Mead Johnson, Abbott Laboratories cleared in NEC trial

The five-week trial took place in a St. Louis, Missouri state court where jurors were urged to award more than $6bn in damages to plaintiff Kaine Whitfield whose mother Elizabeth alleged that the companies did not provide sufficient warnings that their products could cause necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) if fed to prematurely-born infants.

Kaine developed the disease - which has more than 20% mortality rate – and survived but has lifelong health problems as a result.

The case was one of around 1,000 similar lawsuits and comes after the two companies each suffered large courtroom losses in the past. Earlier this year, Mead was told to pay $60m and Abbott - $495m​.

The St. Louis trial is unlikely to influence the outcome of other similar cases, since each one will be heard by different juries.

In July, Reckitt CEO Kris Licht said the company was considering ‘considering all options​’ for Mead Johnson.

Meanwhile, Abbott CEO Robert Ford suggested to investors in October that the firm could pull its infant formula for premature infants because of the litigation.