritalin lawsuit against Novartis dismissed

A district judge in Texas, USA, has dismissed claims that Novartis' USpharmaceutical subsidiary conspired with the American Psychiatric Association and the patients' group Children and Adults with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder to expand the diagnosis of Ritalin (methylphenidate) for ADHD. The dismissal follows a recent decision by a federal judge in San Diego to dismiss a similar suit against the Switzerland-based company (Marketletter March 19).

Judge Hilda Tagle ruled that the plaintiffs in the class action "failed to state their claims of fraud or conspiracy with sufficient particularity," adding that their "vague mentions of side effects" did not state a legal claim. Dorothy Watson, Novartis' general counsel, said that this latest ruling supports the firm's position "that this lawsuit and others like it are an unmerited attempt to promote an agenda that contradicts scientific and medical consensus."

The Texas court also ordered the plaintiffs to pay the legal costs for Novartis, the APA and CHADD. This may not be the end of the road for the Ritalin issue, however, as similar suits have been filed in Florida, New Jersey and Puerto Rico.