Wyeth Faces First Trial Over Prempro

A suit by a Benton, Arkansas, woman against drug giant Wyeth will be the first to go to court of thousands filed by women who took hormone-replacement therapy. The suit by Linda Reeves of Benton is due to begin trial next month in federal court in Little Rock. Reeves said she thought it was a good idea to take hormone replacement therapy to help prevent the osteoporosis that plagued her mother. But she said she was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago and her doctor told her to stop taking the hormone-replacement pills. The 67-year-old endured a mastectomy, and while Reeves said she feels fine now, she fears her cancer may return. She blames her cancer on roughly eight years of taking Prempro, an estrogen-progestin combination made by Wyeth and prescribed to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. Approximately 4,500 lawsuits have been filed against Wyeth over hormone replacement therapy. Reeves' case marks the beginning of what could be a long process of resolving the cases in courts.