A recent ruling in a California appeals court made pharmaceutical companies responsible for side effects caused by the generic forms of their brand name drugs. Ed Silverman says it’s going to spark a ton of lawsuits:

The First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco reinstated a lawsuit by Elizabeth Conte, who had taken a generic version of Wyeth’s Reglan heartburn med for nearly four years and developed tardive dyskinesia, which causes incurable and involuntary muscle movements. Although she took only generics, Conte accused Wyeth and three generic drugmakers of failing to warn of the risk of long-term use.

As one commenter puts it, “I should get in on this generic med business – tons of money and no risk.”

topics: generic, drugs