A federal trial court in Texas has held that a plaintiff who admitted using only generic products cannot maintain failure to warn claims against brand-name drug manufacturers. Finnicum v. Wyeth Inc.,  2010 WL 1718204 (E.D. Tex., 4/28/10).

Finnicum alleged that her doctor prescribed metoclopramide to treat her heartburn sometime in 2003 and that she regularly ingested a generic form of the drug until at least 2007. Finnicum stipulated, however, that she never ingested any form of metoclopramide manufactured or distributed by defendants Wyeth or Schwarz. In mid-2007, Finnicum alleged she began exhibiting symptoms of tardive dyskinesia, a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements, especially of the lower face. Finnicum contended that her long-term ingestion of metoclopramide caused her to develop the disease.

She brought suit, asserting causes of action against Wyeth and Schwarz for negligence, strict products liability, breach of warranty, fraud, and violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Although plaintiff never ingested any form of metoclopramide that defendants manufactured or distributed, she alleged that manufacturers of generic metoclopramide are required by federal law to use brand name warnings when selling their products. Finnicum further contended that physicians rely on brand-name warnings when prescribing generic drugs. Finnicum maintained that defendants, as manufacturers of the brand name drug (Reglan), failed to provide adequate warnings of the long-term effects of metoclopramide use. And that impacted the warnings she did get.

The court granted summary judgment to the defendants, joining the majority of courts that have considered this question. Texas law applied. The Texas Supreme Court has stated that a manufacturer generally does not have a duty to warn or instruct about another manufacturer’s products, even though a third party might use those products in connection with the manufacturer’s own products. Thus, Texas law does not permit a plaintiff who ingested another manufacturer’s drug to maintain a failure-to-warn claim against a brand-name manufacturer.  This result is in accord with, for example, the Eighth Circuit in Mensing v. Wyeth, Inc., 588 F.3d 603 (8th Cir.2009); see also Foster v. American Home Prods. Corp., 29 F.3d 165 (4th Cir. 1994).

The court expressly rejected the California decision, Conte v. Wyeth, Inc., 85 Cal.Rptr.3d 299 (Cal.Ct.App.2008). In Conte, the court extended a brand name drug manufacturer’s duty of care regarding product information to patients who were injured by generic brands. This ruling would impose a duty that would stretch the concept of foreseeability too far.