Tanenbaum Keale LLP Chair Michael A. Tanenbaum and associate Kelly A. Belnick were recently published by Law360 on what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s market withdrawal of Zantac and other related ranitidine medications mean for the multidistrict litigation pending in the Southern District of Florida (MDL 2924).
Tanenbaum and Belnick write, “The Market Withdrawal highlights two key considerations for corporate decision makers who want to respond to these claims from a position of strength. First, the Market Withdrawal demonstrates the lack of signature causation indicative of the uncertain science upon which plaintiffs are basing their claims. Second, it heightens the importance of information collaboration and interoperability of data collection platforms.”
They conclude that defense teams need to coordinate their efforts and that “now is the time for Defendants to consider how this litigation could impact their operations, public-filing disclosures and reserve setting in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. Equally important is taking immediate steps to evaluate and implement internal technology that enables all defendants, and their legal teams to develop core data sets that can be shared seamlessly. As demonstrated in other large MDLs, plaintiffs’ counsel already have the capacity to do this and it provides a significant tactical advantage.”