Design Defect Claims Trimmed from Tepezza MDL Bellwether Cases

CHICAGO — The judge overseeing the MDL docket for Tepezza hearing loss cases has trimmed design defect claims from a group of bellwether cases, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to identify how the thyroid eye disease (TED) drug’s design was defective.

However, in the Jan. 10 order, Judge Thomas Durkin of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois allowed the failure-to-warn claims to proceed, finding plaintiffs provided evidence of “newly acquired information” that would have allowed a label change under the FDA’s Changes Being Effected (CBE) process.

Plaintiffs allege Tepezza can cause permanent hearing loss. Tepezza is …