Lilly Wins Cymbalta Lawsuit, Begins New Trial

Eli Lilly picked up another court win for its blockbuster antidepressant Cymbalta, when a California federal jury determined the company wasn’t liable for a woman’s severe withdrawal symptoms.

The victory celebration may be short lived, however, as Lilly returned to court last week to face another lawsuit against the drug.

In last week’s case, plaintiff Claudia Herrera sued the drugmaker, claiming she suffered from sharp pain shooting through her head, extreme anxiety, fear, stomach pains and suicidal thoughts after she cut back on her use of Cymbalta in March 2012 because it caused weight gain and blurred vision. She had been prescribed the drug in 2006 for anxiety.

The ruling in Claudia Herrera et al. v. Eli Lilly and Company et al. marks the second time Lilly has won a case alleging it misled the public on withdrawal symptoms associated with Cymbalta. In November 2014, Judge Robert Sweet of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York tossed a similar case after concluding that Cymbalta’s (duloxetine) warning of withdrawal symptoms was adequate and did not cause injuries. — John Bechtel