A class action lawsuit brought against drug manufacturer Novartis AG has recently been dismissed. According to Texas Federal judge Hilda Tagle, the plaintiffs failed to fully support their claim that the pharmaceutical company conspired with psychiatrists to over-prescribe Ritalin.
Ritalin is an anti-hyperactivity drug often prescribed to children and young adults who are diagnosed with "attention deficit disorder." The plaintiffs stated in their claim that psychiatrists generalize the disorder, thus allowing doctors to over-prescribe Ritalin. The lawsuit sought damages equal to the total profits Novartis AG has earned from the drug.
Federal judge Tagle, however, was not convinced that the plaintiffs fully supported their accusation of fraud or their claim that Ritalin produces unwanted side effects. Tagle's dismissal of the claim comes shortly after another Federal judge in San Diego dismissed a similar claim.