LAS VEGAS, Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Craig Lea, Vice President of Teva Pharmaceuticals, was the first witness called in the second hepatitis C trial following the largest notification by the Clark County Health Department to 50,000 residents they may have been affected.
Lead Trial Attorney for the plaintiffs, Robert Eglet, questioned Lea on the time frame that Teva Pharmaceuticals was aware that medical providers were dosing multiple patients from the same larger 50mL infusion vials of Propofol and played portions of Craig Lea‘s deposition for the jury. “Eleven years ago you said the smaller 10mL vials will reduce the temptation to multi-dose,” said Eglet. Yes, said Lea. “Additionally, the 10mL vials will reduce the temptation and that medical providers were in fact dosing multiple patients from the same larger infusion vials of Propofol,” said Eglet. Yes, said Lea.
Plaintiff Anne Arnold was exposed to the virus hepatitis C when a contaminated jumbo 50mL infusion vial of the anesthesia medication Propofol was reused during a colonoscopy procedure at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada on July 13, 2007. 50mL infusion vials of Propofol are meant for long term sedation of patients, not short outpatient procedures like colonoscopies. Arnold was later diagnosed as having contracted hepatitis C. The lawsuit filed by Mainor Eglet alleges design defect, breach of implied warranty for a particular purpose, failure to properly warn by sending a Dear Health Care Professional letter and duty to monitor.
Trial follows notification from Clark County Heath Department to 50,000 residents they may be infected.
This is the second trial in the hepatitis C outbreak in Clark County Nevada. In the first trial, Plaintiff Henry Chanin, received a verdict of $500 million in May 2010.
SOURCE Mainor Eglet Law Firm
