Sandoz must face wrongful death claim over heart drug - judge

Novartis AG's Sandoz unit must face a wrongful death lawsuit accusing it of promoting a generic version of Pfizer Inc's cardiac arrhythmia drug Cordarone for unapproved uses and failing to warn that it can cause fatal lung disease, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman in Chicago ruled Tuesday that the lawsuit, filed in 2015 by Illinois resident Fernando Hernandez, is not preempted by federal law. Hernandez's wife died in 2013 after taking generic amiodarone made by Sandoz, according to the complaint.