A jury recently awarded three women a combined $72.6 million in damages against Pfizer after linking the company's menopause medication with dangerous side effects such as cancer. The three women had no family history of breast cancer, and the jurors concluded that Pfizer's hormone-replacement drug Prempro was responsible for the three plaintiffs contracting cancer.

The attorneys for Pfizer countered that there was insufficient evidence as to the length of time the women took Prempro, since there were gaps in their pharmacy records. The Pfizer attorneys also added that the women's profiles differed from those in a Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study, and that the plaintiffs should not be allowed to rely on the study to help make their case.

Prior to 1995, many women took separate hormones to deal with standard menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings. In 1995, Wyeth combined the hormones into one drug for its Prempro medication. A 2002 study linked Prempro with cancer.

Prior to 2002, more than six million women in Louisiana and throughout the country took Prempro to treat various menopause symptoms. The drug -- which is still on the market -- has generated sales of more than $2 billion. Pfizer has set aside $772 million to help resolve various pending Prempro lawsuits.

The lawsuits against Pfizer's Wyeth and Upjohn units began in 2006, and those subsidiaries have now lost 10 of 18 Prempro cases, although Pfizer has been able to get several jury verdicts thrown out or have jury awards reduced. Several more cases are up on appeal, while others have been settled.

Source: Crain's New York Business, "Pfizer to pay $72M as jury finds drug caused cancer" Dec. 6, 2011