NC House votes on protecting drug makers in court

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina could become just the second
state in the country to protect pharmaceutical companies from
almost all lawsuits for the harm a drug may cause.

The state House is to vote Wednesday on legislation that would
grant immunity from lawsuits to companies if the Food and Drug
Administration approved the drug for sale.

Michigan is the only state with a similar law. That state’s
appeals court ruled in March that the law barred Michigan officials
from suing Merck & Co. to recover millions of dollars spent on
Vioxx, an arthritis drug pulled from the market because of health
risks in 2004.

A lawyer who’s represented drug companies says they want
protection from the whims of jurors lacking scientific expertise
whose decisions could overrule years of research by regulators.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)