French court dismisses damage claims against Merck over Levothyrox

The plaintiffs had accused Merck of not providing sufficient information regarding changes to the Levothyrox.

France: A court in the French city of Lyon threw out on Tuesday claims made by 4,113 plaintiffs for damages against Merck over changes to its thyroid drug Levothyrox.

Levothyroxine, also known as L-thyroxine, is a manufactured form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine. It is used to treat thyroid hormone deficiency, including the severe form known as myxedema coma. It may also be used to treat and prevent certain types of thyroid tumours.

The plaintiffs had accused Merck of not providing sufficient information regarding changes to the product.

Read Also: Merck launches cutting edge fertility technologies in India

They had said Merck's decision to remove lactose from the drug to make it easier to handle had resulted in side effects such as memory loss, weight gain and palpitations, but the Lyon court ruled in favour of Merck.

Merck is an American pharmaceutical company established in 1891 as the United States subsidiary of the German company Merck, which was founded in 1668 by the Merck family.

Read Also: Merck to buy drug developer Immune Design for $300 million