6th Cir. Upholds Summary Judgment Award to Onglyza, Kombiglyze MDL Defendants

CINCINNATI — The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld a summary judgment award to the makers of type 2 diabetes drugs Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR, agreeing with an MDL court that there was no admissible expert testimony that the drugs can cause heart failure.

On Feb. 13, the appellate panel affirmed that expert testimony is required in cases involving complex issues of medical causation, rejecting plaintiffs’ claim that other evidence created a genuine issue of material fact as to causation.

Onglyza and Kombiglyze, introduced to the U.S. market in 2009 and 2010, are designed to lower adverse complications …