Next Propecia®/Proscar® Status Hearing Date In The E.D.N.Y. M.D.L.: August 20, 2014

While the two sides wrangle about what portions of Merck's "privilege logs" should be viewable by the plaintiffs' lawyers (documents with redactions, or just notes about what each document covers -- and which ones), the next larger status hearing is on the morning of August 20, 2014. At that hearing, a schedule to move toward bellwether trials may be set.

Here is the latest summary from Merck's SEC Form 10-Q (at page 21):

. . . .As previously disclosed, Merck is a defendant in product liability lawsuits in the United States involving Propecia and/or Proscar. As of June 30, 2014, approximately 1,280 lawsuits involving a total of approximately 1,550 plaintiffs (in a few instances spouses are joined as plaintiffs in the suits) who allege that they have experienced persistent sexual side effects following cessation of treatment with Propecia and/or Proscar have been filed against Merck. Approximately 45 of the plaintiffs also allege that Propecia or Proscar has caused or can cause prostate cancer or male breast cancer. The lawsuits have been filed in various federal courts and in state court in New Jersey. The federal lawsuits have been consolidated for pretrial purposes in a federal multidistrict litigation before Judge John Gleeson of the Eastern District of New York. The matters pending in state court in New Jersey have been consolidated before Judge Jessica Mayer in Middlesex County. The Company intends to defend against these lawsuits. . . .

In point of fact, the August 20 hearing will be in the federal MDL.

Separately (in part in a fond memory of Robin Williams), do go out -- and have a great adventure on this fine day, wherever you are! Namaste!