‘Science Day’ Is Scheduled for the Ozempic Lawsuit
Legal Analysis: The Ozempic Lawsuit’s ‘Science Day’ Scheduled for June 14, 2024
Judge Pratter issued Case Management Order number 5 in the Ozempic lawsuit on April 26, 2024. The Order scheduled “Science Day” for June 14, 2024. Science Days are common practice in large federal lawsuits. The purpose of Science Day is to provide the court with an overview of the medical and scientific issues, in hopes of educating the Judge so they can make appropriate findings.
The parties in the Ozempic lawsuit have agreed to certain terms associated with the Science Day. The topics will include what diseases are treated with GLP-1 RAs, background on how the drugs work, background on the injuries including gastroparesis, intestinal obstruction, and bowel injuries. The Judge is also interested in scientific studies associated with Ozempic and other GLP-1 RAs. The parties will not be allowed to discuss specific cases or plaintiffs.
Each party will have 2.5 hours to present their position to the Judge during Science Day. It would be interesting to know whether the Plaintiff’s lawyers will focus on Ozempic or split their time with some of the Eli Lilly drugs as well. Unfortunately, we will likely never know the specifics of Science Day because the Judge has already ruled that the record from the proceeding will be kept confidential.
– Robert King, Esq.
Note: The content below was obtained by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The document is presented under the principles of fair use and is intended as a resource for legal and healthcare professionals interested in following the latest developments in the Ozempic lawsuit. King Law attorneys have contributed legal analysis to improve clarity and accessibility for users who may not be familiar with legal processes and terminology. This page was created to assist in understanding the proceedings and does not constitute legal advice.
On This Page:
Science Day Overview: Medical & Scientific Aspects of GLP-1 Medications
Science Day Overview: Understanding Medical and Scientific Aspects of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Medications
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
GLP-1 RA Products Liability Litigation – MDL No. 3094 (24-md-3094)
Case Management Order No. 5
Science Day
Science Day in the Court
On June 14, 2024 the Court will hold a Science Day, during which the Parties will, in an objective format, provide the Court with an overview of certain medical and scientific issues associated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide medications (hereinafter and collectively, “GLP-1 RAs”) and the injuries being alleged by the plaintiffs.
The Ground Rules for Science Day
The Parties have agreed to the following ground rules to educate the Court on the basic issues:
- The topics to be discussed at Science Day shall be limited to: a background on the diseases treated using GLP-1 RAs; a background on GLP-1 RAs, including how they work, their approved indications, and their labeling and regulatory history; a background on the injuries alleged in this litigation (specifically, gastroparesis, ileus, intestinal obstruction, gallbladder disease and gallstones, severe gastrointestinal disease, deep vein thrombosis and the secondary condition of malnutrition); and the medical literature related to GLP-1 RAs and the alleged injuries.
- The topics to be discussed at Science Day shall not include discussion of individual Plaintiffs, including as to their alleged injuries, or Defendants’ sales and marketing practices.
- The Parties shall limit their presentations to publicly available information.
- The Science Day presentations will be transcribed by the Court’s reporter, with costs to be split by the Parties. Neither the transcript nor any demonstrative aids shall be discoverable, admissible, used in any fashion for impeachment purposes or for collateral attack. To the extent the Parties share materials used by their side on Science Day, the receiving Parties shall not share those beyond the litigation. The transcript is to be treated as strictly confidential.
The Schedule for Science Day
The presentations will be made by attorneys and will follow, approximately, the schedule below:
- Plaintiffs’ presentation – 2.5 hours
- Lunch
- Defendants’ presentation – 2.5 hours
BY THE COURT:
s/ Gene E.K. Pratter
GENE E.K. PRATTER
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE