Reckitt is set to face a US courtroom trial tomorrow over claims that its Mead Johnson Enfamil baby formula raised the risk of fatal infant bowel disease.
The litigation in the US District Court in Illinois involves a combination of hundreds of lawsuits alleging that Reckitt subsidiary Mead Johnson failed to warn parents that its specialist formula raised the risk of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC).
The lawsuit focuses on Enfamil, a specialist infant milk formula given to premature infants. Plaintiffs allege the product increases the risk of NEC, a severe bowel condition that is often fatal in newborn babies.
Lawyers representing the affected families view the upcoming trial as a critical test case for the broader litigation.
“This bellwether trial is a pivotal moment that brings the devastated families and premature babies affected by NEC a step closer to justice,” said Sara Papantonio at Levin Papantonio, a law firm representing the plaintiffs in tomorrow’s class action.
Reckitt Defence and Science Arguments
Reckitt denied the allegations, stating that the company remains confident in the safety of its product line and scientific evidence.
A Reckitt spokesman said: “We remain confident in our position based on the facts and the science, and look forward to presenting our case at trial.”
The company defended its infant formula products as standard treatments recommended by medical specialists in neonatal intensive care units.
“We stand behind the safety and efficacy of our preterm hospital nutrition products, which neonatologists recommend when clinically appropriate as part of the standard of care in neonatal intensive care units,” the spokesman said.
“Claims by plaintiffs’ lawyers that these products cause NEC are not supported by the science or the medical consensus. We will continue to vigorously defend ourselves on the facts and the science.”
Rival Lawsuits and Financial Impact
Reckitt is not the only company facing legal action over premature baby formula products in US courts. Rival US firm Abbott Laboratories is facing similar allegations that one of its formula products, Similac, also increased the risk of NEC.
Lawsuits concerning both Enfamil and Similac first began appearing in courts in 2022.
The ongoing litigation has weighed on Reckitt’s financial standing and market valuation. The company’s share price has fallen nearly 13 per cent over the past five years as investors have fretted about potential costs should the courts rule against Mead Johnson.
Recent Jury Verdicts and Appeals
Despite facing hundreds of claims, Reckitt scored a victory last month when a jury in Missouri rejected claims that Mead Johnson’s formula was responsible for an infant’s NEC.
That verdict came after an Illinois court in June reversed a $60million (£45million) verdict against the firm that it had failed to warn parents that its products could cause NEC.
