Abbott, Abbvie Ask Judge for Stay in Depakote Cases

Abbott Laboratories and AbbVie asked a federal judge to pause several liability cases as the companies are in settlement negotiations.

In their motion, the two companies, accused of failing to properly warn of safety risks associated with the anticonvulsant Depakote, asked the Southern District of Illinois for a stay.

Last October, an Illinois judge denied a request from Abbott Laboratories to throw out a suit accusing the drugmaker of failing to properly warn of safety risks associated with Depakote.