HPV vaccine manufacturer has asked the court to exclude plaintiffs’ expert witnesses from testifying before a jury about the link between Gardasil and injuries sustained by plaintiffs.
Federal regulators rejected full approval of Ocaliva in November following an analysis of post-marketing data by a committee of scientific advisors.
Motion asks the court to dismiss all 16 Gardasil IVC vaccine lawsuits selected to serve as bellwether test trials in the federal MDL.
Gardasil lawsuit claims HPV injections resulted in permanent injuries, debilitation, pain and exhaustion.
Findings come after a panel of scientific advisors already called for more restrictions on Keytruda, Opdivo and similar cancer drugs last month, due to moderate benefits and high risks.
Findings come as Merck faces a growing number of Gardasil lawsuits brought by parents and young adults who say they suffered severe injuries due to side effects of the HPV vaccine injections.
Lawsuits allege that Merck hid the link between Gardasil and autoimmune disorders for years, making it difficult to file with the U.S. Vaccine Court in a timely manner.
Some lawsuits over the Gardasil were filed more than three years after the HPV vaccine was administered to plaintiffs as children, since it was not discovered that the vaccine caused autoimmune problems for many years.
Male and female patients reacted differently to Gardasil injections, with women reporting a higher number of adverse health events.
Lawyers are scheduled to meet on Thursday with the U.S. District Judge presiding over hundreds of other Gardasil lawsuits, as preparations continue for the first federal bellwether trials.
