Regeneron, Sanofi Must Face Calif. Skin Cancer Drug Death Case

LOS ANGELES — A California federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that a woman’s death was caused by an adverse reaction to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s skin cancer drug Libtayo, ruling the claims are not preempted because the manufacturer could have updated the medication’s warnings via the FDA’s Changes Being Effected Process.

In an April 24 order, Judge Wesley L. Hsu of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California found the plaintiff pointed to newly acquired information that would have allowed Regeneron and co-defendant Sanofi Aventis US LLC to unilaterally change the drug’s label after …