A Missouri judge has ordered Abbott Laboratories and Reckitt Benckiser unit Mead Johnson to face a new trial over allegations that they failed to warn a mother about the risks of their specialized baby formulas for premature infants, re-opening a case that had resulted in a victory for the defendants.
The Thursday ruling comes months after a St. Louis, Missouri state court found that the companies were not responsible for a young boy’s debilitating intestinal disease. The case had been a victory for the two companies following large losses in similar trials that had rattled investors.
Missouri Circuit Judge Michael Noble in St. Louis, Missouri, said the defendants’ lawyers had engaged in misconduct that resulted in an unfair verdict from the jury and ordered a new trial.
Abbott and Reckitt said they would appeal.
Abbott spokesperson Scott Stoffel said the jury had reached the correct decision, based on evidence from scientists and governmental regulators who have said there is no conclusive link between preterm infant formula and the plaintiff’s son’s intestinal disease.
